This denim jacket from Cheap Monday typifies the brand. A good price, beautiful fit and little details which are just cool. The skulls on the buttons are awesome. Available from End Clothing.

Rugged, outdoor clothing is becoming a theme, at least this week. My new favourite site/e-newsletter the fabulously-named Urban Daddy has turned up perhaps the ultimate in outdoor clothing: trousers made from old tents. Military WWII tents to be precise, so as well as protecting you from the elements you'll be wearing a piece of history.

With a relaxed fit, the trousers are cut long so you can roll them to fit and each pair comes with unique marks, flaws and patched holes as evidence of their authenticity. They also come as shorts! The waxed cagoules are rather gorgeous too, modeled on a real fisherman and all.

Order yours now from Stabo's quirky Norfolk-based site.

Chinos have in recent times experienced something of a role change - from bland slacks favoured by American tourists to fashion item, worn high on the ankle as a foil for brave colours and occasional irony. In a recent twist, the quality of the garment itself is changing. I'm seeing a lot of high-end chinos out there, suggesting that £20 Uniqlo, utilitarian numbers are being replaced by the high thread count, near-sateen of the designer chino. As the summer sales commence and prices are slashed, there's every opportunity to find the perfect pair. Here are two of the best to measure your sales finds against.

ACNE Van Straight chinos, ASOS, Sateen beige trousers by YMC at Liberty`

Additional image source: Mister Mort

As shorts continue to be major fashion news for men, the search is on for something that bit different. Oak NYC can usually be depended on to turn up something surprising, and with these leather-look shorts by Petar Petrov they're definitely in the game for wildest shorts of the summer. Actually 100% cotton but in a glossy, leather-like finish, the combination of shiny, fetishistic fabric and the pleated, tailored style is genuinely fresh. Perfectly paired here with gladiator sandals, I'm just hoping the model has appropriate facial hair - this look is all about Roman centurion at a Berlin leather bar.

Shorts by Petar Petrov from Oak NYC

Cycling through Bloomsbury last night, I was struck by the sheer number of other cyclists on the roads. Seriously, it's like the bicycle M1 there in rush hour. When budgets tighten and the weather brightens (sorry), cyclists come out to play, so it looks like summer is definitely set to be based around 2 wheels. And for that, you need the right outfit.

While it's a little too warm for full-length jeans, rolling up an old pair can work pretty well. Technical cycling trousers can be fairly awful (dayglo lycra with reflective patches is not a Brandish-endorsed look), but this pair from US brand Outlier fill a gap for neatly tailored, slim trousers that are also fast-wicking and breathable. If you can't stretch to the required $220 (plus international shipping), ASOS's £25 slimfit chinos come in a pretty array of colours (we rate the teal ones most). Somewhere between the two sit Acne's lovely peppermint chinos for £135. If you really want to impress the traffic, try matching your trouser colour to your bike frame.

Main Image Source: The Sartorialist

Summer is most definitely here, at least for today and if you're sweltering under the heat of some office trousers we feel your pain. Actually we've got our legs out, sorry.

Take a look at our guide to this summer's shorts, we've trawled the internet for the best in short trousers to keep your legs cool and your outfit stylish without a toggle, cargo pocket or zip in sight. There's something for everyone from denim to tailored and also floral pair you'll love, honest!

Summer is definitely fashion's silliest season, when you can throw (some) caution to the wind and don styles you wouldn't normally be seen dead in. With this in mind, how about some white jeans? Instantly reminiscent of Club Tropicana-era Wham, act up the Euro playboy with a strong-coloured V-neck T-shirt from American Apparel (lavender, pink, mint) and a floral print. These jeans from Acne break the pristine mold by adding horizontal rips at the thigh, whilst with these hibiscus-print espadrilles who needs a Hawaiian shirt? With a liberal splash of Kouros you will be ready to tear up the dancefloors of Europe .. just don't forget to pack the Vanish stick.

Mic White Trashed Jeans: Acne, Hibiscus print espadrilles, ASOS

Here at Brandish we love a bit of versatility, which is why these jeans by Swedish brand Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair are so perfect. At the top the fit is like a pair of oh-so-current roomy pleated pants, the anti-fit of these jeans also allows for a bit of drop-crotchness, whilst the legs actually taper down to the ankle. The interesting cut lends itself to many styling possibilities, but the genius touch is that the stretchy fabric (a quality, soft, stretch twill) allows the hem to be pulled up the leg to wear them as a slouchy cropped pant. At least three looks in one! The lovely detailing - like the 'whiskering' at back of knees also adds value. So, despite a hefty $279 pricetag (plus shipping), they're still a choice item.

For the budget conscious, with some imagination and a trip to the tailor, I think you could achieve something similar by adapting a pair of vintage pleated trousers in a suitably flexible fabric.

Source: Blackbird blog

Seen in Old Stone, also available in Black

For the British, summer is a time of seaside, (dubious) sun and 99p ice creams. It can be hard to find the perfect sun 'n' sea outfit and I won't bore you with details of the economy but, basically, we should all be investing in classic investment fashion pieces. Could there be anything more perfect than these cropped trousers in a brilliant azure blue. At $798 (£542,) they might be rather over-priced (okay, very over-priced) but they can be worn in the heat with a basic white tee and Raf Simons gladiator sandals or in the winter with black brogues, a black tee and a grey cardie.

The one problem? They are only stocked up to a size 4 so, as if the beach wasn't enough in itself, you now have even more reason to drag yourself to the gym after work!

With a month long holiday in India coming up, I knew I had to get some stand-out holiday wear. I thought about the different eras of recreational wear and began racking the (fashion) history books for inspiration- jumpsuits, capri pants, high-waisted slacks, kaftans, tunics, dungarees...the list goes on. But then, as with all moments of fashion genius, America's Next Top Model came on the telly and I was reminded of the genius that is Jeremy Scott.

As a result I was led to a picture of a friend wearing a pair of Jeremy's cropped print trousers and I fell in love. In order to recreate the look, I bought a pair of Topman's cartoon-print pyjama bottoms (£15) and tied bits of string around my lower legs. I then folded the pyjama fabric under the string to achieve a cropped effect.

Because the print is so loud, you should stick to basic items in muted colours. And even if you don't get the look that you wanted, I assure you that making the trousers is almost as much fun as wearing the finished edition anyway.

If you're off on your first break of the year somewhere warm shortly you may be considering short trouser options.

The revitalised ASOS store has some great shorts on offer, ticking various trend boxes.

The slim jersey pair here are in line with the overall smart sportswear trend, the rib detail adding a touch of smartness to what could otherwise be a very casual look. The draped front pair by Unconditional meanwhile makes much more of a statement, especially if teamed with a similarly draped front or deep scoop neck T-shirt. Throwing caution to the wind, the dropped crotch shorts in black linen have an air of Thai fishermen's trouser about them, an exotic note that could look great teamed with leather thong sandals or brown Oxfords.

Of course, the crucial factor with any shorts purchase this early is how to ensure its your outfit that dazzles rather than your milky white calves. Run for the sun at the earliest opportunity or slather on a bit of self tan to help you blend in with swarthy locals.

Affordable quality pedallers UniQlo are making your shopping experiences that little bit easier by opening a concession in Selfridges Oxford Street. Being UniQlo the space is one of the more colourful parts of Selfridges, looking similar to a Pantone reference book which is in no way a bad thing. The move is designed to introduce the brand to a whole new demographic of buyers and really sets their move into the UK and Worldwide markets in stone. The concession being markedly smaller than any of their stand alone stores, carries an edited menswear collection including their premium ranges, still being competitively priced especially when compared with the other brands that Selfridges stock. The store opened last Monday so get yourself down there and have a shoofty.

On top of this the brand seems to be advancing on multiple fronts as this new concession in London's shopping hot spot comes on the back of the announcement of UniQlo's Menswear Tailoring Collection and Premium Denim Collection, both of which will be part of the edited Menswear collection Selfridges will carry.

The UniQlo Tailoring Collection caters to the formal end of the market but still holds the same attention to detail and affordable quality synonymous with UniQlo garments.The line includes blazers, waistcoats, suit jackets, suit trousers, ties and tailored shorts all intended to be mixed at matched with other items in and out of the Tailoring Collection. The line being formal as it is still holds the bright and uplifting look that all UniQlo pieces do with even the darker more formal pieces looking clean and stylish. Prices starting at £29.99 this is definitely something to keep a fashion eye out for.

UniQlo's Premium Denim Collection is a step up for the brands usually low priced but none the less well cut denim, collaborating with Kaihara and boasting entirely Japanese production for the line this looks to be of interest to any denim heads out there. Kaihara, a brand older than my nan only turned to denim production in the 1970's but soon made it's name in Japanese denim producing the entire garment from yarn to finished product to their own high standard. This kind of quality and dedication to a garment sits well with the UniQlo brand going to great lengths with this line to really make an impact on the denim marketplace using raw cotton and traditional antique looms to make the selvedged denim. All pieces in the line are priced competitively at £49.99 and well worth a gander.

In the later months of last year, the Brandish team began to see previews from the Jeremy Scott Loves Ksubi denim collection.

Now, upon Lady Gaga wearing the orange love-heart suit in Sunday Times Style magazine, we are pleased to tell you that the line will be in-stores this March.

This is the fifth time the two labels have collaborated and as with previous collections, Jeremy Scott Loves Ksubi 2009 toys with the idea of Scott's brilliant, brash prints with the achingly cool shapes of Aussie-label Ksubi.

Trashbag Aesthetics have reported that the line will be released in shops in March and we have already begun sharpening our elbows!

The floral-print denim at left is the only menswear we have so far seen from the collection but those hardcore fashionistos will no doubt be rocking the woman's Nu-Rave orange ASAP.

See after the jump for more pics!

Further to my post about new trouser shapes yesterday, the drop crotch has definitely arrived. East London was awash with them at the weekend (mostly looking ace) and a quick search of the interweb reveals that Oak - New York's directional boutique/web store - have sold out of the now-cult Corpus drop crotch sweatpants a couple of times over.

It's not a look that will appeal to all - the harem shape is easier for women to carry off - glammed up with a shimmery fabric, a bit of gathering and some heels. For us guys, there's a risk that you'll look like you're wearing a big nappy under those sweatpants. I can feel an Alexis Petridis piece in The Guardian mag coming on..

Fashion, as we know, goes in cycles. Thus, after a good few years of thigh-constriction thanks to the skinny jean, the newest shapes for men's trousers this Spring seem to be all about giving us space to breathe. Whether carrot, balloon, wide-leg or harem the look from waist down is all about having some extra fabric to move in.