Gentlemen, it’s time to get serious.

The weather is starting to get nippy, and soon we’ll… Gentlemen, it’s time to get serious.

The weather is starting to get nippy, and soon we’ll be putting away our shorts and sandals. Fashion icons everywhere are beginning to roll out the fall line-up, and it’s never looked better.

Now is the time to start getting excited about style.

Simply put, this fashion season is about being cool as hell: unashamed, unflinching fashion, free of guilt or shame. It’s fashion for the sake of fashion, for the sake of poise and style, because life’s too short to wear your workout clothes to class.

A little time and attention to your wardrobe will go a long way. So take out a new credit card while we start from the top.

This season, I am noticing a lot of bold brown and soft camel colors. We are seeing a break from cold, corporate black. Natural chocolaty colors and simple designs are some important highlights of many fall lines.

Each piece of the standard “guy” wardrobe has a distinctive flair this fall.

Knitwear is very important. Sweaters will be big and chunky, with only light design work, and should be crafted from the finest material you can afford. Cashmere is so chill, but anything soft will work. Your sweater should be as luxurious as a golden cell phone, but look for a lasting fit and solid construction. They should fit looser, to almost give the impression that you’re wrapped in something like designer sheets.

Cardigans are appearing on runways throughout the world, and are sure to be a staple in most fall lineups. They are dorky and fun, and should fit like a glove.

Outerwear is always an important asset to any designer’s collection. I’ve seen a lot of formal-looking pieces, like overcoats that we’ve seen our fathers wear to funerals. But fall outerwear is so much more. We’ll see smoothly tailored jackets that are tight around the waist to keep your ensemble looking neat and put together. Also, puffy nylon jackets are unusually popular. The fit should be kept edgy and looking tense so as to keep you from resembling a penguin.

Your shirt is probably the most important part of an outfit, and often the most overlooked, as it is often partially covered by a track jacket or jersey. The most important thing to know is color. Pink is over, and the focus is on brown and charcoal colors, as well as pure, unyielding white so bright that it almost hurts the eyes.

Designers are working less with intricate patterns and more with intricate textile. Look for textured, well-appointed and noticeably sumptuous fabric. A fine button-down shirt worn big and loose will look great, especially against tighter jeans. V-necks and simple T-shirts of solid colors are also in.

Jeans for the fall are all dark, midnight blue or almost black. Dark denim has seen a huge rise in popularity, and all of the major fashion houses’ models are walking down the runway in low-slung, dark denim.

Denim for the season is rough and raw, and usually very low-cut at the top. Jeans should fit fairly tightly through the legs, even around your calves. They’ll look even better if they’re heavily bunched up at the bottom because of a lower rise. Dark denim is so important right now that you may have trouble finding any other color at some of the finer men’s boutiques in Pittsburgh.

Jeans are a great core item of clothing. A couple great pieces of denim are a great way to start jazzing up a wardrobe.

Fashion for the fall is focused on good taste. Excellent fashion will generally be expensive, but should never be flaunted. People notice great style, and great style is never excessive or extreme.

What’s more important is choosing styles that suit your personality. Good style is a blend of aesthetics and comfort, but too many kids in college are choosing only comfort. You can still be very comfortable and look great.

If you have an athletic style, think about voguish track jackets and modish jeans. Fall is a great time to start thinking about new outfits and outlooks.

Bold decisions and attention to detail in your wardrobe will make you get noticed. What’s important is that we get pumped about new fashion. Any amount of effort will have you looking better.

You’ll conquer the day.

Derek Faish is the new fashion correspondent for The Pitt News. Feedback is appreciated: [email protected].