When the One Direction star Harry Styles steps out on stage in Glasgow on Friday night, chances are he’ll be sporting his statement suit that has spurred a high street trend.

This summer, you can expect to see wedding guests and prom-goers wearing printed, jacquard, embroidered ensembles, because 2018 is all about the convivial statement suit. And the more eye-catching the better.

Last week, Topman launched its spring/summer collection, with “a fresh colour palette featuring bold new prints and daring embroidery”.

“We’ve seen a big rise in the popularity of maximal dressing over the past year, characterised by rich fabrics, colours and bold prints,” says Rachel Morgans, a Topman buying director. Prices for the new collection start at £35.

“Menswear has been getting bolder for a few seasons now,” says GQ contributing editor Nick Carvell, who gives credit to Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele, who has made all-over embroidery on blazers and trousers one of his signatures since his arrival at the house in 2015.

“After seasons of menswear being very minimal and often grey, navy or black, Michele’s bold use of embroidery in certainly his second collection (spring 2016) was a breath of fresh air – and it’s changed the way men dress. We’ve gone from minimalism to maximalism.

“Now, I feel men are willing to take more risks, and while we first started to see embroidery as a small detail on outerwear – for example, bomber jackets – now we’re seeing entire garments from jeans to tailoring covered in intricate detailing.”

Michele has transformed the fortunes of Gucci, attracting “a broader and increasingly diverse clientele”, according to its owner, Kering. In the third quarter of 2017 the conglomerate reported that Gucci’s like-for-like sales were up by 49.4%, compared with 39.3% three months earlier. “He just gets the fact that if a man wants to wear something bold like this, he is really willing to fully go for it like a rock star would: proper full-on, flare-tastic, chest-flashing 70s ballsiness,” says Carvell.

Morgans and Carvell both single out Styles, who began his UK tour this week, as the poster boy for the trend. Styles started carving out a distinct, experimental sense of style with the boyband One Direction. He would often make red-carpet appearances alongside his bandmates in head-to-toe Gucci, not adhering to the coordination often associated with boybands. He is currently sporting a statement suit each night – many of which will have the Gucci swing tag on. It came as no surprise last month when the house also teased a campaign collaboration with Styles for its #GucciTailoring initiative on Instagram.

“Suits have become something that now allows a man to show off his personality through bold colour and detailing, perhaps as a reaction to the item having been formerly a garment of conformity and necessity in the workplace,” says Carvell.

The momentum behind the trend is building, says Lyst. The global fashion search platform has seen an increase in searches for “floral suit”, “checked suit”, “pastel suit” and “striped suit”. Searches for coloured suits – including pink, red and purple – have also increased 43% year on year, while the most viewed statement suits are by Gucci and Topman, as well as Asos and Tom Ford.

According to Carvell, the trend is one that can be experimented with by all age groups. “The great thing about suits is that they are cut to flatter your physique by boosting your shoulders and nipping in your waist, so they really should help to enhance any man’s build no matter his age or body type,” he says.

“My advice is that perhaps a way to ease yourself in is to not go full-Bowie at first – maybe try one with a black T-shirt and white sneakers before you go for the cowboy boots and ruffled shirt. I like to say that if your suit shouts, everything else should whisper. After you’ve mastered that, all bets are off – go bold or go home.”