People and Lifestyle » Fashion » Get the Look: Men’s Shirt Trends for Spring/Summer 2012

Get the Look: Men’s Shirt Trends for Spring/Summer 2012

After an Autumn/Winter season that could only be described as austere (think military, black and more black), Spring/Summer 2012 is a breath of fresh air. The sun is shining, spirits are up and designers are getting playful.

Here is my run-down of the top men’s shirt trends of the season, and how you can get the look yourself…

Pastels

The mood was bright at Victor & Rolf at their Spring/Summer 2012 catwalk show in Paris; the models paraded down the catwalk in an array of pastel colours – think cornflower blue, lemon yellow and hints of peach. It was all ‘day-at-the-beach’ stylish; there were even a couple of dolphin-print shirts thrown in for good measure.

Over at Prada, the show started with those very same blues and yellows – populated throughout by crazy, 50’s inspired prints, from cartoon cool to bold florals

At Lanvin, things started off tough and military but gradually moved towards you guessed it, the same cornflower blue and pastel yellow, amongst others.

Get The Look: At Gagliardi Mens Clothes you’ll find a whole host of cornflower blue shirts to choose from, whilst high street retailers such as Topshop and H&M are offering a range of lemon shades and floral prints – just remember, think ‘bold’ not ‘garish’ – Hawaiian prints are never a good look!

Stripes & Checks

Traditional black and white checks and pinstripes, two prints that look great at any age and for any occasion, were another hit this season. The Comme des Garçons catwalk show in Paris, started off with a smart parade of blazers all layered over pinstriped and small-checked shirts (oh, and the odd cornflower blue one too!).

At Alexander McQueen things were a little bit different – keen to put their own outlandish stamp on the season’s trend, the show saw shirts in super-sized black and white checks and Beetlejuice-style stripes. Pretty cool, but not a style for the faint-hearted!

Get The Look: If the bold stripes and chequered prints of McQueen are a little too ‘out there’ for you, you can still stay right on trend with a classic black-and-white gingham shirt.

The great thing about this ubiquitous print is that it’s perfect no matter where you are – you can leave it buttoned up for work, or leave it open over a white t-shirt for a casual barbecue at the park!

Black

This is a little surprising coming from the spring-summer season shows – it appears the sombre palette of last season’s collection is not ready to go away completely just yet. We’re not talking gothic black here though – rather, this is a smart traditional kind of black. Think well-pressed shirts, pristine collars and timeless cuts.

The Comme des Garçons show got a little more colourful towards the end but was still predominantly black, as was the very smart Aquascutum collection that even James Bond would have been proud to wear.

And yes, black was the colour of the day over at McQueen and Jil Sandler too.

Get The Look: It’s not hard to find a black shirt – the problem is making sure you don’t overheat wearing it under the hot summer sun!

Look for lightweight, natural fabrics such as cotton, and opt for short sleeves and a classic tailored-but-loose fit.

Winter or summer, rain or shine, formal shirts, casual shirts, just men’s shirts in general, seem to be the only garments that never go out of fashion. It’s perfect for any occasion, paired with a suit and tie for those formal events or teamed with jeans for a more low-key, relaxed style perfect for any casual affair.

The question is – which of these trends will you be wearing this summer?

(Images provided courtesy of Gagliardi)

Susannah Perez is a fashion addict who blogs for Gagliardi men’s clothes, retailers of high quality formal shirts and fine accessories for the man who epitomises good taste and style.