10 trends from Milan fashion week - in pictures

Mannish coats The bulky coat that looks like your boyfriend’s/husband’s/man-friend’s is a fashion staple now, thanks to the likes of Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo. In London, there were women going gaga for Richard Nicoll’s pink, two-tone number. In Milan, Gucci did a replica of one of its autumn men’s coats – a duck-egg blue style with astrakhan collar – while Jil Sander sent out outerwear with strips of colour appearing in the vent at the back, or on pockets. Trussardi (above), meanwhile, in one of Milan’s most relevant-looking shows, had brilliant versions, which were perfectly offset with this season’s 1990s grunge hair Photograph: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Jumper & skirt Probably the easiest trend from the shows, and the one that feels like it’s already happening. It’s a look the fashion pack has embraced. Jil Sander (above) offered some of the coolest jumper-skirt combos, including graphic polo necks with pleated leather skirts or slightly fuzzier styles worn with clingier skirts. Sportmax triumphed with an ultraviolet combo of mini-pleat skirt and a textured crew, Bottega Veneta showed elegant ­knee-length pleat skirts with neat sweaters while Emporio Armani offered angora tops and longer-length Gatsby skirts. Basically though, fancy jumpers and skirts are in Photograph: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

The U-A-B (under arm bag) If the shoulder is the hot new body part (see Prada), then it is out of bounds to bag straps. Why would you mess up fashion’s new focus with something as messy (or as practical) as a bag handle? Victoria Beckham, in life, and on her NYC catwalk, is giving this look traction. Meanwhile, many of the catwalks of Milan, from Marni (above) to Trussardi, adopted this handbag stance. It’s going to be interesting attempting to make this work when trying to hold a takeaway coffee, an umbrella and answer the phone, no? Luckily, the ever practical Ms Sander showed bags with straps that loop over your coat sleeve. Phew Photograph: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Suits There’s a feeling for suits now – see Caroline Issa and Raf Simons at Dior. Suiting might be part of a common-sense wardrobe for many, but after all the years of the artful mismatch, clothes with the match factor are a talking point. Moschino presented brocade evening suits. Prada, who showed no trousers, sent out prim gingham skirt-suits. Emporio Armani offered softly hued shorts-suits. Like the hunks of colour in this round of shows, suits produce a clean stamp, which for now, is modern again. Dolce & Gabbana (above) Photograph: Giuseppe Aresu/AP

Checks Checks are a big story in men’s fashion next autumn. Now it’s a theme carrying into women’s fashion, too. Prince of Wales and pied-de-poule checks (that’s a houndstooth to most of us) were remixed at Gucci (above) on trouser suits, dresses and skirts. Tartan is another big feature, tapping into the return of punk. Moschino, in a gimmicky Scottish collection, featured trouser suits, kilts and coats in tartan, while Versace cut tartan with vinyl. Best though were Trussardi’s windowpane coats and trousers Photograph: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Film heroine If Oscar gowns bear little resemblance to most women’s lives when it comes to take-home tips, several designers in Milan championed variations on old-school film heroines that are much easier to plunder. The 1940s was a decade much tweeted about this week, though era-pinpointing seems superfluous. Gucci’s woman is a stalking femme fatale who likes fetish. Bottega Veneta’s star (above) has an air of Greta Garbo about her. The beautiful Dolce herringbone-clad models with sensible bags purred Hitchcock. Prada meanwhile, with its cinematic set and grungy-haired girls, created its own lead woman Photograph: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Winter colour In an age when catwalk shows are live-streamed, images go digital in seconds and clothes are increasingly sold online, colour in fashion has never felt so integral to the conversation. There was a lot of purple – “purple wine” at Gucci or “ultraviolet” at Sportmax (above). Prada dropped in coloured leather – red or jade. Versace had nicely tailored coats in punchy red or yellow. If you’re a Pantone junkie, what these designers call the colours is also fascinating. Jil Sander’s “exploding colours of Mongolian spring” palette featured red clover and sea-buckthorn. But Bottega’s “curry” surely takes-away hue of the season? Photograph: Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images

Sex Milan loves sex, and even the London shows had sex. Therefore, sex is definitely in the air for autumn 2013. In Milan, Gucci’s racy back-slit skirts, fishnets, neck-to-toe python and spindle heels screeched raunch. British pop artist Allen Jones, known for a love of black rubber, was even namechecked. Versace’s “Vunk” (above) was a collision of punk with sex-shop vinyl and fetish wear – Donatella did her bow in a pair of PVC jeans. Subtler sex is also in play. Prada and Marni both had undercurrents – the dishevelled styling and filmic narrative at Prada, the austere lines with flesh at Marni
Photograph: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Furry and fuzzy Angora, mohair, beaver, chinchilla, alpaca, mink, fox. These fabrics created quite the fuzz-fur story in Milan. Fendi, a house with a furry heritage, put fur on everything, from shoes to the arms of sunglasses. Versace’s sandals and T-shirts came fur-trimmed. Marni had beaver riding boots. With freezing temperatures and blizzards, the streets of Milan were teeming with the stuff. MaxMara (above) offered a fabric reminiscent of teddy bears – it was actually a spun alpaca designed to feel like fur. Carine Roitfeld seemed to cuddle into one of these babies fresh off the catwalk for most of the week and looked devastating Photograph: Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images

The Shoulder Shoulders are definitely “a thing”. The first outfit at Prada (above) – the week’s best show by a country mile – saw model Amanda Murphy walk out with her black lopsided dress and grey sweater hanging slightly off one shoulder. This styling affectation appeared throughout the show to sexy effect. At Gucci, the notes talked of “egg-shaped shoulders or definition”. Translation: shoulders were strong and often rounded. The round-shape jacket or coat is emerging as a key in-the-fashion-know cut for next season. Jil Sander’s slightly oversized coats had just the right shoulder curve for 2013 Photograph: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images