Spring Style Manifesto: Seasonal Color for Spring 2011
Men’s fashion during winter is almost always a sea of black wool and gray tweeds. The styles of spring, in contrast, place a lot of value in colors. Kaleidoscopic floral prints and eye-popping geometrics usually make their appearance during spring runway shows. This season, there’ll be a whole new you courtesy of a whole new slew of hues.
Un-White Pocket Squares
White pocket squares have a very similar raison d’etre as black neckties: there are other colors out there, it’s just that everyone’s gotten so used to this one. The truly sartorial man would have dabbled in different styles before. If you haven’t had the stomach to experiment yet, now’s the time to add some pluck to your pocket.
A pocket square need never be white; heck, nowadays it doesn’t even have to be square. To fully get yourself into a mood of spring style, get yourself a square or three with a bold, colorful pattern. Don’t be too choosy; pocket squares are simply for contrast against blue and black suits anyway, so it’s going to be hard to go wrong with this investment. The livelier and bolder the style of square, the stronger the spring vibe of your outfit.
Un-Blue Denims
Blue jeans are one of the oldest traditions in men’s fashion; the term denim comes from the French word for blue. That doesn’t, however, mean that blue is the only color jeans you’ll ever wear. Enter gray jeans, one of the up-and-coming trends of this season.
Gray has long been a style middle ground. It’s dark enough to be formal (remember that rule of thumb in fashion: darker is dressier), but not dark enough to be somber like black. It’s for similar reasons that gray denim will be a hot commodity this summer. It’s a little more restrained and refined than old blue thanks to its coloration. Since it’s distinctly lighter than black, though, it never reaches the point of being too formal to be jeans.
This season, replace any outfit featuring blue jeans with a pair in gray. It’s that simple.
Un-Khaki Chinos
Due to a vast number of influences – the military and prep schools among them – chinos have an automatic association with the color khaki. While khaki chinos are as classic in a man’s wardrobe as the striped necktie, the time is ripe to buy into the colored chino trend.
It’s been a work in progress for the last couple of years. Several menswear brands (with the likes of Dockers at the forefront) began playing with different colors for chino pants. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see pairs in olive green, pastel red and corn yellow. It might not inspire instant desire, but this playful twist on a classic is too good to pass up.
The summer-vibe component of the style comes from its happy and bright color. What really makes colored chinos work, though, is the streamlined silhouette and classic fit. As long as the pair you’re buying has both, you can wear it just like any regular chino. Wear it casually with a solid white or contrast color polo shirt. If you have more moxie than most, wear it to work with a deep color and a bright, eye-catching necktie for balance.
Other Suggested Articles:
John Varvatos Summer Fashion 2011
Men’s Smart Casual Attire
Your TieKing.com – The Place for Mens Designer Ties