London Fashion Week Men's: Five key trends for SS19

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The 12th instalment of London Fashion Week Men’s has come to an end but, while we might have a whole turn around the sun until the collections hit the shelves, menswear obsessives are already working out what they will be wearing this time next year.

Serving up some serious outfit inspiration, this season saw some of the top names in fashion – from Liam Hodges and Charles Jeffrey to Alex Mullins – grace London’s runways to deliver a host of wearable garb.

Here, we take a look at five of the best trends you can start wearing right away.

The Matrix

This season, 1999 action sci-fi blockbuster The Matrix quickly became the fashion film of 2018 with designers embracing everything from floor-grazing trenches to patent leather, combat boots and tiny sunglasses.

At John Lawrence Sullivan, the trend for escaping reality came in the form of slim-cut leather biker suits, overcoats and Nineties-style specs while Danshan and Berthold both opted for patent all-black everything and high-neck cuts.

Take a hike

A rising trend in men’s fashion, a number of designers looked to the great outdoors for spring/summer 2019 – here, rugged, outdoorsy garb conquered.

At Danish brand Wood Wood, there was everything from chest rigs and tool belts to pastel-coloured cagoules as well as socks teamed with sandals and plenty of bucket hats – a look also seen at Ben Sherman.

Matthew Miller reflected the same look with harnessed outerwear in fluorescent yellow and accessories that resembled chunky tool boxes.

Suits you

According to research by Travelodge, only one in 10 British men regularly wear suits to work with seven out of 10 claiming they prefer to dress casually because it makes them feel more comfortable.

However, designers set out to change this by kickstarting an entirely new conversation around suiting, where pieces come low-slung, slouchy and as relaxed as possible.

At Daniel W Fletcher, suit trousers came with subtle split hems that revealed models’ ankles as they walked, while Sharon Wauchob’s signature ethereal aesthetics saw expertly crafted suits juxtaposed with draped shirting and wide-leg trousers layered under languid trench coats.

Retro Sportswear

With World Cup mania reaching fever pitch it seems only right that designers should honour the realm of sport.

At What We Wear, this came in the form of oldschool favourites that paid close attention to 1970s-1990s era sportswear including tracksuits, shorts, football shirts and a nod to English casual subculture.

Elsewhere, Kent & Curwen presented varsity sweaters and faded rugby tops alongside cricket jumpers, while Iceberg fused a love of Formula 1 with an energetic football attitude.

Mellow yellow

Move over millennial pink because there’s a new colour code in town: gen Z yellow.

A lesser-spotted colour in menswear, yellows across the spectrum quickly dominated the catwalk this season, from canary to butter to lemon.

At Cottweiler, a muted version of the sunny shade adorned everything from windbreaker jackets to nylon jumpsuits and Reebok trainers, while Alex Mullins showcased it on double-breasted tailoring and What We Wear, on patent parkas.