Ridley Gilet: £98 crewclothing.co.uk

I’m joking, of course – all past negativity surrounding the humble gilet has long since disappeared, or at least temporarily been forgotten. Unless you’re planning on wearing your gilet with a baseball cap – in which case the gilet is the least of your problems – then you’re guaranteed to look right on trend. This item of clothing is relatively unique in that it fuses both fashion and practicality – something which I rarely encourage. However, if you are keen to keep warm (and seeing as it’s nearing winter, the chances are that you will be), then it’s all in the padding. When it comes to warmth, wearing a down-filled gilet is not dissimilar to wrapping a feather duvet around your torso – an enjoyable prospect on an icy winter’s day, I’m sure you’ll agree. Whilst gilet colour should always be considered in relation to the items worn beneath it, it is worth remembering that red is a key colour this season – and if you can manage not to look like you are wearing a lifejacket, this is undoubtedly option which is will look right on trend.

Left to right: Criminal Damage Chipper Gillet Stone Cream: £50 mainlinemenswear.co.uk; Penfield Green Tweed Leather Yoke Stapleton Gilet: £215 my-wardrobe.com

If you want to make absolutely sure that everyone knows you are wearing this season’s gilet, and not simply something you dug out of the loft from years gone by, then opt for one with distinctive yoke detailing, which can be essential in creating a look which is effortlessly up-to-date. For those with a penchant for pockets, the gilet is something of a godsend; like I said, practical. Lastly, this item also provides the perfect platform to exploit some of this season’s trendiest looks without, y’know, overdoing it. If you’re keen to try tweed, for example, but want to simply create an air of farmer-chic rather than looking like you might genuinely own livestock, then the gilet is a good way to incorporate just a touch of this trend into your overall look.

Left to right: Ted Baker Pieters Knitted Cuff Gift Boxed Gloves in Black: £55 mainlinemenswear.co.uk; Monarch Cufflink: £85   AllSaints; Duck and Cover Nordic Knit Scarf: £11 stand-out.net

When it comes to buying gifts, presentation is everything. This is not, you understand, because the average man is so highly critical of any gift you might give him that he will be marking you out of ten for the wrapping alone. No, it is because extravagantly packaged apparel is not often something which one will often consider purchasing for oneself – yet come Christmas, it’s everywhere. From gloves, to watches, to cufflinks; nothing says Christmas quite like an attractive giftbox – compared to a plastic toggle and magnetic security tag, at least.

If you’re liable to be slightly less superficial in your gift-buying rationale, then you’ll be relieved to know that a number of this season’s key trends serve a more practical purpose than that of pretty packaging. Scarves are again a key accessory this year, and offer the perfect way to add a touch of Nordic knitwear to almost any outfit. Accessorising with items such as the umbrella has proved essential in achieving the much-coveted ‘modern gent’ look – with telescopic designs being conveniently stocking-sized. If you are buying such items as gifts, then stick to classic colours like grey, navy or black to ensure that they will co-ordinate with the recipient’s existing outerwear.

Left to right: Burberry Brit Black Check Strand Telescopic Umbrella: £95 my-wardrobe.co.uk; 55DSL Divine Grey Brief & Sock Set: £28 Urban Outfitters; Lyle and Scott Vintage Skinny Square-Cut Tie: £35 Lyle and Scott

Of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without one or two predictable fashion gifts – namely socks, pants and ties. Bizarrely, underwear is often the gift of choice from family members. You might think that you’ll never wear the musical briefs given to you last year by Aunt Jeanie, but when you suddenly discover that every pair of pants you own is in the wash, I beg to differ. With this in mind, is can be worth making subtle suggestions towards some slightly more preferable options.

Whilst the tie might traditionally be something of a ‘Dad-gift’, this is another one which can easily work in the favour of any style-conscious gent’ come Christmas. Ties are a classic accessory, and as such, it takes quite a lot of effort to get it wrong. A good quality tie should be kept plain and simple, in order to bring an air of elegance to a formal or tailored look, whilst skinny ties offer a more causal alternative. Choose ties in darker shades if you feel there is any risk of the man in question spilling cranberry sauce on the aforementioned garment at any point over the Christmas period.

There are two fashion buzzwords you’re sure to hear doing the rounds at the moment: ‘vintage’ and ‘neutral’. Throw either into conversation with fellow fashion-minded folk this Autumn/Winter and you’ll more or less sound like you know what you’re talking about. Better yet, take a look at the new arrivals over at Firetrap for a chance to practice what you preach. That’s right – the vintage look no longer requires hours of traipsing around trendy backstreets, drinking green tea and buying clothes that smell of mothballs. Designers have well and truly cottoned on to the fact that the trend for vintage is here to stay, and kindly provided a number of ‘vintage-inspired’ creations, which smell just lovely.

Left to Right: Cctv Bonewhite (White) Men’s Graphic T-Shirt: £30 Firetrap;  Dogma Burnt Olive (Green) Men’s Check Shirt: £65 Firetrap

Don’t worry, you won’t be wearing a paisley shirts and flared trousers any time soon – unless of course you want to, in which case, go right ahead. The rest of the fashion world will be keeping their vintage styles basic this season – that means clean-cut shapes and neutral tones. Start with a graphic t-shirt which ticks both these boxes, and you can’t go too far wrong.

Graphic tees are the perfect statement piece – they’ll do all your fashion-thinking for you. Remember how, back in the day, you might have been able to get away with wearing a t-shirt which depicted a certain band or musician, thus informing the world of your musical preferences, as well as giving a general idea of the ‘image’ you were going for? Same thing. Only much cooler. You might not be able to instantly let people know that you saw Megadeth play live back in 1992, but that’s probably a good thing.

Left to Right: Landfall Black (Black) Men’s Military Overcoat: £180 Firetrap;  Drake Sand (Yellow) Men’s Classic Chino: £62.50 Firetrap; Galaxed2 Black (Black)Men’s Long Sleeve Jumper: £57.50 Firetrap

Check shirts and chinos are still a key style combo, but steer clear of primary colours and, for the love of God, please resist the urge to ‘mix it up’ with a pair of fluorescent trainers. Instead, opt for understated military boots or a military jacket – although, unless you actually happen to be representing Queen and country, you probably won’t want to be wearing both. Replace last Autumn’s indie-kid cardigan with a classic crew-neck jumper, and you’re good to go.

Fortunately, there is an alternative, and it comes in the form of the denim jacket. Yes, once again this light-weight, midway option has made a welcome return to both the catwalk and the high street. It’s officially the jacket of choice for Doctor Who – well, Matt Smith, anyway. When he’s not seen sporting tweed and a TARDIS, Matt Smith has been spotted wearing an acid wash denim jacket, teamed with classic eighties wayfarer sunglasses – insert you own time-travel joke here…

Left to right: Paul Smith Western Denim Jacket in Blue: £216 mainlinemenswear.co.uk; Bitching & Junkfood Overdyed Denim Jacket: £90 Urban Outfitters

But if the Doctor isn’t exactly your idea of a fashion icon, or if you’re a little wary since the fashion faux-pas of your Tom Baker-inspired scarf phase, then you might want to consider that the denim jacket is also favoured by The Kills’ guitarist, Jamie Hince. Mr. Kate Moss frequently opts for a vintage style denim jacket with a fleece collar, which we can only assume has been approved by the catwalk queen herself, and thus become officially the trendiest item anyone can have in their wardrobe.

If you caught last season’s denim shirt trend, then you’re in luck. Wear your shirt open over a retro t-shirt with rolled up sleeves for a denim-jacket style effect. If you’re feeling brave, or auditioning to be part of a boy-band, then go for ‘double-denim’ and team your jacket with your jeans. Otherwise stick to wearing your denim jacket with coloured chinos or rolled up shorts – barbeque apron optional.

Left to right: Rodeo Shirt: £49.99 Superdry;Religion Blue Denim Jacket: £89 stand-out.net

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