(From top) Tarun Tahiliani pairs trousers with rolled-up hems with leather-belted tops and jackets; Arjun Khanna recommends his sleeveless jackets for a no-shirt, toned biceps look; Rajesh Pratap Singh dramatises his black-and-white checkered shirts with kohl-rimmed eyes and metallic chains

The dapper Indian gentleman can rest easy. He doesn’t have to bend the rules and contend with the sassy mankini (the male tankini that Emporio Armani showed on the runways this year), or the mantyhose (male pantyhose), unlike his international counterpart.

Indian designers have forecast less wacky and theatrical fashions for him this season, with a host of new looks for autumn/winter 2011. And the better part of the news is that these trends are bound to carry over into the summer of 2012, with a few tweaks in terms of textures, fabrics and colours.

“It’s time to overhaul the wardrobe and invest in the straight, lean, tailored look in trousers. It’s a classic and wins no matter what,” says Nil of designer duo, Dev R Nil. But he adds that on the fun side, men are also playing with silhouettes in pants. Nil notes: “Men love palazzos in stretch cottons (perfect as beachwear) and combed, soft khadi cottons. In Calcutta, Patiala salwars and Jodhpuri pants are a hit during the wedding and party season.”

Meanwhile fashion designer David Abraham is all for the death of the super skinny pants, the rise of easier fits and relaxation of gender stereotypes. “The young man is less uptight and not averse to borrowing a few items from his girlfriend’s wardrobe such as one of her scarves, jumpers or even a bag,” he says.

What more should you look out for? Tuxedos. They’re the ultimate red-carpet and wedding/cocktail party look, what with the festive season coming up. Narendra Kumar recommends brocade jackets and Samurai-inspired tuxedos for the fun times. “The Samurai-style tuxedos carry a contemporary twist with kimono-inspired lapels and Samurai-inspired cross-strap suits,” he points out. For a designer like Raghavendra Rathore who favours the classics, tuxedos with silk satin collars are a must-have.

The colour palette includes subdued colours (apart from the occasional bright colours to dazzle the senses) and the mood is inclined towards sombre olives and charcoal greys to taupes and beiges. “Black was overdone last season,” notes Rathore.

Here are some trends for men to look out for.

Crop it

Ankles are in. Trousers with turned-up hems, first pushed into the fashion scene by American designer Thom Browne in 2001 with his shrunken suits, are all the rage among the designer fraternity today.

“It’s a casual look, perfect for a holiday. And it’s a do-it-yourself-trend — basically you just have to roll up the hems,” says designer Varun Bahl, for whom the look is in sync with the line he’s designed with business partner, filmmaker Karan Johar. “The look is inspired by what a holiday-maker in the South of France would typically step out in,’’ says Bahl.

Abraham and Rakesh Thakore add an Indian edge by teaming their batch of rolled-up hem trousers with kurtas and kameezes.

Leading designer Arjun Khanna’s collection (inspired by ‘action men’ like Jules Vernes’ time travellers, Albert Broccoli’s secret agents, hoodlums, Sherlock Holmes) has pin-stripe trousers rolled up at the hem and paired with stylish tan-coloured boots.

Manoviraj Khosla, who embellishes rolled-up hems with checks and pairs them with thong sandals, says: “The look works best on single pleat trousers, which are baggier on the top and taper down.”

Other designers who have made a beeline for this look include Krishna Mehta, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna of Cue, Troy Costa and Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra. Tarun Tahiliani recommends completing the look with laced-up brogues, loafers and tie-up sandals. Leave the socks off, is his advice.

But the designers also sound a cautionary note. For, not everyone can carry off the look. Says Bahl: “It’s for the lean and the fit man.”

Classic checks

It has always been a classic pattern that never really went out of fashion. But checks are the current hot favourite — with many new twists. There’s hardly a collection without checks — bold, subtle or jagged.

If checks and stripes sound like a strange combination, Khosla brings them together without a hitch in his range of jackets and trousers. He also plays with the look in bright candy colours for a touch of joie de vivre. But a subtle take is offered by Ashish Soni who peppers his ties and pocket squares with small, basic checks to go with colourful linen suits.

ANKY, the label from the mother-daughter designer team of Anjana and Ankita Bhargava, revisits the classics in the collection, Now Then. The pattern creeps into the flaps and pockets of trousers and shorts to make a subtle statement.

For a stronger look, take a look at their fully-checked trousers, curiously available in just one size. “They’re Japanese-inspired, with flaps and three buttons. So, anyone can wear them by adjusting the buttons according to waist size,” says Anjana.

Rajesh Pratap Singh has gone for a range of bold black-and-white checks in his shirts and trousers, but he adds to the look with accessories like golden bracelets and chains. And Abraham and Thakore have given khadi the houndstooth pattern (the rough, jagged version of checks) for a contemporary touch. “They are cut into slightly oversized kurtas and easy fitting pants,” says Abraham.

On the other hand, Khanna has entire suits in checks, yet he breaks the patterns by using leather patches. He also offers pants with broad checks, dressing up the look with smart and knee-high boots. He says: “The idea is to impart a vintage and retro style.”

The new shirt

The new shirt? Well, that would be the sleeveless jacket. They’re so hot on fashion streets that designers like Khosla say they must graduate into wardrobe staples. “It can dress up a plain shirt on days when you want to add something extra to your outfit,” he says. Khosla’s line is brimming with neon pink and orange checkered, half-sleeve jackets which, he says, can be thrown over plain white shirts.

Krishna Mehta’s evening look is about dressy jackets with thread embroidery or motifs. Pair these with casual denims. But if you have toned biceps, you can wear the sleeveless jacket minus a shirt and, for added effect, team it with a stole. Or take a cue from Khanna who has a series of them and pairs them with elaborate dhoti pants (like a Patiala salwar).

Dev and Nil offer waistcoats with pale-hued, tone-on-tone checks. Rathore too offers some classic waistcoats for summer in linen and cotton-textured fabrics, and some for winter in brown wool. “My politician clients like wearing them with kurtas in the same colour,” says Rathore.

Johar and Bahl too have belted, sleeveless jackets in their collection, worn in a summery style, layered on top of vests. The fabric of choice is deliberately crushed knits for a careless, yet luxurious look. Says Bahl: “If you are not happy just wearing a shirt, complete the look with a sleeveless jacket.”

All things Japanese

Zubair Kirmani’s shirts use shibori technique on satin weaves

…have always been a hit with our Indian designers right from origami and minimalism in style to sashiko (a form of Japanese quilting) and shibori (the traditional Japanese method of dyeing cloth by binding, stitching, folding, twisting and compressing it). While they have been using it for womenswear, now Japanese techniques like the shibori have made their way into menswear.

Designer Zubair Kirmani showcases shibori in satin weaves for his jackets and shirts, while ANKY resorts to an understated look by featuring the tie-dye in pocket lining, piping and even socks.

“But it was a painstaking process because we wanted to bring a geometric look in shibori. We folded the fabric,

stitched it, dyed it, then we repeated the entire process by opening it up again,” says Anjana, whose line of menswear is marked by ‘topsy-turvy knits’ — pieces that can be worn in different ways with formal trousers and even casual denims. ANKY also includes origami pleated trousers. And while Mehta uses the shibori tie-dyed look for her range of stoles, Khosla presents entire ensembles in shibori from shirts and trousers to accessories like bags.

An Art Deco reference (geometric look) in her collection has made Sanchita Ajjampur use shibori and Japanese stripes to tone down an otherwise bright colour palette of cobalts, Venetian rouge, neon oranges and canary yellows. She says: “I was inspired by Miami which has strong colours. Since I do not expect men to go around in a whirlwind of colour, I had to use checks and Japanese stripes to balance it all out.”

And there’s Kumar who brings in a Japanese influence with a mix of baggy hakamas (Japanese pyjamas) and Samurai tuxedo jackets in metallic monotones, teamed with traditional Japanese wooden chappals.

The frills

Man bags and dandy hats are what the fashion forward man needs to complete the look. Everyone from Soni, Khosla and Ajjampur to Khanna and Krishna strongly recommend pinched fedoras, trilby hats and round hats. “It captures the Old-World charm that I want to translate in my grunge and vintage fashion-inspired collection,” says Khanna. As for Ajjampur, it’s the perfect way to accessorise the Miami look of her collection.

For Soni, typical Panama hats are worn with linen suits and jackets. A polka dot band on the hat adds a signature twist (above).

The designers also have a whole world of bags for men — messenger bags, carryalls, backpacks, duffel bags and totes. But yes, the sure-fire winner would be totes, highly favoured by women.

Khanna has them, as does Tahiliani, while Ajjampur emphasises that hers are for men who like to carry around their favourite gadgets. For Dev and Nil, unisex totes play a prominent part in their collections. Khosla meanwhile has tie-dyed shibori bags and printed totes. “They are practical, easy-to-use bags and some can be even taken to the gym,” says Khosla.