A tour of the world’s best autumn/winter menswear collections and collaborations
Here, we reveal the best pieces for layered looks, the essentials for a wardrobe refresh and the coats to take you through to spring.
Menswear brands have dropped trousers and more. But what has caught the eye this season? It seems that clothiers have fallen for popped collars again and – encouragingly – remain certain that quality fabrics are a non-negotiable. And for those who have also flicked through hundreds of brands’ lookbooks this autumn, I ask you this: why is every collection being shot in Scotland this year? Seriously, the Hebrides have never been better dressed – or better-looking. But before trekking up there, let’s start off by checking in with the Antipodeans:
Pick up fine fabrics from Asha Jasper
Australia
When it comes to building the best menswear collections, sourcing deadstock threads and knowing the right mills have become just as important as fashioning a well-crafted garment. Asha Phillips, founder and creative director of Sydney-based brand Asha Jasper, designs collections from the weave and weight of textiles hand-picked from Japanese and Italian mills. With the perfect fabric to hand, Phillips shapes pieces using classical tailoring methods and modern utilitarian references. We particularly like Asha Jasper’s straight-cut, made-in-Australia trousers that would fit everything from a boardroom to a bar.
ashajasper.au
Ride on Japanese clothier Niceness’s coattails
Japan
Tokyo-based Niceness has, for yet another season since its 2017 debut, produced a range of outwear that’s the envy of all those who thought last year’s coat would do. Among rails of beautiful wool suiting, silk shirting, knits and accessories for men and women, it is the outerwear pieces that form the new collection’s coat stand of showstoppers.
The E Calder coat is one of many (do check out the Rowan and Dieter shapes too) that takes traditional silhouettes a little further. Inspired by British military macs and made from US Sea Island cotton, it’s a nod to 1950s and 1960s design, with side slits to access trouser pockets. Last year’s coat will not do.
niceness.jp
NN07 and Fracap’s latest collection has a foot in many camps
Denmark & Italy
Danish clothier NN07 and Italian bootmaker Fracap have been in lockstep for years. In their third collaboration, the brands reimagine Fracap’s M127 silhouette with three new boots that, for the most part, reflect NN07’s penchant for pared-back aesthetics.
Two of the designs, which come in traditional brown and black leathers, are quite at home on a steep alpine edge, pounding inner-city pavements or mucking out the stables in the country. The third pair – though it wouldn’t struggle with these tasks – might make you forever conscious of scuffing your prized, dark-grey ponyhair shoes. The choice is yours.
nn07.com; fracap.it
Stone Island Ghost will blend seamlessly into your wardrobe
Italy
Stone Island’s Ghost collection draws on the brand’s extensive material research and garment-dyeing capabilities to create pieces inspired by the art of camouflage. Its approach is pared-back but delivers striking monochromatic and tonal looks.
The David-TC is a padded jacket with an inviting shearling-trimmed collar, woven from a star-shaped Japanese polyester that mimics vintage military motifs. It’s one for cooler months, to be worn for years to come.
stoneisland.com
Stride into the new season with Tarvas hiking shoes
Finland
Finnish shoemaker Tarvas has found its footing at the top of the crossover between hiking boots and trainers. With its topographical layering of leather, rubber and mudguard, the brand’s Easy Hiker is now a recognisable silhouette on the streets of Paris, Tokyo and beyond.
The Wanderer is the Hiker’s slender cousin. With a generous Vibram sole and a Jacques Solovière-like upper side that forms a calfskin pleat through its centre, it’s ideal for both the fleet-footed city flâneur and the forest trail explorer. If you can’t decide, the Explorer and new Derby shapes provide a middle ground with a more classic look. Picking which style to buy might be your only uphill battle for a while.
tarvas.com
Toast the season in classic, warm-toned pieces from Forét
Denmark
Without wishing away the ease of summer styling, we’re now in the sartorial “good bit”. The part of the year when layered pieces form pleasing depths and contrasts in outfits. Wardrobe staples form new affinities: that old woolen jumper pairs rather well with that new, popped checkered collar.
Forét’s autumn collection picks a perfect country colour palette of cumin, sage and wooded hues to complement city silhouettes and styling. Outerwear ranges from Harris Tweed macs to lighter twill and herringbone jackets made in Portugal. And we particularly like its high-necked, ribbed knit in thyme and flannel shirting in navy and rust.
foretstudio.dk
Put down your roots in attire from Nikawi and YMC
Japan & UK
Our Chiltern Street neighbours Niwaki do much more than make the perfect set of secateurs. The gardening brand also creates thoughtful pieces of kit for everyday life, from lunchboxes to stepladders. And, on this occasion, it’s a limited-edition clothing collection in partnership with UK label YMC that has caught our eye.
The Gardener’s Jacket is a reinvention of one of YMC’s staple silhouettes, featuring a water-resistant shell, a more generous hood and a reconsidered pocket placement for tools. The Suedehead Jumper is made from Scottish lambswool and comes in alluring pink and understated pine colourways. Naturally, there’s also a set of YMC x Niwaki Higurashi Secateurs with a leather belt and holster. Whether you’re working on the allotment or tending to your monstera, it’s a collection that celebrates urban gardening.
nikawi.com; youmustcreate.com
Mix up your wardrobe with Auralee’s two-sided coat
Japan
Running gear by District Vision or Satisfy might be the best kit while you’re on a run – but what if you’re on the run? If a leather jacket is too conspicuous, Tokyo’s Auralee has a reversible coat that enables you to switch up your look fast.
But it also suits a stand-up citizen wanting to turn heads, with its two-sided, stand-up collar. One side boasts a smooth Pakistani sheep leather, while the other comes in either a khaki or brown chambray for a more elegant, draped finish. For something a little more traditional, opt for a blue tweed blouson jacket or the brand’s ultrafine, wool twill trench coat with detachable lining.
auralee.jp
Layer up in fine fabrics by Oliver Spencer
UK
Oliver Spencer’s autumn collection is a nod to the brand’s city origins. Elegant trenches feature rear-dart detailing, allowing the coats to drape and move as you walk. Softly tailored suits create a less stuffy silhouette that won’t look out of place during an alfresco business lunch or the commute home. For layered looks with texture and depth, try checked wool coats, bright alpaca knitwear and shirts in corduroy and brushed cotton. It’s a range that you’ll fall for.
oliverspencer.co.uk
Look sharp on hairpin bends and out of the saddle too in Pas Normal Studios
Denmark
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Its new Off-Race collection is designed for all of those quieter moments when you’re not pedalling to your destination: think lightweight jackets made from Japanese seersucker, boiled-wool fleeces, musette bags and packable down jackets. One standout is a merino-wool half-zip made in tandem with fellow Danish brand and knitwear specialists SNS Herning.
pasnormalstudios.com
Stride out in a pair of Jacques Solovière
France
This season’s grained leather Raymond shoe adds even more depth to an iconic silhouette that already folds and puckers just so. Unlike many French-made leather shoes, Jacques Solovière’s kicks are extraordinarily light to keep you fleet-footed through the winter if a boot isn’t your thing. And if the calf leather and single laced eyelet makes too subtle an impression, the Boldie offers a perforated, brogue version for a little more bulk.
jacquessoloviereparis.com
CDLP are an underwear brand that gets the brief
Sweden
Not all men are underwear models and most work in industries where trousers are encouraged. So it’s odd that the majority of brands seem to approach boxer-short design like an advertising campaign.
Stockholm’s CDLP, however, makes drawers that put fabric and feel before all else. Its Tencel Lyocell boxers are silky and tailored for comfort. And if you’re one for a Y-shaped brief or baggier short, CDLP will have you covered.
cdlp.com
Upgrade your journey with DB’s new Rameverk luggage range
Norway
Are you off anywhere chasing sun or embracing the elements? Well, Oslo-based baggage experts Db understand how to cart your kit from A to B in one piece. The brand’s Rib-Cage Construction technology means that its luggage proudly holds form, no matter which bellboy or air steward is hoiking it around. Db’s new Ramverk aluminium range has a zip-free frame that’s built to protect your belongings – including all of these new purchases – for a lifetime. But better than that, isn’t it rather fetching?
dbjourney.com
