Buyers on the trail of spanking new trends should have packed magnifying glasses and deerstalkers; so elusive were they among the cache of autumn 08 menswear fashion trends at Pitti Uomo.

Reflecting a near certain mood of buying caution there were few risk takers in the premium menswear supply camp. Instead the emphasis was on luxury and subtle detailing with regular flashes of colour.

Vintage Americana

There were plenty of subtle 1950s Americana references in both Milan and Paris. At its most innovative, Junya Watanabe's interpretations spliced varsity jackets with tailoring, tying the look into a retro-tinged preppy look. More widespread were references to America's Great Outdoors, from fleece-collared lumberjack jackets to fur-collared multi-pocket woollen styles.

Chunky knits

Blame it on global warming, but heavy outerwear is rarely appropriate for our milder autumns, leading to a surge in popularity for more substantial knitwear. Last year's longer-lined knits at Burberry Prorsum lit the fuse on a trend that for autumn 08 was accompanied by plenty of texture. Shawl collars remained relevant, but intricate, heavy patterns were the real drivers.

Midnight blue

Rescuing the legions of buyers seeking diversion from greys, blue still monopolised many collections – particularly inky and midnight shades. This look has been bubbling under the womenswear trend radar since autumn 07. But for autumn 08 the look returns in a big way, breaking with sartorial convention by mixing with black to sophisticated effect.

Checks

Alongside purple, checks were the biggest pan-industry trend, with lumberjack patterns in particular featuring across streetwear and contemporary womenswear, as well as menswear. The men's catwalks were awash with plaids, from shirting at Kris Van Assche to offbeat contrast checks on tailoring at Paul Smith and lumberjack coats at Number (N)ine.

New preppy

From quirky and eccentric looks to smarter conventional styles, the preppy trend was given another outing for autumn. At its most commercial, shirt and tie combos were worn under V-shaped cardies with contrast panelling, as seen at Etro and Antonio Marras, while Junya Watanabe and Dries Van Noten combined new tailoring shapes with chinos.