Five A/W Menswear Trends to Watch

I’m one of those bizarre people who gravitates towards the icy, the windswept and the wintry. I’ve long since championed the luxury allure of the Baltic over the Aegean, the snowbound over the sun-soaked and the velvet embrace of sultry dusk over the vivacity of a sizzling day in the tropics, and as such, I’m always more drawn to the A/W than the S/S when it comes to menswear and contemporary masculine style. 

I’ve got my staples, as I’m sure you do - those who know me will be quick to point out my permanent preference for Chelsea boots, three-quarter length heavy wool coats and probably more paisley than is recommended for 2025. However, let it not be said that I don’t have my eye on the comings and goings of the changing tides of fashion, or how my personal style choices occasionally intersect with the right here, right now on A/W collections. 

Let’s take a closer look at what’s dominating the catwalks in menswear this season. After all, the weather outside may be frightful… but that’s no reason not to be turning heads. 

Ultra-Monochromatic Tailoring

Todd Snyder keeping it monochrome

I have to say, this is a trending look I can really get behind. There’s something thrillingly retro – and almost retrofuturist – behind the all-one-colour suits (including matching shirts and ties) currently dominating collections as diverse as Emporio Armani, Gucci and 032C. From heftier double-breasted suits in warmer autumnal shades like plum, russet and teal to more mod-inflected single-breasted cuts in chocolate and olive green, the matchy-matchy block colours manage to look timeless, vintage and future-forward all at once. 

Try this look by pairing a two-piece suit with shirt and tie from a similar colour (if you can’t find precise matches in your wardrobe) – it still works, and still manages to produce an eye-catching finish. 

Double Belts and Belt Chains

Chain reaction

Anyone with their eyes on the menswear collections launched by D&G, DSquared2 and 032C this year may have spotted a curious penchant for stacking one belt above another. Is it an out-there gimmick? A flash of punk-adjacent styling? The kind of passing fad we’ll look back on in a couple of years (or even months) with second-hand embarrassment? I couldn’t tell you, but it’s arguably amongst the easiest of this season’s trends to jump onto, if you wish. 

For those of you who were young and carefree in the late-90s and early 2000s, you may be pleased to see that the belt chain has made something of a resurgence (although this time, not attached to a ratty old wallet). This is a trend I’m more willing to get behind; it’s practical and can genuinely elevate a look. Paired with a sharp suit, it looks just the right side of rebellious and irreverent, too. 

Really Oversized Trench Coats

Go go gadget mood

Our piece on trench coats last month was really a rundown of the best releases pertaining to an utterly timeless trend. However, one of the most fascinating aspects of the trench coat is how each season brings with it variations, tweaks and reimaginings of the style, some of which end up changing the game altogether. 

This A/W (most notably with the bodacious Hermès release) is all about maximalist iterations of the trench – the ‘dad coat’ – that levels up those private eye and jazz-era vibes. Auralee’s trench coat for the season is impeccably 80s in its vision, while D&G and Prada went all out on bringing urbane streetwear twists to the staple. 

Bringing Burgundy Back

Burgundy is back as a Kenzo staple

This season – and indeed, this whole year – has been notable for not really having a single colour that’s dominating collections, runway shows or popular culture as a whole (remember ‘millennial pink’?), with the exception of the black, which famously never falls from style. 

However, we have been seeing more burgundy and other wine-like tones popping up across collections by Kenzo and Ferragamo, and Prada’s ‘oxblood’ notes have been more noticeable than most. Gucci has long had burgundy as a signature colour, although now creative director Sabato de Sarno is calling the hue ‘Rosso Ancora’ whether anybody’s paying attention or not. 

Bold Statement Necklaces

Keep it chunky

It wasn’t long ago – in fact, it was only last year – that delicate little chains were front and centre of men’s accessories both on and off the catwalk and red carpet, but the pendulum is clearly swinging back towards bolder, boisterous and altogether more maximalist looks when it comes to jewellery. Big statement chains were all over the Lemaire shows, and folksy beads and hippyish amulets were key to Hed Mayner’s looks. 

Pharrell Williams’ collection for Louis Vuitton (named, rather unimaginatively, ‘Les Gastons Vuitton) featured chunky tag necklaces and DSquared2 looked to its punk roots with cascading pendants. David Yurman, too, leaned into the esoteric accessories with zodiac-inspired necklaces – a look that’s both easy and fun to replicate with thrifted items or heirlooms alike.