The best menswear trends you'll be seeing again in 2017

At a certain point in a man's life it's unbecoming to be chasing trends season in, season out, and then dropping them quicker than a prime minister with bad poll numbers.

Which is not to say one's aesthetic can't develop, but true style (as opposed to mere fashionability) is about identifying looks that possess staying power.

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Looking at what 2016 has thrown up, here are the looks that you can quite safely take with you into 2017.

1. Athleisure

We'd like to hope that the tortured portmanteau of 'athletic' and 'leisure' will die a quick death, but the trend itself will not. Athleisure (*shudder*) is essentially sports luxe rebranded.

Sports luxe, you'll recall, first emerged around the turn of the decade as the hottest thing going and it never really went away. If anything, sports luxe evolved into something of a style mainstay, one that defines a very 21st century way of dressing: casual, comfortable, with a sense of luxury.

The mix of versatile, sporty separates with relaxed tailoring makes sense for modern lifestyles, so this one is here to stay.

2. Baggy Trousers

There's a decisive shift away from the skinny-legged aesthetic that has prevailed for so long. But trends in menswear tend to take several seasons to go mainstream, a process that goes a little something like this: man on the street sees ultra-baggy pants on runways and early adopters, thinking, "interesting, but I'll stick with my skinnies, thank you very much".

Less extreme versions then filter through and the new silhouette seems less alarming so more guys take it up. Then, lots of men are seeing lots of other men doing it, thereby legitimising and normalising it. Long story short: trousers are becoming more relaxed and slouchy cuts aren't going anywhere. Pretty soon, everyone will be doing it.

3. The bomber jacket

The bomber was a certified style classic long before some clown coined the term athleisure, but it's now riding on the back (literally) of that trend, cresting a new wave of popularity.

Of course, anything that evokes manly pursuits like piloting fighter jets or driving fast cars is always certain to win male fans, but the fuss-free shape, functionality and comfort of the bomber encapsulates the very hallmarks of sports luxe. In classic colours and fabrications (the more flamboyant printed and embroidered versions will have a shorter shelf life), the bomber remains a sound investment.

4. Grey on grey

The longevity of a colour, silhouette or textile is inversely proportionate to how out there it is. Like politics, fashion is confronting in the centre, away from the wild fringes that flare up and fizz away. (Case in point: whatever happened to all those neon trainers every man and his mate bought in 2014?) And what could be more moderate than grey?

Neither black nor white, it's the most neutral of neutrals. Its strength lies in more than just inoffensiveness, however. Grey has an understated sophistication more decisive hues can't match and it works with pretty much any colour, including itself. We'll see less monochromatic grey-on-grey and more nuanced mixing of hues from pale ash to rich slate. Fifty shades, indeed.

5. Neckerchiefs

Less flouncy than a cravat, less cumbersome than a scarf and not as fussy as a bowtie, the neckerchief remains something of a fashion outlier. It may not be widely adopted, but it has merit as a keeper. The neckerchief is actually incredibly versatile: as an alternative to the pocket square or with a tee and denim jacket, it can look a bit dandy or give off the cool, masculine air of a cowboy or woodsman.

Granted, done wrong it can be a bit 'boy scout', which isn't the kind of style muse grown men ought to adopt. In its favour, the neckerchief is small and inexpensive so there's nothing to lose to give it a try.

6. The polo shirt

The likes of Fred Perry, Lacoste and Ralph Lauren would argue that the polo shirt never really went out of style. Frankly, they'd be right. A mainstay for many labels, the off-duty '50s matinee idol-slash-sporty college prep vibe is never a bad thing.

Let's not dwell too much on the polo's status as the tee of choice for bad corporate branded apparel and instead declare it to be safe money for 2017 and beyond. Just never, ever, pop the collar.

7. The roll neck

For a while there, the only people ever spotted in turtlenecks outside of 70s theme parties were poets, Wiggles and Steve Jobs, none of whom were ever particularly revered for their fashion sense. The rollneck has attempted to stage something of a comeback over the past couple of seasons and it's determined to stick with it.

Along with trouser cuts, the silhouette is set to loosen up a little, with slouchier funnel necks and more relaxed mock turtle cuts coming through alongside the more traditional 'art teacher' skivvy.

Executive Style