A gentleman’s guide to wearing color, from those who know
Not surprising, there are arguments for and against color theory. Here's what some style gurus had to say on the matter.
You probably saw the buzz generated a couple of weeks ago by a simple red sweater worn by a regular guy on TV. It happened during the second presidential debate, and apparently our lives and wardrobes are so dreary that the sight of a Regular Joe in a cable-knit quarter-zip is enough to make us giddy and for him to get offers to star in pornographic films.
As Ken Bone — aka Red Sweater Guy — was going viral, I was working on a piece on colors. I never think about color and wear whatever looks good to my eye: I’ve got lime green shirts for tennis, pink buttondowns to wear with khakis, a lavender cashmere sweater to wear with jeans, and plenty of black and gray. Should I be paying attention to which ones make me look best, or trust my gut on how they make me feel?
And what about you? Should an Asian preppy avoid yellow because of some irrefutable law that Asians should never wear yellow? And can a pasty redhead get away with wearing a black turtleneck, if he likes to imagine himself a black-ops operative or Existential philosopher?
Not surprising, there are arguments for and against color theory. Here’s what some style gurus had to say on the matter.
The right colors are important, but dress codes and traditions are more important. The color for business suits are navy and dark gray. But “navy” and “dark gray” are very unspecific descriptions. You can always find one cloth that suits your complexion and hair best. The color of the shirt is even more important, because it comes very close to your face. But again, you will always find a nuance of light blue or white that is right for you. Just look at the number of white fabrics that Charvet in Paris holds in stock in its bespoke shirt department.
Generally speaking, I find that color consulting is very overrated. A good tailor or shirtmaker will recommend the best colors for a customer without any training of this sort. Some of the advice that color consultants give has become commonplace, such as the idea that people with freckles and red hair must not wear black. This is utter bunkum. Just look at color photographs of the Duke of Windsor when he was still the Prince of Wales. His blond hair had a gingery tone and his skin looked accordingly. Would anyone say that he didn’t look great in black tie or white tie and tails?
In my last book, “Dressing The Man,” I devote a full chapter to the relationship between complexion and clothing color. If the proportion of one’s clothes determines their longevity, which it does, then the color of one’s clothes is the second bulwark supporting a person’s stylishness.
I teach that clothes should lead the viewer’s eye towards the wearer’s face, as that is where he or she communicates from. Therefore, the choice of color for the clothes surrounding the face is critical in helping lead the observer’s eye in such a direction, no less enlivening the wearer’s skin tone. So, if a man has tan hair and a light skin tone, regardless of whether he feels black will make him look like the hippest man on the planet, its contrast next to his face will not only overwhelm the face, but it will effectively drain any hint of color from the face, making him look even more pallid than before.
Every man deserves to wear those colors that both invigorate and illuminate his face, and the good news is, all he has to do is learn what they are, and most importantly, why.
I feel more strongly about this dynamic than ever, as I now have many men who have “seen the light” and converted from wearing colors like black with their low-contrast complexions. The improvement is so marked that once you see the difference, you can never go back, no matter what fashion wants to dictate.
Yes, it’s a critical component of the sartorial quotient as it extends to what shade of navy is more flattering from a black navy to warmer, lighter navy for a man desirous of buying a navy suit or blazer. Of course, if a man has a high-contrast complexion, he has much less to worry about in this arena. However, if a man has blue eyes or reddish toned skin, knowing how to take advantage of such specific colorings can make the difference between one’s face appearing in mediocrity as opposed to highly attractive.
Back in the ’80s there was this mania among “image consultants” — you know, people who think they’re creative but can’t actually find work — for what was called “seasonal” coloration. What these otherwise sane citizens tried to foist on unsuspecting folks was the idea that we all had seasonal colors. Some of us were autumn, others spring — you get the idea. It was all total nonsense, of course, and soon forgotten like hula-hoops and pet rocks.
But the idea lingers. Do we have skin tones, hair colorations, and eye hues that are best brought out or flattered by certain colors in our wardrobes? I suppose, without trying to make a science out of it, we do. I’ve noticed that men with grey hair seem to look nice in blues and grays, rather than reds or yellows. And that people with sallow skin tones are probably not helped by yellows or greens. But, lacking more real experimentation, it all seems rather subjective.
It’s a yes and no, I think. One of my favorite colors is yellow, but I’m not brave enough to wear it anymore. So yes, I’ve certainly had moments of envy towards my southern European friends who look great in a strong color just as they look great in naturals and soft grays. All grossly unfair. So I stick with softer, earthier tones and make do with a yellow watch and a couple of yellow paintings, neither things that my pallid completion can interfere with.
But I think it can take time to find what works for you and that can also evolve over time. And if you choose to wear something, however unconventional, then hopefully you feel comfortable in it and that conviction can go a long way.
It seems undeniable that certain colors go better together. And if you take your skin tone as just another color in your outfit, why shouldn’t certain colors flatter us better than others?
Think of it as a scientific experiment. If the claim is that skin tone looks different when set against certain colors, then change the color of those items in a photo and see if the wearer’s skin indeed looks different. If the claim is that our preference for an outfit changes depending on the interaction of skin and clothing color, then find similar looking models, put them in different clothes, and show the photos to a thousand people to see if their preferences change on who looks best.
At the moment, chapters on color are written like this: someone shows a photo of a man in a certain suit, set against a certain background, and then a totally different man in a different suit in a different context. Certainly, we’ll have preferences for who looks better, but the writer has changed so many variables in the photos shown that it’s hard to pinpoint the reasons for our perception.
My sense is that we perceive and interpret colors in a hundred different ways. Whether we think something flatters someone is muddled with our ideas about current fashions, skin tone, and just general preference for certain colors. Some people say tan doesn’t flatter certain complexions, but what about tan trench coats, which are iconic in that color? Do our ideas about color theory really override iconic garments? If a Barbour jacket is really most iconic in their hunter green, will someone necessarily look better if their jacket is in a different color?
I don’t believe skin tones matter. It’s all a bunch of contradictory hogwash that gets passed around by amateur stylists. I’ve never looked at a person and thought his clothing clashed with his skin or hair. Wear what you want. Let this outlook set you free.
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