With winter fast approaching, the bright spring/summer colors are neatly stored away in the closet. On the streets, it’s rare to see the same bright colors. Instead the streets are covered with darker shades of navy, brown, black and gray. If you’re conforming to the colors of the season, you’re simply wearing “street camouflage”. The darker hues of the season while safe, prevent you from making a statement. And if you’re here reading this, then you’re most likely looking for ways to be noticed fashionably.
Breaking the habit of wearing seasonal colors is a rather difficult one. It’s a vicious cycle that rears its ugly head year after year. And if you have trouble dealing with change, taking the step towards brighter colors might be even harder. But this isn’t a call to completely remove seasonal colors from your wardrobe. Those colors should always remain as a staple in every fall/winter ensemble. What I’m suggesting is to mix some bright spring/summer like colors.
So how do you go about adding some color to your setups? Start by turning to your accessories. You can quickly add some bright colors by choosing them when picking out your hats, pocket squares, ties, and socks. So instead of matching your beanie with your shirt or jacket, try a color that adds a bit of contrast to the rest of the outfit. Always being in plain sight, a bright colored hat is more than likely to get noticed first.
With a wide range of colors, patterns and designs, choosing a bright colored tie or bow is another simple way to add a splash of color. Forget about matching it to your pocket square or jacket, and your “street camouflage” of an outfit will thank you for your boldness. Also, try patterns that you’ve never thought to include like paisley, gingham or chambray.
Much like ties, you have a large collection of patterns, colors and designs when picking a pocket square. It is also a cheap and cheerful way to add some “pazazz” to your attire. Just fold it, insert it into your front pocket and watch as eyes from passersby gravitate towards your left chest.
It seems like slacks are getting shorter every season and as they start climbing past your ankles, it leaves that area of your legs exposed to nature. So to prevent that polar vortex from finding its way up through your tapered and shortened slacks, you can easily cover it with colorful socks. Another point of emphasis when others are checking out your style starts below the ankles. So, spice it up with bright colored patterns and styles.
Be careful! As a general rule, you want to keep your outfits simple and minimalistic. So choose only one brightly colored accessory per setup. Adding too many colors with multiple different accessories will just make your ensemble busy and distracting. You want to wow others by staying clean without trying too hard.
