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Embrace the Style Swerve with these Stellar Spring Trends

spring trends
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Just as the seasons change, so do trends and this spring is no different.

With the majority of SS17 runway shows and releases concluding earlier this month, it’s time to update your look with a few of the hard-hitting style swerves that are making waves in the industry this season.

Flower Power

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Many designers found inspiration in the garden this spring in the form of the floral print. The floral print has been around since fashion was a thing, but today it’s a staple in every man’s wardrobe.

It can take any basic shirt or jacket from boring to bold and colorful, which is pretty much synonymous with spring. It’s important to balance the complexities of the print by keeping the other elements of your outfit simple.

Keep it simple up top and busy down low, or vice versa.

Stripes, Stripes, and More Stripes

Striped shirt
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Inspired by nautical design, striped patterns are a timeless trend that have cemented their place in spring menswear collections year after year. Whether you opt for vertical or horizontal or wide stripes or narrow stripes, these straight lines are a current print that deserve some real estate in that jam-packed closet of yours.

We’re accustomed to classics like striped suits, dress shirts, and pants, but it’s striped knitwear like tees, polos, and sweaters that’s making a big splash this season.

Nude

Nude Tones
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Alright, get your head out of the gutter. No, we don’t mean streaking and parading down 5th Avenue in your birthday suit. We’re talking about flesh tones like soft pinks and beiges that the fashion industry has dubbed as “nude” colors.

These types of colors are popular with t-shirts, bomber jackets, and especially sneakers this season. We suggest keeping this trend simple to enhance the subtle pop of color it adds to your look.

High Waters

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If you’ve ever hit an untimely growth spurt, you’re probably familiar with the term “high waters.” When you grew, your legs grew longer, but your pants didn’t, thus the term “high waters” – you were ready for the flood, your friends would tease. Looking back now, you were actually sporting a future trend known as “cropped’ that everyone has adopted this spring. So, who’s laughing now?

You can wear these so-called high waters to any formal gathering with loafers or brogues, or you can opt for a retro look by wearing cropped denim with sneakers and tall white socks for a cool street look.

Cropped trousers are here to stay, so don’t fear the mankle. Get it? Man. Ankle. Mankle.

Statement Jackets

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It may be getting warmer, but you still need that one piece to pull it all together, and that’s your statement jacket. A jacket in the spring or summer might sound daunting especially if you live further south where it gets pretty toasty during the summer months, but it’s all about finding the right jacket for the right season.

The linen-printed bomber jacket from Frank + Oak pictured above is a perfect example of an essential spring statement jacket. It’s made with a cotton/linen blend that won’t suffocate you, and it’s lightweight. Best of all, it features a leafy, floral print that too makes this bomber a trendy spring pick. The fact that it’s only $59.99 isn’t too shabby either.

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Jesse Jernigan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jesse Jernigan is a Durham, NC-based men's fashion writer for The Manual. He's your go-to for the latest and greatest in…
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