Peter WilsonSnakes on a runway! Scales and skins of all things snake will be slithering their way into your spring wardrobes this season as an influx of reptilian references flooded the SS14 collections of designers like Hermès and Trussadi. Along with YMC and Wooyoungmi, Christopher Raeburn took an alternative approach to the trend, courtesy of the kaleidoscopic dinosaur patterns featured in the collection.
By calendar year, 2013 was the year of the Snake, but it seems as though 2014 is the year of the Snake print in menswear. While many womenswear collections featured snakeskin last year, it seems as though we men are dedicated followers of fashion for this trend; from tops to bottoms, belts and boots, snake is set to be very popular this year.
But there comes a warning (at least from my experiences)! Unless you want to look like an extra from a Western-movie, it is probably not wise to get matching boots and belt this time. As you’ll see in this article, too, it is important to combine snakeskin print with neutral colours and not to forget to think of accessories when it comes to this trend. As we’ve said, it looks as though it’s the year of the snake, with regard to fashion, which might even push old favourites like the leopard to the side for this season.
Look One – Ssssstatement:
For this look, we wanted to show the snakeskin trend in a statement piece. By anchoring this Alexander McQueen cardigan with the reflective-print sneakers by Maison Martin Margiela, this is perfect for all you urban nomads! Here, the on-trend pieces complement each other without stealing focus from one another. And with the black and brown combination, the look also hints at the snakeskin trend without overtly having the bold pattern on show.
Look Two – 2 trends:
For our second look, we decided to use the on-trend pattern for the accessory, pairing this bag with another SS14 trend: head-to-toe white. If you’re unsure about this, there is always the option of substituting something in light grey, another on-trend hue for the upcoming spring.
Look Three – Pre-SS14:
Finally, these jeans could be your transitional item between AW13 and snake summer. Covered in dragon-like scales, these are fairly dark – which is ideal for winter – and will get you ahead of the summer trend now.
Other Product Picks
Finally, here are just some of our favourite on-trend pieces. While there is always a snakeskin belt, or two, floating around, there may perhaps be a number of items here that you wouldn’t have thought of styling in snakeskin. And what’s more, there will no doubt be even more snakeskin pieces coming to a store near you as the season progresses.
Snakes and Ladders
As Kaa of Jungle Book fame said, “Trust in MFM”. Well, sort of, but you catch our drift. When it comes to SS14 trends, we’ve got you covered from pythons, crocodiles and dinosaurs to head-to-toe white. So guys, don’t leave it up to the women folk to wear snakeskin this upcoming year. Whether you like reptile on your shoes or printed on your tops, there’s plenty of ways to stay on trend this season.