Inverted cross, silver bullets, rapid fire machine guns; you know how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of vampires, werewolves, and zombies. But how does a guy protect himself from becoming a fashion victim? Arm yourself with some trend knowledge.

Now there are a lot of trends, some great, others downright cruel, entering the menswear market.  Tailored leather, plunging v-neck lines, extra slim cut suiting, shimmering fabrics, military jackets, nomadic sweaters, heavy boots and even harem pants (no I’m not kidding) are hitting stores as you read this and you need to be protected.  Just like James Bond had Q to give him the secret weapon hookup, you have me. Here are the 5  most easily translatable trends for guys who dress casual to business casual.

Purple

No longer just for little girls who love ponies and middle aged women who love cats, purple is one of the hottest colors in menswear right now. A lot of the guys I’ve spoken with say that they’re not sure what colors purple goes with and are delighted to find out that much like good beer, purple goes with just about everything. Pairing with black, grey, sage (that’s light green, my friend), tan, brown, white, or denim are just a few of your options.

Metal Hardware

If you like setting off metal detectors, your heyday is upon you. Designers across the board are incorporating heavy metal details like industrial zippers, grommets, and brass studs on everything from t-shirts to jeans to sport coats. When applied sparingly metal work can add masculinity and edge. Make sure to avoid pieces with too much embellishment, lest you enjoy looking like a painfully hip tin man.

Plaid

Plaid is the new stripe. For a few seasons now this print has taken center stage in men’s shirting. A tonal (different shades of the same color) plaid is a great alternative to a solid shirt when layering underneath another solid color garment.

Shearling

Expect to see all types of jackets from wool car coats to leather bombers trimmed with real and faux shearling. If you’re a friend to the animals opt for a teddy bear hide rather than sheepskin.

Big Sweaters

Perhaps tired of being called ’delicate’ the unassuming sweater has hit the gym and steroids hard during its off season and emerged all hulked out at a retailer near you. You’ll be seeing a lot of chunky cable sweaters, exaggerated collars, and sweater coats. But before you go nuts for knits remember that bulky construction can be less than flattering. The sweater you choose should draw most of the attention to your shoulders and not your midsection.

So let’s hear from you, what trends are you seeing in stores that you like or creep you out?

For more men’s fashion advice, ask Emmi.

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