The ever-changing world of modern fashion is a perfect environment for more expression and experimentation than ever. Nothing can honestly be called off-limits any more. However, many retailers, particularly in men’s fashion, seem to be taking an alternative train of thought and going back to basics.

The idea of this fashion season seems to be that less really is more, and that is evident in the current trend towards simpler designs in men’s retail. This adage comes in several forms.

The colour palette at work in this day and age is as wide as it has ever been, and the men’s collections for 2017 are starting to reflect that. The crucial thing is that what the new designs lack in intricacy or extravagance, they counterbalance with their polar opposite – they make up for the lack of ‘wow factor’ by heralding simplicity in their colour schemes.

Top-end designers like Tom Ford have stuck true to the notion of simple but bold designs and colours, and it is paying off for them in a big way.

Monochromatic designs have been seen in the past as a bit behind the times creatively, however there is still room in the market (and a fast-growing one at that) for those that value a clean-cut look over expressionism and colour explosions.

It’s not just the more high-end retailers that are taking this path, either. More casual retailers like Scotch and Soda have stuck true to monochromatic efforts with simple, minimalist designs and have been rewarded.

This leads to another way in which less is becoming more – the re-emergence of simple and elegant designs. Where some branches of both men’s and women’s fashion have extended towards more imaginative and unusual ideas, many have stuck fast to the basics.

The maintenance of classic traditions in clothing choice is noticeable – there is an abundance in the annual spring and summer collections of clean-cut T-shirts, polo shirts, casual collar shirts and shorts of varying textures. This speaks to the continued belief in tried and true staples of men’s fashion.

No-one is going to argue that the existence of the more edgy and inventive designers is a bad thing – the boundaries of fashion always need to be pushed, and there are always new things to try that do look good.

However, as a man, I have always tended towards simplicity in clothing and a fairly clean, classic look, which is why it is heartening to see the best in the business return to the traditional. It is important not to replace fashion staples with new trends, but to find a way for them to share the market.

Indeed, nobody celebrates this new-found return to simplicity more than Mr Simple, a high street retailer set up purely for that very purpose – to celebrate the beauty to be found in simple designs. Simplicity is the reason that these designs endure.