Tone-match

 

This is level one in colouring up your life. Let’s say you have lived a life in grey suits, then adding a dash of colour may not come naturally to you. Heck, it may never come at all. For such cases I suggest starting soft; add a colour that isn’t too far in tonality from your ensemble. Tone is a measure of brightness so by keeping a uniform tone you can incorporate colours without making them look too outlandish.

 

Peek-a-boo

 

With colours remember less is more. You don’t want to be the guy with the bright neon shirt that makes you look like a blue-collared Gulf-returnee. If you must go bright choose the places you wish it to be, seen yet inconspicuously so. Socks are a good start. A notch higher are pocket kerchiefs, scarves, and ties. Cuff links are too subtle to really matter but belts can be colour coordinated to match shoes but in a slightly more pronounced shade. Shoes are getting coloured and I don’t mean just the tops: look out for classic wing tips with brightly-coloured rubber bottoms and laces to match – can add a nice touch. Apart from these jacket linings, French-cuff insides, a button-stitch here, an elbow-patch there, they are all measured ways to show your colourful side without compromising propriety.

 

Contrast or Coordinate

 

So if you have a parrot-green kerchief, is it fine to wear an orange belt? In one word, yes. As long as you adhere to rules one and two above, you will find that there are pretty much no limits to the options available. It isn’t necessary to repeat a colour or a motif but it can show detailing if done right. The logo of a brand repeating through your attire, no matter how exclusive it may be, is not a measure of refinement. Well, actually it is, but just not in a positive way.

 

Fade to Black

 

Remember it is good to have a dark canvass to paint it with your choice of hues. The best kind of contrasts show when the suits and shirts are mostly plain with textured patterns at most. If your basic get-up is busy with stripes or checks  then trying to further enhance the show with bright colours is not advisable. You want to grab eyeballs, not entirely dislodge them from their sockets!

 

Non-conformism and Comfort

 

The first and last rule of embracing any fashion trend, like in this case say of using myriad swatch of colours in one ensemble, is to make sure that you make sure you are first and foremost pleasing to the eyes that judge you most: yours. If for some reason you don’t feel entirely at ease drawing attention to yourself and your palette of colours then by all means step back and into something more you. Don’t change so much overnight that you don’t recognise yourself.