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For guys this fall, fashion is about to become the new competitive sport. Whether they're dressing for the bar or the boardroom, they're negotiating an increasingly sophisticated set of rules. And with the influence of a younger, closer-fitting silhouette, the whole look of men's wear is undergoing a shapeshift.

“Now, there's a slim look that transcends age,” says Jeff Farbstein, executive vice-president and general merchandise manager at Harry Rosen. “Garments are cut closer to the body, a little shorter. It's very wearable.”

Shawn Hewson, Project Runway Canada judge and designer of Toronto label Bustle, notes a trend that has been big in women's fashion for several years – mixing things up in a creative way. But it's not just about combining inexpensive and high-end labels. It means taking a traditionally formal element and introducing it to casual attire.

“Unless you were going to a formal event, it would be wrong to wear a bow tie with a wing tip shirt. I think that's gone now,” Hewson says. “It's more about bringing that, which represents a high in terms of the level of formality with a low, like a relaxed or wrinkled cotton shirt.”

Even the cardigan, long beloved staple of granddads everywhere, was gussied up and narrowed at Burberry Prorsum, worn with dress shirts and bow ties. Ditto the tailored vest, shown underneath a suit at Ralph Lauren, and as a stand-alone piece at John Varvatos.

That doesn't mean classic is dead. Lanita Layton, vice-president of menswear for Holt Renfrew, is seeing three-piece suits, classic tartans and velvet jackets in jewel tones. Edging away from traditional black, designers like Etro and Zegna are offering formal jackets in navy and deep purple.

“It's that whole pulled-together look and the confidence that comes from it,” Layton says. “Things are a little shaky out there. People are buying fewer pieces, but they're buying better.”

Black is reinventing itself, too. “Black is a woman's best friend,” Farbstein notes. “She can go anywhere in a black dress, adding new accessories with it. With a man, the black suit needs texture, and a new idea of black.”

Dior Homme, for example, played with different sheens and textures, pairing a black satin shirt with a black wool jacket. The same principle is being applied to that other hot non-colour this season: slate grey.

Tartan is also getting quirky. Paul Smith's three-piece suits were a twisted mix of plaids: the English country gentleman gone topsy-turvy. According to Layton, it's about mixing various patterns together. “If it's a larger plaid on one piece, then you go with a smaller plaid or pattern on another.”

Designers are continuing to play with blue-collar staples such as denim and coveralls – but with a haute twist. The look is polished, with stiff denim and button-ups in crisp plaid.

The casual cord pant is getting a makeover, too. With André Benjamin as muse, the pant was shown in bright shades and worn with a button-up shirt, tie and tailored jacket, like the looks at Michael Bastian.

In keeping with the Olympic spirit, athletic details like the nylon cargo pant at Y-3 are strong. But here they are paired with black boots in lieu of sneakers, and a tailored jacket over a cashmere hoodie.

While the message for fall is strong on polish, it's a less fussy look than the old corporate code. Farbstein sees a casualness to it that is still dressed up.

“Watch for the young customer, and how he wants to dress,” he adds. “We seem to have versatility right now. The workplace is far more accepting of that style of dressing.

“The trend is being passed up.”