Mens colored pants. You've got this.
Here's how fashion sometimes works: The industry comes up with something cool for women {cardigans, skinny jeans} & once we Betty embrace it as awesome, they decide to make it for you Dappers too. Colored pants are the most recent example & while they intimidate a lot of my guy clients, here's some visual proof that you really can pull them off.
Option #1 is to pair them with rugged, chunky things to keep it masculine {heavy boots, knit caps, thick layers}:
Option #2 is to tone it down by wearing just a really simple shirt {no ties, bow ties, very pared down}:
Option #3 is to embrace it & go fully preppy {patterned button down, polo shirt, cardigan, bow tie, blazer, pocket square, sailing belt}:
This last option isn't "advanced" as in hard to pull off, but it's fashion foward, which might not be you. If you're a bit weary to try colored pants, start with #1 & #2 to ease into it in a more fail-safe manner. Or refer to this post on color & pattern in shirts to embrace #3.
{Photos via Urbano Outfitters, PreppyGirlyGirl, Preppy World, Unabashedly Prep, Prepaganda, Tetino Tete}
Hilary Rushford
Reader Comments (7)
I have some pink RL pants that I just got out of the closet. This post has inspired me to wear them to work this week!
Love that! Confident Nick that you of all dapper dudes can pull of pink pants. :)
Just bought bright blue and mustard yellow. This is way out there for me, but I'm diggin them!
Smart move Jeff. :) Life's all about taking risks, eh?!
I did wear sage green pants today to work (like in options 2 & 3), a navy gingham shirt, Navy blazer, and a navy tie, and cordovan loafers. I was a little intimidated but I think it worked out. I am sure most people here in the DC area only see nominal changes in wardrobe with seersucker. I am sure that I turned a few heads and others were probably wondering "who is THAT guy!" Overall I think that the outfit worked. I may need to go this route more with casual occasions outside the office. Thanks for the post.
B-dub, what you described sounds like a perfect outfit! A little outside the box with the colored pants, but otherwise really neutral -- navy with the green is a perfect choice. I had a client this weekend who kept saying, "Okay I know this is a little bold ..." & every time I said, "... honestly it's really really not". Unless you're a Steven Tyler personality by nature, most of what feels big to us is actually really normative or small when seen by someone else. I know DC style is a little traditional, but I have a few dapper gents down there & feel like it will never change unless you guys step outside the box like this!
Au contraire! "Go to hell" pants have been around for a long long time! http://www.ivy-style.com/damned-dapper-chens-on-go-to-hell-for-the-rake.html Staple of the East Coast establishment for nearly a century. :)