Men’s fall fashion trends range from athletic to Nordic

Every once in a while, men's fashion goes back to campus and proves that boys will forever be boys. Fall 2011 is one of those times.

For all the fellas who never earned that coveted letterman's jacket, designers such as Rag & Bone and retailers like H&M want you to have your moment now. You'll find variations of the jacket, some went for the leather sleeves, others emblazoned them with a logo in place of a high school letter. But none of them come with a touchdown.

It makes sense that this overtly sporty piece would surface right now. Male athletes are, after all, influencing fashion more than ever. GQ magazine has featured Mark Sanchez, New York Jets quarterback on its cover in recent months and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cameron Newton starred in a fashion layout over the summer. Sports figures such as David Beckham and Tom Brady, who stepped up his fashion game after marrying model Gisele Bundchen, have a heavy hand in what men want to wear, too.

If they can't be the star of the game, men will settle for dressing like him.

Men's fashion designers also have a tendency to warm up to anything reminiscent of glory days. Collegiate looks dominated fall trends. Runways showed varsity cardigans, oxford shirts, tons of tweed jackets and herringbone sport coats and a plethora of cuffed pants.

Cuffs are either built in or rolled up. Either way, men should know socks are on display for fall. Flashy patterns and loud colors on socks made the cuffs that much more noticed.

As usual, menswear designers took a look at their women's ready-to-wear collections and borrowed a few ideas. Michael Kors showed camel coats, which were huge for women last season. Horizontal sweaters were big at D&G and bright colors, such as orange, dashed down the runways at Balmain and Bottega Veneta.

Tom Julian, fashion expert and president of Tom Julian Group, a retail consultancy group in New York City, expects huge splashes of color in unexpected places. "The most popular use of this trend will probably be the use of primary jeans that are so hot," he says. "The colorful jeans really modernize a look."

Julian lists mustard, red, cobalt blue and purple as denim options. Some men will shy away, but others will embrace it simply because the dark denim look has overstayed its welcome.

Bold color statements also make their way onto velvet jackets and tartan accessories, hats, specifically. You'll remember how willing men were last summer to top their looks with the straw panama hat. They'll do the same, Julian says, with brushed cotton and felt versions this fall.

A few looks that stood out with a range of designers include the turtleneck and double breasted coats, jackets and cardigans. The former took everything from a voluminous, chunky knit turn to a fitted, close-to-the-neck look. Designers such as Hermes, Gucci and Calvin Klein all gave this classic piece a nod.

It's not necessarily time to trash all single breasted pieces, but it is time to reconsider all things double breasted. Louis Vuitton's fall coats will persuade even the most hesitant of male shoppers.

The Nordic look also left its stamp on runways, giving the fashion-forward rugged guy several options. "It's a little of the nature gentleman trend playing off the refined lumberjack," observes Julian. "Many of the major department stores are merchandising this look, from Ralph Lauren to modern designers like Michael Bastian."

Here you'll find ski sweaters, fur-trimmed outerwear and clunky boots that wrap around the midcalf. Sub out your jeans for khakis to fully implement this look.

One trend that will raise a few eyebrows is the '70s glam tribute. It will take a brave man to wear the aforementioned colored jeans, but it takes someone with a true commitment to trends to consider this look.

"It will be easier to pull off as an item versus a head-to-toe look," says Julian of the leather vests and faux techno jeans. "But when you bring out metallic shine, you really have to be a brave risk taker!"