For every action, there’s an equally opposing reaction; in plain speak, what goes up must come down. Such rules are standard to physics (and commonsense), but they also apply to fashion – especially when trends go to extremes.

Such a notion applies to menswear over the past few years. Think about the abundance of paisley shirts, prints, and skinny jeans. Spring 2012 collections are the apex of flashiness, with solid bold shades, pervasive athletic themes, plaid, and blazer with shorts pairings, but a handful of trends counteracting the cropped, close-fitting, and bright ingratiated themselves on the runway at the fall Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Ingratiate, in this instance, means being seen amidst the other trends; there’s no harmony or symbiosis. Rather, they – let’s call it menswear rebellion – could be a full-on assault of men’s fashion as we’ve known it over the past three or four years.

Think a 1990s grunge-type reaction without the flannel and ripped jeans, or adopting army surplus without the badges. On one hand, the garments have possibilities – an almost-paradoxical notion, considering the look goes against everything else in style currently for men. Yet, the flowing and open quality is antithetical to theoretically dressing well; the spacious coats, shirts, and pants disguise a man’s figure while communicating a casual character.

“Casual,” however, can go too far, giving the wearer an “I don’t care” rather than “relaxed” aura. With this latest trend, a man can convey that he’s counterculture, relaxed, or apathetic.

Fashion is always open to choice and interpretation, but in the case of menswear rebellion, cuts, texture, and color are all greatly significant: they set the casual-and-satisfied apart from the disgruntled dudes. What are your options?

Men standoffish from fashion should stay away from this look; rather, the loose garments in gray or olive green are for the guy who, always on top of the latest cuts and colors, has gradually become dissatisfied with overly-vivid shades and fitted pieces; he wants room to move in his pants and shirts – to feel clothing brushing against his skin rather than clinging to it. Yet, to truly pull off this narrowly-rebellious look, a man needs to be fully conscious of his style; throw on the wrong piece, and a man gives an unintentional statement. One, in fact, that may go against his own self-perception.

First, consider the role of texture in your look. Both wrinkled – like week-old dirty laundry – and pressed were seen in various spring 2012 collections. Pressed, regardless of color or fit, is always versatile and is naturally perceived as presentable; with a loose fit, such garments project an open appearance. Wrinkled, on the other hand, nearly universally communicates a single stance: I just rolled out of bed and threw these on.

Then, think about color. Olive green is very ‘90s and is appropriate for either a jacket or pants (think the wide-leg styles of skaters from a decade or more ago). While the color nears counterculture cliché, it’s distinct without being bold – a way for a man to stand out without resorting to highlighter yellow or aquamarine.

Shades of gray are another option and always pair well with olive. Gray jeans, for instance, have grown in street wear popularity over the past two years, but the color itself is a moderately-drab yet neutral foundation for more eye-grabbing colors.

Essentially, this menswear rebellion look functions in a fashion vacuum – not blending in with or having any effect on any other current trends. Even though, say, a blazer balances out the spacious quality of this look, patterns and bright shades become jarring visuals and are better left in another pile. For pulling off