The key looks from the best spring collections, according to MR PORTER.

Fashion has an irritating habit of constantly reinventing itself. Just when you think you’re getting to grips with it all, another “next big thing” comes along and it’s back to the drawing board. With many designer brands presenting new collections every six months – sometimes every three – staying on top of it all can be a full-time job. (Trust us, it really can.) And while anyone with more than a passing interest in looking good will, of course, benefit from a knowledge of the current season’s trends, most guys have better things to do than spend their time poring over runway reports. That, dear reader, is where we come in. In this style guide, we showcase spring’s most wearable trends, as interpreted by a few of our favourite brands. From 1990s streetwear at Vetements to 1970s leather at Prada, read on to discover the fresh delights that await you this season.

If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Mr Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s eccentric creative director, one of the first things you’ll notice are his hands or, more specifically, what’s on them. With antique rings on his fingers and a stack of bracelets on each wrist, he literally jangles as he walks. His was surely the influence behind the Florentine brand’s brilliant new range of cuffs, bracelets and rings, which are cast from sterling silver and look suitably punkish when worn alongside its acid-wash denim (as demonstrated above). Happily, you don’t have to weigh yourself down with quite as much metal as Mr Michele to achieve a similar look.

Mr Yves Saint Laurent was a big fan of denim, once claiming that he wished he had invented blue jeans. Eight years after his death, the brand that carries his name continues to celebrate this most appealing and enduring of fabrics. This season, expect to see it ripped, faded, bleached and slapped with all manner of badges and patches, such as the Eurythmics-inspired patch seen here. As with Gucci, Saint Laurent’s latest collection is all part of a new, subtle take on punk, the counter-cultural musical movement that grew up in the late 1970s and early 1980s – and which has been inspiring fashion designers ever since.

The great outdoors provided the inspiration for a number of collections this season. Prada’s spring collection was heavy with hiking-inspired gear – socks and sandals, nylon zip-ups and plenty of backpacks – but there were also nods to a more luxurious, 1970s-inspired aesthetic, and that’s what we’re focusing on here. The 1970s revival is something we saw plenty of last year, but that’s not to suggest it’s in any way tired or passé. In the hands of a designer such as Prada, the decade that style forgot becomes something we’re only too happy to be reminded about. Expect tactile fabrics, generous proportions and a rich, earthy colour palette.

Camouflage is one of those trends that never quite disappears. (Funny, considering that was what it was originally designed to do.) True to form, it returns once again this spring, albeit in a radically different form, as part of a quite brilliant collection from the perennially relevant Dries Van Noten. Taking the general idea of camouflage – a mishmash of overlapping layers in subtly different colours and textures – and applying it to knitwear, the Belgian designer has created a range of densely textured sweaters and cardigans out of silk, alpaca, cashmere and linen. It’s not camouflage in the traditional sense, but if you’re standing by the right thing – a richly textured hanging tapestry or a dive bar in Antwerp – you might blend in.

Carrying on where we left off last summer, you’ll no doubt be delighted to hear that billowing, short-sleeved shirts cut from colourfully printed silks are still very much a “thing”. Why? Because they’re fun and breezy, which makes them perfect for strolling along pavements and promenades at the height of summer. What’s more, they perfectly embody the flamboyant sensibility associated with the Swinging 1960s, and what’s not to like about that? This decorative paisley shirt from Alexander McQueen, part of a collection inspired by the 1960s and the British Raj, is a great way to channel this particular trend, but look out for hot-house botanicals at Valentino, too.

Vetements went from obscurity to one of the industry’s most talked-about names in 2016 and, if its latest collection is anything to go by, we can expect another vintage year from creative director Mr Demna Gvasalia. The genius of this subversive Parisian design collective is the way in which it forces you to look at familiar, everyday things through a different lens. This spring, it has collaborated with a number of household names to rethink some of their most recognisable pieces. Thus we have intentionally ripped and oversized sweatshirts and hoodies from Champion, graffiti’ed InstaPump sneakers from Reebok and raincoats of twisted proportions from Mackintosh. It’s the 1990s, Jim, but not as we know it.

Designers often look to military attire and youth subcultures for inspiration. We can see both influences at work in the resurgent popularity of the parka. Originally developed by the US Army as an outer layer to be worn by GIs in the Korean War, it was later adopted by the fashion-obsessed mod movement of the 1960s. It was the parka’s practical qualities that first caught the eye of the mod squad, who saw it as a way of keeping their expensive suits clean of grime and dirt when riding their scooters. As the above printed version from Givenchy demonstrates, though, the parka is now valued for its looks as much as its utility.

In an era obsessed with progress – where every product can be improved, every industry disrupted – it’s easy to forget that some things were perfected a long time ago. Such as jackets, for example. Two arms, a collar, a couple of pockets and a zip – does there really have to be much more to it than that? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, we say, and maybe that explains the renewed popularity of vintage-style jackets, such as this 1970s-inspired, petrol-blue leather bomber from Dolce & Gabbana’s spring collection. It’s the kind of jacket you could imagine hanging off the shoulder of a style icon such as Mr Steve McQueen, and there are plenty more just like it this season.

When he’s not busy conquering Hollywood with acclaimed films such as Nocturnal Animals (which, at the time of writing, is giving Academy voters serious food for thought), Mr Tom Ford somehow manages to find time to produce collection after collection of beautifully appointed, highly desirable clothes that exist at the very pinnacle of luxury. We don’t know how he does it. Of particular note this season are the suede jackets, which include this sharply tailored plum one. Think of it as the leather jacket’s lighter, more tactile cousin, perfect for those in-between months when the weather can’t seem to make up its mind.

Invented by French tennis pro and businessman Mr René Lacoste, the polo shirt transcended its sporting origins long ago and has become a staple of the male off-duty wardrobe. But where does it go from here? New York designer and master of contemporary prep Mr Thom Browne appears to have the answer. Rendered in super-soft cashmere (as opposed to the usual cotton-piqué) and cut slim and slightly long in the arm, this is a versatile take on the polo that looks just as good under a charcoal suit as it does as part of a more casual get-up. And this is not the only version. Berluti, Prada and Bottega Veneta are among other brands to have happened on the same idea this spring.

This season’s smartest piece of sartorial problem-solving comes courtesy of Berluti, which has provided perhaps the most elegant answer yet to menswear’s million-dollar question: just what the hell is smart-casual, and how do I get it right? The Parisian brand’s elevated takes on sporting classics, such as this nubuck-leather bomber jacket, are undoubtedly one of the highlights of a season that will see the lines between traditional dress codes become ever more indistinct. They work to dress down a formal look – just throw one on over a suit and crew-neck sweater – but will just as easily smarten up a casual look. In 2017, this kind of versatility is exactly what men are looking for, and provides proof that even the most luxurious of clothes are designed to fulfil a practical purpose.

The relentless onward march of men’s style shows no signs of slowing down in 2017, with more and more men gaining the confidence to step outside their comfort zone and explore new ways of presenting themselves to the world. One of the easiest and most impactful ways of changing up your style is by introducing a little colour and texture into your wardrobe, and this season’s collections provide plenty of opportunities for doing just that. For your next wedding invitation, leave the navy suit in the wardrobe – dress code permitting, of course – and try Lanvin’s over-dyed suit in a rich, deep burgundy, Brunello Cucinelli’s relaxed slub linen suit in a denim-like shade of blue, or Berluti’s beige cotton travel suit instead.

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