A casual stroll through the March and April pages of Details or Vanity Fair leads to far more clothing ad space than a reader generally prefers. For the purposes of predicting men’s fashion trends, however, it’s also an invariably confusing odyssey. Every other ad is the style equivalent of Blu Ray vs. HD DVD. Fortunately, there will be no format winner; by the time a style preference has won out in numbers of sheer sales, summer will be upon us and the whole game resets. Twas ever thus.

One designer feels men want sharply tailored Savile Row stiffness and conservative tones punctuated with splashes of bright, bold colors; the next guy appreciates that men have been too bundled up for too long over the winter and now need to get loose and hang out; he’s all about subtle, faded colors, unconstructed jackets, and worry-free fabrics that look better when they’re a little lived-in.

As with any season but especially so in spring, the only rule to follow is not to mix and match styles of opposition. For instance, do not match natural and synthetic materials of clashing colors or prints. Other than that, it’s anyone’s game, wear what you want. Buy nothing, raid your own closet and trust that whatever you’ve got is good enough already.

However, if you’re looking to go au so currant, a short list of things the masters of the universe seem to be pushing follows the jump.

• Belts are getting thinner again; the idea is that you’ve been pulling back for a couple of months since the feasts of the holidays and the belt is less for holding up heavier pants and more for adding style and completing your look, as well as matching your shoes.

• Skinny ties are still back, too. All that retro late ’70’s/early ’80s thing is still available to you even though the Strokes, Interpol, and Pete Doherty have been doing it for the past five years and are probably gearing up for a new look. Work it while you can, this is looking like one season at best before it looks horribly dated.

• Boots are still great, but they’re only worn for walks through the woods or actual outdoors work; otherwise, it’s loafers, and cool kicks you wouldn’t wear during the winter out of concern for salt damage. However, if you’ve got a sleek pair of pointy dress boots and a killer suit to pair them with for a night out, I still think they look great.

• V neck sweaters are still good this season, but they’re lighter not only in weight but in tone. As with your shirts, opt for colors that appear in nature, like those first leaves on the branch, warm browns of new bark, warm but soft hues of berries and such. Hold back on the really bold colors until June.

• Spring belongs to the Preppy, with those classic pastels and casual comfort that never gets too loose. That look is all about blending new acquisitions with well-worn basics. A fresh print shirt under an old lived-in sweater, or your grandfather’s old boy tweed jacket over a new sweater vest with modern flair.

• Even if you’ll never leave dry land, nothing says winter’s over and the ice has melted like the nautical look. Navy blue is the key, especially in a stripe.

• Cargo pants and shorts seem to have disappeared entirely; we’re all sick of the war and the paramilitary thing is just played out. Instead, go for the peacetime thing, with pants not designed to carry anything other than your wallet and keys.

• Joel’s spot-on about the hoodies. They’re everywhere. Hoodie sweatshirts that zip or pull over, under a jacket and/or over a tee shirt are going to be your mainstay until summer, and probably straight on through until this coming winter, actually.

• Don’t wait until Easter to wear white; if it’s warm enough, speed the plow and screw Miss Manners. White suits are even happening this spring for skinny folks; if you can pull that off, god bless you. Me, I’m planning to eat.

• Tuck in that shirt if you’re wearing a jacket. Nothing says that the last few years are dead like killing off their signature styles, and it’s time that men put their shirt tails back in their pants. If it’s untucked, you might as well unbutton it. Anything less means you’re a step or two in the past, or you’re a slob who just doesn’t care. Of course, not giving a shit is always in fashion in my book.

• Earthtones, earthtones, earthtones; the hippies have infiltrated again. Organic fibers and natural dyes are spilling out of retail shelves. Colors with names like moss, stone, clover, slate, and bamboo are going to be ubiquitous.

• I hate to say it, my wife will kill me, but the skulls and pirates motif is just plain over. Animal prints likewise.