Now in print

This bandana print is an unexpected, cool addition to any casual look. 

Ian Laughead

Welcome to spring, everyone. With temperatures finally hitting the high notes this week, change is definitely in the air.

Don’t shed those layers too quick though; now more than ever, we are seeing as significant a shift in climate as we are in clothing.

Those pseudo-authentic heritage menswear trends are slowly getting pushed out by a warm front. A warmly patterned and printed front that is.

Men’s clothes this spring and summer are an escape from the super-traditional look we saw last year. Replacing classic chambrays and chinos are vibrant patterns with even more vibrant personalities.

Making its way off the runway and down to the real world, the makings of a few Parisian- and London-based designers has predicated a full-on megatrend of camouflage everything and a full rethink of the traditional textile print.

Camo has been around seemingly forever, but this time around it’s doing it big and brashly and not taking “no” for an answer. Camo can be found on bow ties, flatbills and sneakers, and frankly, there’s not much you can’t make louder and more militant with some fatigues.

New in the menswear arena, however, we’re seeing two patterns making a giant leap for man from the back of women’s closets: polka dots and florals.

In print, those words look so foreign to men’s wardrobe, but in reality, designers have styled them down, taking out all the frilly girlishness and making them — dare we say it — masculine.

A white dot on a dark ground tie is a bit dapper but quite daring. We’ve even seen the print on rucksacks, proving its versatility.

The florals though? These aren’t your grandma’s roses or carnations. Bold birds of paradise give off a tropical, not-tourist vibe, one that says “I own the beach” more than “I live on it.” But who’s to stop anyone from trying a Hawaiian surfer hibiscus print? Not us. After all, the only way men’s fashion works is if you give off that devil-may-care attitude.

Tops in that category, however, is a bandana print that looks like it was pulled straight off a motorcyclist’s unhelmeted head. Carried down and applied to shorts looks great paired with a simple T-shirt, and on its own, pulls off a trendy-but-not-trying-too-hard look. Put it together with a camo jacket, floral shirt and polka dot bag? Try it and get back to us.