No Collar Required

Fashion sceptics say that menswear won't evolve much further than an oversized Raf Simons leather hoodie. But there are still inventive features with potentially wide appeal to come out of the currently lucrative and commercial menswear field.

Spotted on the international runways and showing signs of sticking around is a particular men's shirt detail looking something like a cross between a nehru and a classic shirt collar-some designers have even taken to stitching down the classic collar to create the look.

For spring, Emporio Armani attached his collars to vertically stripy cotton shirts worn with matching voluminous trousers; Calvin Klein sent out a selection in sumptuous colours ranging from salmon to saffron to sky blue - some paired with his shiny suits of the season; Dries Van Noten's take on the style was sighted on the runway teamed with tartan shorts and single-breasted jackets. And Hedi Slimane's elegant take on the collar last season was equally effective paired with grunged-up jeans.

The good thing about this new collar is that it isn't in the slightest bit ethnic or priestlike - making it all the more versatile and contemporary. Moreover, it doesn't require a tie. Besides these obvious style motives, designers might be working with this clever design feature for hygienic reasons since a Medical Center study analysing bacterial counts on doctors' ties recently garnered global headlines.