Power Pastels
Men, I’m looking straight at you! That’s right — the masculine form dressed oh so, head to toe in those gentle tones, whimsical shades and feminine hues. There is something very powerful about a man who confidently takes on the town in a sweet lilac or cockatoo blue (seriously, that’s a real shade). The key is it to choose colours wisely, throw some caution to the wind and when in doubt, ask a professional! Let me speak for all women when I say you don’t need another pair of khaki coloured shorts or navy, or any and every shade of beige and brown. Let’s dive into the kaleidoscope colour wheel of pastels! Ladies, can you feel that? Change is upon us.
Pastels at work
This might be a shock, but pastels are more easily incorporated into one’s wardrobe than primary colours and they stand the test of time against memorable neon or jewel tones. Soft hues match well with most neutral shades — bonus! Let your pastel piece become the accent in your outfit story. There is no need to overdo it; just add a little dimension and some mystery with your masculine “take” on a feminine shade. Gentle is the new mighty!
Ice cream coloured, everyday wear
We are taking “real men wear pink” to the next level here gents. Real men where soft, gentle hues of varying pink shades is where I want us to go — and we will go together. Pastels can easily be incorporated into everyday wear favourites: polo shirts, graphic tees, printed bunny hugs, a new pair of sneaks, or try swapping out your favourite pair of jeans for a casual pant in green lily, spa blue or periwinkle.
Floral hue formal wear
Is that a pocket square or are you just happy to see me? What woman doesn’t take a hard pause to admire her gentleman in formal attire! Not for the faint of heart, this wardrobe option is for a very confident male specimen. A three piece suit in a floral hue of soft rose, orleans violet, calla lily or quiet mint is perfect with additional pops of colour in a dress shirt, tie, bow tie and/or pocket square. Because sometimes more is just that — more! This bold look will certainly garner more than a few glances.
Pastel prints & accessories
The easiest way to introduce a new concept or design element into your wardrobe is to binge window shop or peruse options online. Dive deep into the possibilities and figure out where your comfort zone may lie. Maybe it’s a new watch band, socks, laces in your favourite pair of white sneakers, or maybe your taste for adventure allows for a higher threshold of change. We won’t push it.
Incorporate small elements into your wardrobe. Start with accessories and a few single wardrobe items. Purchase a graphic t-shirt with a mix of colours including pastel shades so it doesn’t seem too obvious if it isn’t a palette choice you are quite sure about. Try on and make sure it feels “right” to take the plunge. Most importantly, make sure it matches with other options in your closet. If you can’t mentally put together more than one outfit, you will limit the amount of times you wear that article of clothing.
Couples that match together, stay together
It’s a lot easier for us femme fatales to walk the fashion line with varying shades of pastels. So how can we encourage our male counterparts to venture down a road less travelled when it comes to wearing “feminine” colours? Match with them. For the record I’m not talking about a full on pink pastel one of a kind Adidas track suit (although I do have coupled friends who would invite this level of outrageousness into their relationship and wardrobe)… something a little less obvious for sure.
With wedding season upon us, it is the perfect opportunity to get dressed up and create some cohesion with your coordinated outfits. Picking a complimentary pastel hue for him in a tie or dress shirt that matches his suit and your dress is a beautiful celebration of summer and the occasion. Less formal affairs such as garden parties, festivals and socials are other perfect settings to colour coordinate and complement each other with similar colour palettes.
By Candace Fox