Top Five Trends: Paris AW15

The Ulster coat

If 2014 was the winter when the long, single-breasted overcoat saw off the peacoat as the stylish gent's outerwear of choice, then the Paris AW15 shows suggested a fightback from the pea and a new, compromise position that we can all be happy with. Raf Simons (right) and Dries Van Noten (left) showed cracking coats that combined the wool overcoat's length and swishy silhouette with the pea's double-breasted structure and strong lapel game. Technically, these coats most closely echo the Ulster coat, a hard-wearing, long-line piece of Victorian-era daywear once favoured by everyone from OG Sherlock Holmes to Richard E Grant in Withnail & I. MG

The Wes Anderson influence

Quirky fashion choices have always been an integral element of film director Wes Anderson's fastidiously created world, so it's only fair that fashion should pay its respects in return. And with Hedi Slimane offering dudes in statement berets (a la Rushmore's Max Fischer) for Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton’s Kim Jones evoking Moonrise Kingdom with cutesy outdoorwear (left), and Julien David sending out a Richie Tenenbaum lookalike (right), Paris was only a Bill Murray cameo away from turning into a Wes Anderson tribute gig. MG

Full Goth

As any menswear afficionado will tell you, it's hard to go wrong with all black err'thang in the wintertime and – as a result – a gloomy, gothy aura is nothing new when it comes to AW collections. What stood out in Paris, however, is the emergence of what we're calling 'full Goth'. Forget black skinny jeans and a vaguely wan expression, this is the real 80s deal: think Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus' Bela Lugosi's Dead and hanging around in cemeteries. Thom Browne (right) brought dark neo-Victorian dandyism and undertaker chic with top hats, veils, overcoats and skirts; Givenchy (left) made up a guy as a skull. Release the bats! MG

Flares

The models walking for Raf Simons (left) evoked near spectral levels of floatiness, wrapped in floor-length coats and billowing flares that pooled at the feet. Meanwhile, the guys doing their thing at Valentino (right) kicked it in subtle kick flares, with both shows harking back to the 70s for an updated take on the bohemian aesthetic. You might think that flares are a tough look to pull off, but if going full throwback isn’t your vibe, a simple wide-leg jean is an easy way to participate in the trend without entering fashion victim territory. GJ

Gender bending

Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent (right) deconstructed the traditional notion of masculinity with a number of gender-bending looks featuring typically womenswear pieces. Most notably, he strapped his male models into chunky heels, which accentuated the fit of skintight, leather trousers. Issey Miyake (left), on the other hand, fused florals and woven stripes in cuts that bore a striking resemblance to, well, dresses. It made for looks that subverted the masculine norm in a totally unwearable way. Pussybow blouses for blokes? We hope not, but watch this space.