The idea that pink is a girl’s colour is a fallacy. In fact, in the early 1900s blue was considered delicate and girly; pink, bold and strong, for boys. Thankfully, today men can once again rock this floral hue without derision. Getting a negative comment for, say, a pink polo shirt is about as likely as being eaten by a shark while swimming off Skegness.
That doesn’t mean though that it’s easy to style. If, like most of men, you spend your days in the relatively serious tones of navy and black, breaking out into brighter colours can present a real challenge.
Pair with deep, earthy colours
What you need is one very simple styling trick. Take the outfit above, here we’ve toned down the pink a notch by dressing it with deep, earthy colours. The forest green is especially good at balancing pinky pastel hues, and if a jacket is too heavy for the weather, you could always wear a khaki chino for the same effect.
Style tip: Add a pop of colour with your socks or belt for a suitably summery look. Don’t go overboard though, when it comes to the accessories, pick one colour and stick to it.
Lift it up with neutral tones
Now that you’ve mastered toning down, it’s time to try the complete reverse and make pink the focus of your outfit. We’ve done this here with white shorts and trainers, but it’ll work just as well in any neutral tone, such as cream or light grey.
What’s important is that none of the other colours fight the bold pink – it’s a strong enough choice on its own without adding anything to the mix that’ll make people feel queasy. Accessories should be kept subtle as well, think black or brown depending on your choice of footwear.
Style tip: While a white trainer will go with just about anything, it can be a tad too informal for summer drink with the in-laws or a work picnic. Why not swap for a deck shoe for that smart St-Tropez feel? A brown or a navy will work a treat.
Go all out (sort of)
Congratulations, you’ve made it past the first two levels of styling pink. You’re nearly a black belt in summer colours. All there is to do now is pass the final challenge: The Full Monty.
Yes, an all-pink outfit is an option. Not only that, it’s damn stylish and makes for a perfect holiday look. Here we’ve balanced earthy green with a clean white to create a beach look that even Baywatch’s Mitch Buchannon would be jealous of. On top of that, we’ve added some stylish espadrilles (Leonardo Dicaprio’s favourites nonetheless). Now for the cherry on the cake: a dirty Martini or five as the sun sets.
Style tip: Keep an eye on your skin tone. If you’re light-skinned with a particularly fleshy complexion, the worst thing you can do is to match the pink of your shorts to that of your legs. It’ll look like you’re ‘Porky Pigging’ (dressed on the top half, naked on the bottom) and could well lead to troubled glances or at worst, your arrest. Not a good look.
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