Men's Fashion & Style Trends – All About Pink

A Striking Shade Indeed, Inspired by European Tastes

Oct 10, 2008

Pink has exploded in the past five years or so, reclaiming its historical place high on the horse for many gentleman's garments.

Tough guys wear pink – it's not simply a snappy logo commonly found on ringers from Bluenotes or other trendy mall outlets, it's an adage that also holds true in the realm of higher fashion and businesswear. Pink can be utilized in so many ways, and ranges in intensity from soft and romantic baby pink to a more aggressive and loud neon or sateen finish.

Pink as a Base Colour

Pink is the base colour of many fine dress shirts, neckties, and pocketsquares. Pink is also one of the more common colours for a contrast-collared shirt, alongside baby or corporate blue. Pink t-shirts and polos were every popular in the 1980s as well, and have made a huge resurgence in recent years – primarily due to marketing pushes being made by many top designers and brands. Lacoste immediately springs to mind, as does Ted Baker, Etro, and Calvin Klein.

Softer pink in a dress shirt offers a very formal yet approachable look – it does not impugn one's manhood; in fact, a light and fresh pink looks very complementary on most men, especially those men with darker complexions and hair colouring.

Softer pink has also become exceedingly popular in casual fashion lines; for younger men who will be wearing jeans and more casual footwear the polo shirt has made a big comeback in many shades of pink – from strawberry tinged, to neon, to common baby pink.

A more vibrant, neon pink has been seen pushing its way onto shelves recently in some retailers such as Le Chateau Menswear and even more traditional outlets such as Moore's and Tip Top Tailors. This type of eye-catching sateen will most definitely deliver at any formal occasion – a genuine standout. Pair a very powerful shade of pink with a jet black, fitted and pinstriped suit and drop the tie for more informal occasions for a knockout look that speaks confidence in volumes!

Pink as an Accent Colour

A match made in heaven comes with joining pink with more conservative autumn colours, such as chocolate brown or a very light gold. In a necktie, a conservative and well made chocolate brown silk tie with distinctive pink stripes is a perfect match for a medium blue cotton shirt, or even a pink contrast collar if the tie is also offering alternating white stripes as is also common. Pairing a baby pink dress shirt with a mocha coloured garment will look extremely nice on most gentlemen – add a variety of the aforementioned tie and you will be on edge of great and contemporary style.

Playful and Unorthodox

Pink's strength as an accent colour lies in its ability to infuse the garment with a more playful and unorthodox edge – pink was uncommon on men up until quite recently and this element of the unexpected plays perfectly in your ultimate goal of creating a stylish, memorable image. Pink is an excellent colour for demure pinstripes in a well-tailored suit, or even simply a pair of dress pants – pink chalkstripes are even emerging in many blazers as an alternative to the more prevalent white or blue tones.

Never be afraid to explore pink – the social stigma against certain colours is long over, and not one second too soon!