Trousers - Jil Sander

With its seasonal tradition of sticking to navy, grey, black, and brawny neutrals when the skies close in, men's fashion usually saves colour for the details at this time of year: a red sock, a lively tie or suit lining, a shock of neon on a sober sole. However, this winter, designers have abandoned the gloom more wholeheartedly and picked up palettes reminiscent of modernist painters. Bursts of bright colour set an optimistic tone that isn't just a show-pony choice for dandies or dapper Italian gents on style blogs, but one we can all accommodate and adjust to.

While British men, at least those of a certain age, don't always embrace the brighter shades beyond their holiday beachwear, designers are keen to push consumers out of their colour comfort zones. Orange was the theme at Ann Demeulemeester, Burberry, Mugler, Jil Sander and Louis Vuitton. It was bright yellow at Balenciaga, Burberry, Paul Smith, Kenzo and Yves Saint Laurent, and purple also reigned at Raf Simons, Jil Sander, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and Acne. Code red ruled at Dior Homme, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein and Moschino. The message could hardly have been clearer.

These Jil Sander trousers, in particular, have a trace of autumnal ochre in their brilliant yellow that somehow works and wows despite its boldness (much like the similarly mustard-cutting "sulphur" jumper from Toast's new men's collection). Indeed, there's a bit of a he who-dares-wins, peacocky subtext involved in creating, or even just wearing, colours that take it to the edge without falling off. Chances are that your trusty navy crew-neck will see more service than your bold new pair of primary-coloured pantaloons this winter, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep flying the flag.

Jacket - G-Star

The seriously-tailored, tough-to-pull-off double-breasted jacket scared off many imperfect Adonises a couple of seasons back. This winter's evergreen wardrobe companion comes in the form of a sleek, more easily-handled single-breasted jacket, with a nice grey being the most adaptable smart-casual colour choice. Moving away from the body-skimming, Mad Men-influenced silhouette, these loose cut jackets are a smart and eminently wearable solution for the new season. (Perhaps men have been learning from the way women have been making longer, suit-style tailored jackets work so well with trousers and jeans in recent times).

This relaxed approach to tailoring is also paying dividends in outerwear like duffle and trench coats. The other key theme in the autumn/winter collections' best outwear was the deep shoulder seam - which sits off of the shoulder to give the appearance of a broader shape. Burberry, Raf Simons, Giorgio Armani, Yohji Yamamoto, Costume National and G-Star all opted for this single-button aesthetic.

The more spacious of these tailored jackets aren't easy for everyone, as you can run the risk of looking like The Biggest Loser in his pre-diet clothes. (Talking losers, your cardigans might feel a bit forgotten this winter). Different jackets will add different degrees of volume to the torso, but in the case of the numerous single-breasted versions out there, the real key to keeping bang on trend is how you wear your chosen jacket. Wearing sweaters under it is one way and for the authentic art college slant, pop your collar and exemplify nonchalant, too-cool-for-school style.

Hat - Armani

It's going to be a cruel winter for the hat-averse, style-aware modern male, as well as a colder one. In recent years, it's been perfectly legitimate to dodge monolithic men's hat trends on the grounds that you'd rather go bare than have people think you think you're David Beckham/Pete Doherty/Oliver Twist. But January's autumn/winter shows saw headgear for every occasion on the runways. From classic flat caps to fedoras, deerstalkers, cadet caps, derbys, trilbys and even bowlers, hats of all kinds are key for the coming winter.

At the January shows, big Amish-style hats were seen at Dior Homme, D&G and Louis Vuitton, while fedoras starred at Lanvin. Missoni's flowerpot hats had brims pulled low over the models' faces, and at Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci gave his models caps with looping flaps above the ears. Yohji Yamamoto's looks were topped with steep-crowned brimmed hats like those the designer himself has worn for years. Dean and Dan at D Squared2 utilised broad-brimmed Stetsons while Galliano, Paul Smith and Burberry offered snug solutions in the form of knitted bobble hats.

Other notable options for headwear include Armani's trilby, seen here, Folk's Cotton Deerstalker, Junya Watanabe's felt hat, Dolce & Gabbana Buffalo-check flat cap and the wool fedora from those old masters of the hatter's art, Lock & Co. It pays to do some homework before splashing out on yours, because the accessory on your head often defines you more than any other garment. Shape, size, and positioning are everything. A hat shouldn't be perched high on your crown or squashed down on your brow. Nor worn in the wrong place (which, according to traditional hat etiquette, includes anywhere indoors). With great headwear comes great responsibility.