10 Trend Pieces Men Should Own For Autumn/Winter 2022

Blindly following trends is never a good idea. It’s a one-way ticket to making regrettable style choices and rarely results in a good outfit. A better idea is to stay abreast of what’s new and what’s changing in the men’s fashion universe, and incorporate certain elements of that in a way that enhances or complements your personal style.

It’s also important to be able to recognise the difference between an emerging style with staying power and a fleeting fad that’ll be dead in the water come next season. This way you can rest easy knowing you’ll be on the right side of history when the sartorial pendulum starts swinging the other way.

So, how do you make the distinction? That’s where we come in. Stick to our handpicked selection of the best trend pieces for autumn and winter, and stay current without becoming a fashion victim.

Carpenter Pants

They say fashion runs in 20-year cycles. What was in two decades ago tends to come back around with surprising accuracy. Don’t believe it? Just take a look at the current revival of blue-collar legwear – the exact same legwear that took the early to mid 2000s by storm.

These pants are usually somewhere between a regular and a relaxed fit, with plenty of pockets, utilitarian details like hammer loops and reinforced knees, and a straight or tapered leg. Brands to shop include Stan Ray, Dickies and Carhartt, for the original Double-Knee pants.

Wide-Leg Chinos

Could slim silhouettes soon be making a comeback? If that 20-year trend cycle is anything to go by then that may well be the case. But for now, we can continue to enjoy the casual comfort of a wider leg.

Wide-leg chinos aren’t going anywhere fast. In fact, there’s been renewed interest in the style thanks to J.Crew’s aptly named ‘Giant-Fit Chinos’, which were part of the first collection designed by newly appointed creative director, Noah founder and former Supreme designer Brendon Babenzien. For alternative options, take a look at Dickies, Beams Plus, Uniqlo and COS.

Pleated Trousers

With tailoring making a comeback and Ivy style back in the spotlight, pleated trousers are firmly on our radar once again. The style never really went away, but we love how nicely it ties in with some of the other trends going on at the moment, signalling a move back towards a smarter way of dressing.

The cut of these pants is usually fairly wide in the leg, which makes them pretty versatile in terms of what footwear they’ll pair with, and the pleats at the front make them nice and roomy in the seat for increased freedom of movement and comfort.

Mohair Cardigan

Embracing the ongoing trend for mohair cardigans and welcoming some fuzzy knitwear into your autumn/winter rotation is a great way to add some more texture to your cold-weather looks. The look was popularised by Needles and Marni a few years back, but it can be traced back even further to grunge style icon Kurt Cobain, whose iconic cardi sold for a staggering $334,400 at auction in 2019.

Needles and Marni still make some of the most eye-catching mohair cardigans in the game, but other brands to look out for include Wax London, Percival, Saint Laurent, Celine Homme and Our Legacy.

Retro Tailoring

When you consider the world has spent the best part of the last two years locked indoors wearing sweatpants and slippers, it’s unsurprising that there’s something of a tailoring revival taking place at the moment.

There’s been a noticeable shift away from the sneakers and streetwear that have dominated men’s fashion for the last decade, and towards casual shoes and tailored pieces. But we’re not talking Tom Ford, clean-cut, slim-fitting sleekness here. The current tailoring resurgence harks back to styles of the 1970s and earlier, with double-breasted jackets, pleated trousers and even the odd flared leg creeping back in.

Sweater Vest

The OAP-inspired knitwear doesn’t end at fuzzy cardigans. Sweater vests are also making a comeback. It might not seem like the most dynamic style move to make, but it can look good and bring something fresh to fall outfits when executed with a little flair.

Instead of teaming it up with a shirt, which can look stuffy, layer it over a long-sleeve T-shirt or rollneck instead. Style it with contemporary, streetwear-leaning pieces to offset its nerdy connotations, and don’t be afraid to go for eye-catching, unconventional patterns.

Waxed Jacket

Waxed jackets are nothing new. Barbour has been making its iconic country outerwear for well over a decade, but we’re starting to see a spike in these jackets’ popularity again, as well as a number of influential labels putting their own stamp on the design.

Tastemaking brands of the moment like Aime Leon Dore and Drake’s have recently released their own waxed jackets, and it’s been interesting and inspiring to see this farmyard staple styled in new, imaginative ways.

Chunky Loafers

The unrelenting hype of the sneaker world is beginning to get too much for some, and we’re starting to see more and more shoppers turn to casual footwear styles like loafers instead. Traditionally, these have been a low-profile option with thin soles, but popping a chunky commando sole unit on the bottom gives this piece of footwear a completely different feel, and that’s what a lot of brands have been doing.

Some of the best names to shop for this particular style include G.H. Bass, Velasca, Yuketen and Vinny’s. Or alternatively, you could take a pair of loafers you already own to your local cobbler who can swap the original sole for a chunkier alternative.

Dad Jeans

Dad’s have served as an endless (if unwitting) source of style inspiration over the last ten years. We’ve adopted their bulky lawn-mowing kicks, their unstructured baseball caps, their tucked-in tees, and now we’re coming back for their denim.

OK, so dad jeans have been on the scene for a little while now, but they’ve become ubiquitous of late. You can’t follow a menswear influencer these days without seeing a pair of uncuffed, relaxed-fit, stonewashed jeans every other post, and we’re not saying that’s a bad thing.