LONDON, March 13 — Collection previews in New York, London, Milan and Paris have now finished airing the upcoming trends for autumn/winter 2016. A mix of masculine/feminine silhouettes and influences that borrowed from bedtime, sports and nautical styles were among the key themes setting the tone for the season.

Masculine/feminine

Some designers seemed to throw gender out of the window for autumn/winter 2016, with unisex silhouettes and garments inspired by menswear wardrobes. This was seen in masculine cuts, but, on the whole, the trend was for highly feminine looks mixed with a few masculine details, like an oversized coat.

Collections rocking the masculine/feminine trend include Paul Smith, John Galliano, Paul & Joe and Victoria Beckham. Some showed suit jackets with big shoulders and wide-cut trousers. This trend wasn't universal, however, as lots of labels — like Gucci, Mugler and Elie Saab — previewed more feminine, sensual collections.

Sportswear vibe

Some labels brought hints of sporty style to their autumn/winter collections while others jumped into sportswear head first. The main trend was for adding a few sportswear pieces to feminine, urban collections.

The sportswear vibe was felt through discreet touches, like at Carven, Alexis Mabille, Alexander Wang and, of course, Tommy Hilfiger. There were some interesting collaborations in the sportswear arena too, such as Fenty x Puma by Rihanna.

Wide-leg pants

While skinny cuts will still be present, wide, baggy, even oversized pants will be the legwear of choice for the upcoming season, embodying both the masculine/feminine and sportswear trends.

Chalayan went for wide-cut leather pants, Jacquemus matched them with an XXL jacket with huge shoulders, Giorgio Armani printed them with patterns and Ralph Lauren gave them a high waist. Shiatzy Chen, on the other hand, showed loose-cut pants with patterns and transparent effects.

Lingerie and pajamas go to town

Following on from last season's underwear as outerwear trend, designers brought lingerie and sleepwear to autumn/winter collections.

There were lingerie-style dresses worn under thick, heavy coats, like at Sonia Rykiel, but dressing gowns and pajama pants were also spotted on the catwalk for a laid-back daytime look. This trend was mostly seen on the Italian catwalk, at Trussardi, Missoni, Gucci and Roberto Cavalli.

Ahoy there, sailor!

Women's wear will be taking to the waves this autumn, riding high on a sailor-themed trend. Designers previewed entire wardrobes with a seafaring theme, with sweaters, pants and sailor-style buttoning, all in a palette of navy blue, red and yellow.

Cédric Charlier went particularly big on sailor chic in a collection inspired by old photos of retro seamen. Y/Project, Prada and Tommy Hilfiger also showed looks with a nautical theme. — AFP-Relaxnews