Menswear shows were happening left and right in Paris and Milan last week, and for the most part, we weren’t amused. What’s up with the boxy tailoring?

Men still have a problem slipping into well-fitting clothes; we don’t need designers telling them it’s okay to go back to their old American ways of wearing far too much fabric – such excess is not what we need in times of recession and climate change. And don’t get us started on Junya Watanabe’s farmer-inspired collection and Yohji Yamamoto’s Samurai Jack trousers.

But still, we were able to spot a handful of amazing looks that promise to advance the state of menswear, not go all retro and revisit the horrors of seasons past.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Tucked suit jacket? Check. This ensemble typifies the relaxed elegance of a fashionable man. From the dramatic black-white contrast to the way the jacket drapes to the waist, this look blurs the boundaries of menswear – in a good way.