Good Game JNH

Backpacks and duffels are efficient, but cumbersome. Briefs and messengers are stylish, but kinda snooty. These days, the most stylish men on the planet are just tossing their stuff in a tote and hitting the road.

For years, hiking boots fell squarely in the "gear" category. But now they've come off the trail and into the street with unmatched panache—bright colors, mix-and-match materials, enormous soles. Men wore them with suits and jeans and everything in between. But if you're new to the trend, stay away from the bells and whistles. Pick a pair that lifts inspiration from a dress shoe, with sumptuous leather and a refined, dignified silhouette.

It's just the latest example of the fashion industry lifting from its favorite collective muse: The military. This is good news for you, though, because—like trench coats, pea coats, and every other uniform-inspired piece of clothing—olive looks great on everyone and with everything.

It's high time to break out of the navy-gray-black-tan mold. As evidenced by practically every runway show and A-list collection of the past, oh, 18 months, there's another color that looks great on literally every guy: Burgundy. It's bold yet reserved, commanding yet not domineering, and is the rare hue that seems impervious to clashing.

The most naturally debonair men on the planet (exhibit A: Justin Trudeau) give it all head to toe—literally. Spice your sock drawer up with polka dots, contrasting stripes, clashing colors, and the like. Next time you go shopping, toss a pair or two of funky footwear into your bag. Or let professional stylists choose for you, and sign up for one of the many subscription sock services out there.

There's not a single men's style influencer these days who doesn't have at least a handful of Instagram posts featuring shearling coats. Most are traditional, in camel or tan. But the trendiest accounts—or, rather, the men featured on them—step outside of convention to rock bright colors or moody, pitch-black suede.

Yeah, yeah, you've heard plenty about "athleisure" and the death of formality and all that jazz. And, to be fair, the unstoppable march of Lululemon domination shows no signs of stopping. But the stylish move these days is to tone it back a bit: Instead of going head-to-toe in off-duty gear, just really cool pair of sneakers (or some sweats that could sub in for trousers) will do the trick. Think of it like a casual approach to casual wear.

From topcoats and blazers to pants, shoes, and everything in between (for instance: the pictured ultra-stylish Burberry rucksack), plaid made a huge resurgence in 2018. But we're not talking about soft-spoken Glen of the past. The plaids of today are loud and proud—built more to stand out from the crowd than to blend into it.

We're fans of the Series 3 functionality. But come on: no matter what Apple's design gurus do, it will always look a little dorky. That's where hybrid smartwatches come in. They do all the same cool stuff—calendar alerts, music control, health tracking, one billion notifications—but look like the real deal. If you want to hop on the wearables trend without sacrificing style, that's the way to do it.

In 2018, no matter where you looked (at least during the colder months), there it was: the chunky sweater. From the cable-knit pullover to the shawl-collar cardigan, thick, masculine knitwear was everywhere. Now, that doesn't mean you should toss out any bicep-hugging merino you've stocked up. But, come wintertime, try putting a little extra meat on your bones—in the form of a whole lot of wool.