Initiate yourself into the prevailing mood in menswear by following these simple steps.

Are you truly urban or merely urbane? Either way, streetwear should now be on your radar. And to those who have been thriving on a steady diet of tailoring for the past decade, incorporating it into one’s repetoire can be intimidating – a bit like being the protagonist in one of those comedies where you wake up in a slouchy adolescent’s body. Worn well, streetwear says, “I’m part of something, and I believe in it”. Worn badly, it says in a voice reminiscent of Mr Jason Bateman, “Oh, man, am I old!”

The term itself is tricky to define as it is used to describe a constellation of trends – luxury athletic wear being one and an abiding interest in looks pioneered by skateboarders, punk rockers and 1980s rappers being another. There’s also an element of thrift-shop archivist to streetwear as the core components are items that you probably already own: a varsity jacket, a sweatshirt and gleaming white sneakers.

In any case, however you define it, streetwear is increasingly, ubiquitous, thanks to its ongoing infiltration into the world of high-end style. This movement has been spearheaded by the likes of Balenciaga, Givenchy and Lanvin, who regularly incorporate elements of the street in their seasonal collections, but it’s also represented by a slew of newer brands such as Vetements, Off-White and Fear of God, which is another way of saying, “This is what the cool kids are wearing”.

Given the above, we at MR PORTER thought it was high time we issued some sort of guidance as to how to incorporate streetwear into your wardrobe. Here are our rules of the road.