Winter in the UAE is unlike winter anywhere. So, to help you tide through this season in style, The Director asked Toby Bateman, the buying director at mrporter.com, to help us pick the season’s must-haves for UAE men.
Oversized outerwear
After a decade during which clothes have become ever slimmer, there are signs that fashion’s restless pendulum may be swinging back the other way. Skilfully cut, the draped fabric of oversized clothes can accentuate the masculine physique, and few garments lend themselves so well to this style as a belted overcoat.
Cuffed trousers
The contemporary appetite for sports-inspired designs has seen men wearing sweatpants with tailored jackets, but cuffed trousers are best if you’re mixing formal and informal styles. They combine the comfort of sweatpants with the formality of tailored trousers, and will look just as good worn with a T-shirt and sneakers.
Gilets
The fashion for gilets rests on the fact that removing the sleeves from a goose-down jacket makes little difference to how warm it keeps the man. Gilets work if you want to add some Italian-inspired casualness to a tailored outfit, or if you just want to prove that you’re still in shape under all that insulation.
Tailored separates
The taste for non-matching tailoring reflects the facts that there are fewer places where suits are required, and that men are increasingly interested in exercising their own taste. Coordinate dark colours for business meetings or dinner, and mismatch colours for less formal occasions. Either way, relax and enjoy it.
Loose trousers
As with overcoats, so it is with the shape of some trousers. Experts have started to talk about a wholesale shift away from the dominating lean silhouette, and that shift is starting now. It’s vital to have the trousers hemmed so that they just kiss the top of the shoes — an inch longer would distort the shape.
Herringbones and tweeds
These fabrics are as much about texture as they are about pattern, and they’ve been given a shot of vitality with more relevant styles. Suddenly the fact that tweed and herringbone were the fabric of choice for young, sporty men (including those who made the early attempts to scale Everest) makes perfect sense.
Fleece
Polar fleece, invented in 1979, is an exceptionally practical material that is once again being used by fashion designers. The interpretation of a buffalo plaid jacket updates the form with its slim cut, and transforms the experience of wearing it, thanks to the use of lightweight, hydrophobic fleece, rather than heavy wool.
Camel hair
Camel hair can be seen in knitwear most seasons, but it’s the colour that’s far more influential in fashion. This season it’s being deployed across entire outfits. Whether a man dives in with a full look, or dips a (camel) toe in the water with a piece of knitwear, may depend on how he likes his tea. One hump, or two?
Military green
While military-inspired designs are never far from the minds of menswear designers, it’s this particular shade of military green that’s back this autumn. It has been adopted by brands with artistic leanings; this bomber by the consistently creative Acne Studios. This bomber jacket gives the classic MA-1 a powerful edge.
Pouches
Style-conscious men are often reluctant to fill their pockets with the detritus of life (the weight of a mobile phone, wallet and keys can ruin the line of an outfit.) If you don’t require a bag, then a stylish pouch will do the trick. The question that remains is, do you tuck it neatly under your arm, or let it dangle from the strap?
Corduroy
Corduroy is a material that we associate with autumn sunshine and falling leaves. Tailored into a casual jacket, it retains all of its charm, while adding fresh appeal. In autumn, corduroy jackets are the ultimate expression of smart, casual style. We’ll be wearing them with button-down shirts, jeans and brown loafers.
Handmade eyewear
Men who dress casually have few opportunities beyond their watch and perhaps a bracelet or two to express their appreciation for finely crafted items. However, the best of the new retro-inspired sunglasses offer just such an opportunity, because the quality of their craftsmanship is clear for all to see.
Toby Bateman is the buying director of mrporter.com.
