The upside of so called trends do is make certain aspects of clothing (and accessories) cool. I was reminded of that when I checked out Mr. Porter’s trend list. For instance, I have been wearing a suede bomber jacker for a decade and I am glad to hear that it is fashionable.

It is also nice to know that Indigo is back in style. It is such an awesome color that I often wonder why it was even thought of as untrendy. Round sunglasses and colorful sneakers are welcome back, but given what Nike has been doing with its Free range of shoes for nearly three years, I am surprised it took Mr. Porter editors so long to figure this stuff out. 

Apart from that I am not sure I agree with Mr. Porter’s picks. Colored suits and tailored shorts – heaven forbid.  Backpacks will never be cool and trendy in my books. T-shirts should be either plain or ironic, and Gucci loafers are best left alone to a tourist shopper from the far east. 

Trends in men’s fashions are no different than popular lipstick shades – great to look at, but not very practical. It also doesn’t help that these lists are created by a bunch of editors who sit around making this stuff, without actually wondering how most of us guys actually live, work and play. The fact is that clothing has less to do with so called trends and more to do with the environment we live in. For men, have your own style is more important than being trendy. Sorry, but that’s the only rule that matters in my book. 

You want to know what my trend for 2013: a monk strap ankle length boot. Alden makes one in suede and I have seen it put into market by some of the better and thankfully quieter brands. It works with jeans, chinos and more formal trousers, some of us have to wear. A well made pair should last forever in your wardrobe. I expect it to be named trendy by Mr. Porter’s team of editors as trendy in 2014.