Men's Fashion Trends for Winter 2012

Now more than ever, menswear is forming a harmonious parallel with what is trending in women's clothing.

Men's fashion for winter 2012 pulls inspiration from television shows, the state of world affairs, cultural motifs and the changing landscape. Every man should strive to have a piece from several of the major themes to update existing wardrobes.

Gothic Gentleman

With "Twilight: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" opening in theaters, now is the time to embrace that vampire staple, velvet.

The beauty of velvet is that it swallows up light and adds a nice texture and masculine romance to otherwise mundane fabrics. You can use it to your advantage for everything from date nights to holiday parties. Black blazers work best, pairing well with skinny dark denim jeans, black square-toe dress shoes and a simple T-shirt. You can also play with some of the season's colored denim. Red, dark teal and royal blue jeans work especially well with the look.

You can channel a more preppy attitude, however, if you wear a velvet vest, such as this one from Express, over a plaid shirt and pair the look with a contrasting bow tie.

The silhouette adds polish and is slimming, making it a great wardrobe staple for seasons to come.

A Call to Arms

With the economy still lagging, people out of work and the world being engaged in so many conflicts, it doesn't hurt to build up your armour -- both literally and figuratively.

Military-inspired coats are still going strong, but this season they have special touches, such as oiled leather belts, leather cuffs and non-traditional closures.

This look pairs best with gray or camel wool pants, skinny denim or a muted plaid pant. Non-fussy black ankle boots complete the statement coat.

The Sweater Set

If you are a man who hasn't worn a sweater since childhood, this is the year to change that. You have plenty of styles to choose from, but the front runners are Aztec and Nordic prints, preppy collegiate cardigans and chunky New England cable sweaters.

This Nordic sweater by Topman works well because it is made of a nice neutral navy with splashes of red. This color palette is safe for first-time sweater wearers and the zip closure will give more styling options. Funky professor patches add additional flair.


Another great option is a cardigan sweater that has a vintage university appeal. This style was almost singlehandedly revived by the popularity of the show "Glee."

You can either take it to a dressy level with some skinny khakis or jeans, or you can use it as a chance to accent signature sneakers or high-tops. Just be sure to keep the cut slim and slightly longer.

You'll want to look for oversized toggles or buckles when choosing a cable knit to keep things modern.

Men can round out the looks in their winter closet with some printed knit scarves, printed blazers, pocket squares and some camel or dark gray clothing.

This is a guest post by Nisha who represents a company called http://www.bradshawandlloyd.com/.