Coolest kits 2016/17

In tribute, perhaps, to the town's industrial-maritime heritage, Premier League newbies Middlesborough have embraced the nautical trend for their AW16 – sorry, 16/17 – kit. Likewise, Saint Petersburg fashion it-kid Gosha Rubchinskiy (in many ways, the Middlesborough of the global high-end streetwear scene) has added seafaring elements to his post-Soviet skate steez (double-sleeved versions of the Russian navy's 'telnyashka' tops) for this autumn. 

There's a touch of Gosha about 'Boro's home kit – the Russian flag colours on the stomach and collar – but mostly it's about utilitarian, ocean-going horizontal stripes and block colours, in traditional red at home and deep North Sea blue on the road. We're onboard.

Key AW16 trend it references: Nautical streetwear.

80s Chelsea was a very different beast to the Kings Road aristocracy of today – a crumbling stadium, violence in the stands and a team that bounced around between the top two divisions.

Quite why the Blues have decided to revisit that era with their new home shirt, we're not sure – but in fairness, if we were them, skinny, plain, shiny shirts with club-badge watermarks are about the only thing we would want to bring back from the bad old days (along with wing wizard and OG footballing hipster Pat Nevin).

Key AW16 trend: 80s terrace revival.

Whether or not Pep Guardiola can restore Man City to former glories on the pitch, they've already staked their claim as the biggest Premier League hypebeasts, rocking a third-kit colour palette that's straight out of Yeezy Season 3 and the Vetements AW16 collections.

Forget your military drabs – autumn's streetwear scene is set to be all about murky burgundies, glowing golds and yellows, and the long-awaited return of black. And, like an experimental 3-3-1-3 formation, here are Guardiola's boys, on the bleeding edge of footy-kit couture.

Key AW16 trend: Autumn sunburst colours.

Talking of trendsetters, Everton were so far ahead of the curve with their infamous early 90s salmon pink shirt they were basically on an entirely different bit of graph paper. 

It may have taken nearly 25 years for the cool kids to catch up with the Toffeemen, but pink's never had a menswear moment like it's having now, so it's good to see the Merseysiders keeping their blush banner flying – albeit in a subtle, knowing, 'we've been doing this for years', just-the-trim-on-an-otherwise-minimal-black-number, way.

Key AW16 trend: Desert pink.

Under Armour have been delivering strong, simple Spurs home kits for a couple of years now, but this time around, it's the change strips that are turning heads – specifically their super 70s, dusty gold and navy colour palette. 

The pinstriped away shirt is a muted, mustardy masterpiece with just a hint of disco flair, while the even-more-minimalist midnight-blue third top, with its super-fresh take on subtle retro stripiness, is basically a cosy nan-knitted jumper in footy top form.

Key AW16 trend: Contemporary 70s.