GOOD / DON'T: this winter's trends, judged

The January shows in Milan and Paris have reached the shops, and the trend reports are out. Some of it is very good news for a man in Delhi this winter. Brown is the colour of the season. Double-breasted tailoring is back, cut easier. Velvet, flannel and texture have replaced the logo. Some of it is not for you at all: cargo pockets at a sangeet are still cargo pockets. And the runway could not agree on slim or relaxed, which is the best argument yet for having it cut to you. Twelve judgements on what to take from this season, and where to wear it.

The colour of the season

If one thing came out of every report this autumn, it was brown. Deep, dark and warm, worn where a man would once have worn black.

Dark chocolate.The season's colour, and it reads warmer than black under evening light.

Double-breasted.Back on the runways, now cut with an easier line.

Broad peak lapels.Proportioned to the longer jacket.

Fine wool.A winter evening cloth with a clean surface.

Very good. For: the reception, the Christmas dinner, a winter evening at the club and a client dinner. Not the pheras: there, follow the family.

Twelve judgements on this season

1. Very good.

   Brown instead of black, after dark.

   A chocolate bandhgala or suit does everything black does at an evening function, and it sidesteps the question at family functions where many people avoid black. If unsure, ask. Polished dark brown shoes, not black.

2. Good.

   Jewel tones, one at a time.

   Aubergine, emerald, wine and deep red were all over the runways. Indian weddings have spoken this language for centuries. Wear one: a deep green velvet jacket at the cocktail night, a wine achkan for close family at the ceremony. Not a green jacket with a wine pocket square and a mustard shawl.

3. Very good.

   The double-breasted jacket, cut easy.

   The new double-breasted suit is softer and longer than the 1980s version, with a defined but natural shoulder. Keep it buttoned when standing. It is right at the office, the reception and the day-after lunch.

4. Good.

   High-rise, pleated trousers.

   Fuller through the thigh, straight in the leg, worn at the natural waist without a belt. Under a sports jacket at the office or a winter dinner. Under a bandhgala, keep to matching or ivory trousers.

5. Good.

   The long dark coat.

   The longline overcoat was the outerwear of the season. Knee length, navy, charcoal or camel, worn over a suit, a dinner jacket or a bandhgala for arriving and leaving. Over a kurta, a wool shawl is still the better answer.

6. Don't.

   The puffer over the outfit.

   Puffers came back on the runways. They are for the drive and the weekend. Zipped over a bandhgala at a wedding, it flattens the collar and ends up in every photograph.

7. Depends.

   The tie is back.

   Good with a suit at a boardroom, a court marriage or a formal reception. A plain silk tie, nothing printed. Not at a friend's Diwali card party, and never with Indian clothes.

8. Depends.

   An open collar or knit polo under a jacket.

   The season's answer to the shirt and tie. Right at a Sunday lunch, a brunch or a relaxed dinner. At a reception or anything with a card, wear a proper shirt.

9. Good.

   Loafers instead of trainers.

   Smart shoes are replacing sneakers as the default. For smart casual in India, a collared shirt, trousers and loafers is already the standard. Trainers with a suit at a wedding: no.

10. Very good.

    Texture over logos.

    Velvet, flannel, a quiet weave in the cloth. Indian menswear is moving the same way: fine thread work over heavy embroidery, the cut doing the talking. A plain cloth that fits you will outlast anything with a name on it.

11. Don't.

    Utility, cargo pockets and technical shells.

    All over the runways, and none of it belongs at a function. Keep it for the trek, the airport and the weekend.

12. Good.

    One bandhgala, worn two ways.

    The season favours fewer, better pieces. As a guest, wear the bandhgala with matching trousers at the reception and with ivory trousers at the sangeet. Grooms are different: most families expect a new outfit for every function.

Take the colour. Take the cut. Leave the cargo.

This season, function by function

When to order

A suit, bandhgala or dinner jacket takes two weeks, with a fitting about a week after the first visit. Rush delivery takes seven days. For a wedding on 11 or 12 December, order by 27 November. For Christmas and New Year parties, order by 11 December (17 December for New Year's Eve). For a January wedding, order by 1 January. For late November, order by 7 November; for the first week of December, by 18 November.

A cutter comes to your home or office in Gurugram or Delhi. Book a visit.

Staying warm without hiding the outfit? Read cold lawns: what to wear to a December wedding, and velvet, ivory or black for the cocktail night.