Q. I have a question about coordinating ties. Following your advice, I have concentrated my business clothing purchases on a few fine suits. Mainly I combine these with white and light blue dress shirts and a number of good ties. The problem is many of my combinations are not that special. How could I add more color and still have a good look?
A. It has always been a balancing act for men to choose clothes that are appropriate and flattering. Although women with dark coloring have always been able to wear light colors, pastels and even all-white outfits, such choices in a man's suits would mark him as a dandy or an eccentric. Still, men can use color in their wardrobes to great advantage -- if the color choices are confined to their accessories.
One example is choosing ties. You may have noticed talk show host Conan O'Brien's array of handsome bronze-and-copper-colored ties that bring out the color of his red hair. Almost all of his ties include a copper shade in the print or are a mix of colors that, from a distance, give the overall effect of repeating the color of his hair. The few that do not fit this category generally include light blue to accent his blue eyes. Choosing clothes in colors that are flattering to him (including light blue or white shirts and the subtly orange-toned ties) has been a brilliant strategy. It makes a definitive statement and shows off his boyish good looks.
At the opposite extreme, but with the same positive effect, are the clothes that 87-year-old crooner Tony Bennett wears. His ties are usually silver or a light silvery-blue shade that reflect his wonderful head of silver hair. Mostly he pairs them with crisp white shirts to further emphasize the look. In a similar approach, many of actor George Clooney's sophisticated black-and-white combos echo his salt-and-pepper graying hair.
You may not be ready to limit everything you wear to a single color palette, but choosing your best feature and emphasizing it is a wise idea. How does a man discover his "best color"? It is not that difficult if you pay attention.
In our society it is not considered good form to say to our friends, "Don't I have beautiful eyes?" But we can arrange it so that others notice our best features by our wise choices. If we wear colors that match or echo our best features, we call attention to them. Another way is to wear a color that does not necessarily repeat your hair or eye color, but that is highly flattering.
How do you determine what are your best colors? Certainly there is more to it than simply matching or contrasting your hair and eyes.
Rule No. 1
Learn to trust your mirror. On some days, after getting dressed in the morning, you may look in the mirror and say to yourself, "Wow! I look pretty good today." And we all know those other days when you see your reflection and ask yourself, "Could I possibly look this bad?" It is almost always a matter of color. Certain colors and, even more, specific shades of those colors near the face do great things for you. Remember which shades made you look your best, and wear them often.
Occasionally other people will tell you.
Rule No. 2
When you receive two or more unsolicited compliments on something you are wearing, you know that what you have on is a good color for you. So, if they say, "That's a nice sweater," it could be the sweater they like, but it's a lot more likely the sweater is a color that especially flatters you. If, on the other hand, you come to the office in what you feel is a well-pulled-together combination, and people ask, "Were you up late last night?" you are probably wearing the wrong color.
According to a renowned color consultant, "Color is a form of energy."
"If the color you are wearing is correct for you, all of a sudden there is a burst of energy. Your eyes light up and look clearer. You look dynamic, with a healthy glow. ... Other people respond to you by having a longer attention span and being more receptive. ... If you wear wrong colors, you look older, tired and lose your individuality. Your skin can turn sallow, you get circles under the eyes ... giving you the look of a five o'clock shadow early in the morning."
Send men's fashion queries to Male Call,
Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net
High Profile on 06/01/2014