Androgyny is nothing new in fashion but that doesn't mean each season doesn't bring about new manifestations of this permanent trend. After fashion beat us over the head with the concept of women wearing jazz shoes or men wearing skinny jeans (again), we're sure by now that even the most conservative among us can get down with the boy/girl paradox. Of the menswear we saw on the Fall 08 catwalks, our favorites were the cropped trouser suits by Dolce and Gabbana, the sharp shoulders by Jens Laugesen, and the rough rocker vests and trousers from Alexander Wang. The long blazer, the drop-crotch trouser, and the oxford shoe are all big pieces we'll see this fall, and between the shows and individual items, we think androgyny is a trend that won't be hard to spot.

For our photo shoot we layered structured pieces as if they were three piece suits--a little forearm was all that was left uncovered, showing that the key to pulling off an androgynous look is too keep it covered. We ended up being big fans of the oxford heel from Opening Ceremony when our brilliant stylist, Liz Baca, paired them with her own plaid socks. The vintage version of this look was also rather inspired, especially when that Versace jacket was given the heave-ho in the sleeve department.

Below, check out a spread of our current favorite menswear staples and, below that, a trend gallery with androgynous looks from the fall shows.

Givenchy decided to up the anti with their version of the pink suit for Spring 09. Both Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein tried their hands at the suiting game and, we think, lost. Sure the Calvin Klein version is a nearly-blinding orange-pink (Is that what color it is? We've been staring at it too long and we're starting to see white spots.) and the Louis Vuitton version, a mellowed but decisive attempt, but Givenchy, well, it doesn't get much more pink than that. There's something irresistible about this look. Perhaps it's the creamy skin and blank stare of the model who wore the suit, perhaps it's just that the color is just so damn vibrant that we're stunned into submission. Either way, you could say we're being beat over the head with two major Spring 09 trends. Namely, monochome outfits, and, well, pink. This decisiveness in menswear has us really excited...to see the womenswear shows. Below, men in pink. Get ready for it.

The Spring 09 menswear shows are really stirring up some trouble. Queue the Yohji Yamamoto castings. Adding to the list of unlikely candidates to walk the catwalk, were this guy and this guy . Do we endorse this? Yes, we do. Do we think it will make a major difference in how the Spring womenswear shows are cast? No, we don't. Today, Fashionista's talking about the diversity we're seeing in the men's shows and we'd like to extend the sentiment and point out that every superficial aspect of masculinity is being challenged on the catwalks. Namely, weight, age, ethnicity, build, and facial hair preferences! It may not drastically effect the women's castings but we're guessing it will help things a little bit. After all, and like we've said before, we're talking about the same designers, are we not? We've put together a little gallery to demonstrate the point. Let the shows go on.

This season, the choices for blazers are plentiful. The best part? You can wear them straight through the fall season. Blazers are undeniably making a comeback and it's not just the long lean sort either. Whether it's a marching band-style coat or a sleek smoking jacket, the silhouettes options are dynamic. Perhaps because we've been immersed in menswear lately, we've been getting pretty excited about this diversity. For the long and lean sort, Stella McCartney's single button coat is certainly versatile enough for all of your Fall needs (and, it comes in a few different colors). Georgio Armani's herringbone jacket has us thinking of cropped equestrian-like outfits and the length, thankfully, perfect paired with high waist shorts. Also, covetable are the slouchy versions. Alexander Wang's boyfriend blazer would leave room for t-shirts and loose tops and would sling inside your purse for those mid-season changes in weather. The conclusion, we've some great options.

Even though it feels like women's collections are frequently being slated as menswear inspired, sometimes it's the other way around. This men's collections for Spring 09, so far, have shown quite a lot of pink. From Calvin Klein to Louis Vuitton to Moschino, it seems the boys just aren't afraid of the color most commonly associated with, well, princesses.

In the Moschino show, the models were proper gentlemen in red checked suiting sometimes accented with a pink prints or blocks of color. As for Calvin Klein, the statement was more sharp, when pink came down the runway in neon suiting. Among a signature black and white palate, one pink suit (there were other neons as well) made a statement about the possibility that a slick, serious Klein customer doesn't worry too much about the gender of color. Louis Vuitton effortlessly included pink as well, in the show it was used confidently from head to toe on more than just one look. So it seems a strong trend for menswear in Spring 09 and one that just maybe isn't that big of a deal. Typically, when we talk about androgyny, we're talking about women dressing like men, and in this case, it's just the other way around. No big thing.