It’s the new year, and the fashion world is on display, with runway shows in the major fashion spots – New York, London, Paris, and Milan. While these shows are helpful in staying trendy, the average male needs to define his own sense of style and to incorporate the hot trends into everyday living. Most of us can’t afford the top fashion designers, so we have to modify our desires to fit the reality of our budget. We do this by looking at the hot picks and finding affordable substitutes.

Define Your Personal Style

What, actually, is style? It can best be defined as a distinctive appearance, elegance or sophistication. This in no way suggests middle or lower class people can’t have a style. They won’t express it in furs, designer gowns, or real gemstones, but they will develop their own styles of dress, to fit with their lifestyles. Everyone should define their own style, based off what looks good on them – colors that fit their skin tones, patterns that look good on their body type, accessories that fit their personalities. Most designers don’t set fashion trends with the “little people” in mind; however, the “little people” can adapt the trends to fit their own personal styles.

So, here are some of the hot trends for men in 2017:

Blazers

Blazers are the coat for most occasions. They don’t substitute for black-tie formal, but a blazer with dressy pants is suitable for most workplaces and most evening functions. A blazer is not a substitute for a three-piece business suit either, but if you’re not attending a meeting but just working in your office, a blazer is perfectly acceptable. The designers have fancied up the blazer, with tonal patterns, plaids, and smoking jacket velvet lapels; choose a blazer suited for where you will wear it, and find less-expensive versions of the designer looks,

Tees

For casual wear, the Tee shirt is supreme. You can find tees in nice patterns or solids, suitable for wearing out to the movies, restaurants, parks, and parties. Pair a tee with a stylish pair of denims, Dockers, or chinos and rock whatever you’re doing.

Jeans

Jeans have become the go-to pants for casual wear. While still frowned on at most offices and high-class restaurants, jeans have become accepted wear at most of the places people choose to go on dates – movies, casual restaurants, shopping malls, coffee shops, museums, and some theater productions. Most of the time, jeans are not accepted at the theater, but there are some shows where they fit in just fine. Whether you choose pre-washed, distressed, or the ubiquitous blue jeans, you’ll be in the hot street trends of 2017.

Shirts

Powder blue is the hot color this year. The style you choose is based on where you’ll wear it, but the color of preference is powder blue. Button-down Oxford shirts are for wearing with the three-piece suit or blazer, while an open-neck shirt is for outside the corporate world. Pair that Oxford shirt with a navy blue or red tie for the best effect.

Shoes

The style of your shoes depends on where you wear them. If you work in a corporate office, you’ll need dress shoes with that three-piece suit. If your office is into business casual, loafers, or boots will work. For running around on errands, for sports, for walking the dog, you’ll want a good pair of sneakers. You can get name-brand shoes at outlet stores, so go for whatever name you fancy without the fancy price tag.

These five trends are the must-haves for men in 2017. Whether you get the designer names themselves or implement the ideas without the price tags, you’ll rock the fashion scene this year.

Save