If you’ve ever wondered how to pull off pastel colors for men, here’s how to do it.
I’ve lived in New York for a few years now. Sartorially, I’m a bad New Yorker — at least stereotypically. Not only do I almost never wear black, but I have a penchant for color.
Not neons or anything like that. But I prefer a light blue shirt over a white one, a salmon-hued polo over navy, and boy do I like my madras.
Maybe it’s something I inherited from my preppy New England parents (they love their tennis whites and pastel cable knits).
When it comes to clothes, pastels for men can be a slippery slope. I understand that. See, pastel colors are paler versions of other colors. Some examples include sky blue, lavender, peach, and, of course, pink, which is really just light red.
Not every guy feels comfortable sporting the same palette often assigned to his four-year-old daughter.
But if you’re willing to try, read on. Even if you’re not trying to wear these soft, cheerful tones regularly, still read on! You’d be surprised at how much dimension you can add to any personal style just by knowing how to pull pastels off.
Can Men Wear Pastels?
Yes, men can wear any color, really. But, even within the classic, standard conventions, men can wear pastels. In fact, in the warmer months, especially spring, pastels have been a traditional go-to for classic menswear for ages.
Just look at the gents at the Kentucky Derby. Still, you don’t have to be a dandy, a wealthy villain in a 1980s John Hughes, or a Miami Vice extra to wear pastels.
There are ways to incorporate pastel pieces into any guy’s outfit. As you would with any outfit, you just have to find balance with the colors, consider the occasion, and find clothes that are your style.
Here are some tips to consider, followed by actionable ways to wear these soft tones.
Tips for Wearing Pastels
Here are some pieces of advice to keep in mind to ease you into wearing pastels.
Be You and Be Comfortable
Forget any cultural associations you might have with the pastel color palette.
Just because you’re trying out lavender hues doesn’t mean you have to find a Nantucket-esque popped-collar polo. Just because you see so many pastels in Connecticut country clubs doesn’t mean your foray into the palette necessitates buying saddle shoes and an ascot.
Start with something you’d actually wear. Go for a mint green t-shirt if you’re a basics guy or a light blue chambray shirt if you like texture or workwear.
Always Consider the Season
Let’s say you’ve never worn pastels before and don’t want to look like you’re wearing something out of character. The last thing you want to do is go for a carnation pink button-down to your best friend’s winter wedding.
The warm seasons, especially spring, are when pastels look most natural. If it doesn’t look out of place in the larger context of the occasion, then it’ll look less out of place on you.
So, debut that lightly woven salmon button-down at a beach party, not at Thanksgiving dinner.
You (Might) Want To Consider Your Skin Tone
The jury is out on whether or not pastels compliment dark skin tones more or light skin tones more. Personally, I think it’s a matter of which color pastel you’re going for and even the look you’re trying to achieve.
For example, a light yellow shirt might wash out a person with a similarly warm but fair hue and blond hair. However, a powder blue would provide enough contrast without being too striking.
Meanwhile, tan skin looks natural next to warm pastels like peach or sherbet. This is just by virtue of the fact the combination has a cohesive warm-weather vibe to it.
I think you can consider skin tone, but it’s a bit advanced. As long as you’re sticking to the proper season and you don’t look too contrasty or too washed out, most things will fall into place.
Find a Good Balance
And as always, you want to find a good balance. A lot of the time, you can temper the liveliness of certain pastels with grays better than you can with blacks. Greys offer neutrality to an outfit that doesn’t create the same kind of stark contrast as black would.
Light pinks look great with khaki tones.
Moreover, you don’t want to create an entire outfit with just pastels unless you’re trying to make some kind of statement. Even then, you want to save that for the right place and season.
Ways To Wear Pastels
Here are three ways to make pastels work at different levels.
As a Pop of Color That Isn’t Too Lou
By utilizing pastels as an accent, they can serve as an understated pop of color. This is a bit of a cheat since it’s a smaller step into incorporating pastels into your outfit. However, you have to start somewhere.
A tangerine pocket square or a lavender tie would be absolutely appropriate at an Easter service or brunch. Your shirt can serve as an accent if you wear something over it. Perhaps you’re wearing a periwinkle shirt with a gray cashmere pullover and light gray pants.
Soft pastels blend in with neutrals like light grays more, while brighter ones are livelier. Still, either level of pastel would be more understated and classy than a primary or neon variant of any color.
Elegant and Neutra
Did you know that you can wear your pastels as a neutral? The easiest way, one you may already be doing, is to wear a pastel color button-up shirt.
A powder blue dress shirt is completely neutral with a suit of any color. Even a dress shirt in the lightest pink or lightest mint green would be surprisingly understated with a gray suit and tie.
If you’re bold enough to try a powder blue suit jacket, temper it with a charcoal quarter zip, light blue dress shirt, and light dove gray trousers. Again, it’s all about balance.
Another elegant way to wear pastels is by wearing light contrasts. For example, you can wear a mint green shirt with dark olive trousers. The shades are different, but they’re both in the same color family.
Similarly, you can go for a pale pastel blue shirt with pale gray or green chinos. This time, the colors are different, but they’re in the same shade family.
Unabashedly Seasonal
If you don’t fear seersucker and boat shoes, then you can go full pastel during the spring and summer. A pink polo with seersucker shorts and loafers make you look like an off-duty Ivy Leaguer.
Meanwhile, pale blue pants with a white button-down and snazzy knit tie would match the vibe of a garden party — or croquet match.
It’s not a rugged look, but pastels are a good way to go if you love color during the warm seasons.
If you’re still fairly new to it, find pastel pieces that look natural in soft tones, like summer shorts and short-sleeved shirts.
Pastel Color Clothes for Men
And speaking of pieces that look good in soft tones, here are some men’s essentials that look great in pastels.
Button-Down Shirt
Again, a light blue button-down is technically a pastel, and you may have been wearing it all along. You might also want to experiment with mint green or a light lavender.
Cotton Shorts
Shorts are only worn in the warm seasons. So, even those who’ve never worn pastels will look natural in pastel shorts. Moreover, since they aren’t close to your face and don’t take up as much real estate as pants, their tone is even more subtle and unintimidating.
Cashmere Sweater
A cashmere sweater is a bolder choice to do in pastels. However, the fact it’s a soft and elegant garment makes it conducive to soft and elegant tones.
Suit Jacket or Pants
For the very bold, you might try a pastel suit during the summer. The least jarring would be something in a dusty tone. Even more, you can always incorporate the separates into a broken suit to add expressiveness without being overly loud.
Simple Crewneck T-shirt
And, of course, anyone can wear a seafoam green or apricot-toned t-shirt all year round. Sherbets and tangerines should be saved for the summer, though.
FAQs
Still, have some questions regarding pastel styles for men? Here are two commonly asked ones
Are Pastels Still in Style?
Pastels are a warm weather classic regardless of whether they’re trending or not.
What Hues Are Considered Pastels?
Any pale tones, like pink, peach, lavender, and sky blue are considered pastels. A pastel is a tint that’s been softened with additions of white, so basically, any color that isn’t a shade of black or white has a pastel version.
Conclusion: Find a Balance
As with any color palette, you have to find a balance. That’s why pastels work so well with gray in professional situations.
To those new to the palette, I’ll just reiterate that the best time to dip into this is during the warm seasons and little by little.
Do you wear pastels in the spring and summer? If not, are you willing to try? If so, let me know all about your experiences in the comments!
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