Men getting more fashion choices

Tommy Hilfiger is surrounded by knickknacks. Tchotchkes. Stuff. Hilfiger held his fall 2011 menswear runway show earlier this month at The Lion, a hip restaurant in Greenwich Village. The place is jam-packed with artwork, old books, an animal's skull - you name it. Hilfiger, however, is all about the clothes, making final tweaks to his line before the show.

"We try very hard to balance it," he says, talking about how he tries to split the difference between classy and youthful, sophisticated yet cool and vibrant. "If it looks too classic, it's boring," he says. "If it's too on the edge, it can be unwearable, and we don't want to scare men away."

Maybe it's the economy, or maybe designers were ready for a change, but if the varied looks at the fall shows this past fashion week are any indication, menswear designers are giving men more choice than ever. Ties are getting skinnier (like at DKNY), but you can still find wider options (Joseph Abboud), or knit versions (Brooks Brothers). Pants are flat-front, but some are pleated again (Hilfiger, Calvin Klein). Suits are leaner (all agree on that), but shirts can be dressy solids or casual plaids (Nautica, Perry Ellis, Gilded Age).

Like the stuff at The Lion - there's something for everyone. Here are some of the trends we're following.

PREPPY 2.0 Tommy Hilfiger makes slight (though clever) tweaks to preppy staples like coats (his are striped) and trenches (with blue patent lapels).

LEAN SUITS & TIES Suits are leaner, ties headed that way. Men can find single and double-breasted suits, and even a smattering of three-piece styles, like this one at Joseph Abboud.

PLEATS? Flat-front pants are still the default, part of the whole '60s "Mad Men" look, but pleats, seen here at Calvin Klein, seem poised for a comeback.

TWEED Tweeds, herringbones and Donegals are softer, brushed and airy. Brooks Brothers will be brimming with it, from patchwork tweed blazers to a tweed tux designed by Thom Browne for their Black Fleece collection.