A Man's Guide - Color & Clothing

A MANS GUIDE - COLOR & CLOTHING
Written By Antonio Centeno

Special Assistance Provided By Cori Burchell
Edition 2 August 2012
Mans Guide To Color 2nd Ed August 2012 Copyright Real Men Real Style
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STEP 1 - CARING ABOUT COLOR

Reason #1: Understanding Color Means No More Obvious Mistakes
Reason #2: Color Lets You Guide People's Eyes
Reason #3: Colors are a Jedi Mind-Control Trick
Reason #4: Understanding Your Colors Makes Shopping Easier
STEP 2 - UNDERSTANDING YOUR COLORS
Effects of Complexion and Contrast
Effect of Skin Color
Effect of Eye Color
Effect of Hair Color
Putting it All Together
STEP 3: INTRODUCTION TO THE TRADITIONAL MEN'S COLORS
STEP 4: UNDERSTANDING COLOR RELATIONSHIPS
High-Contrast Combinations: Complementary Colors
Low-Contrast Combinations: Analogous Colors
Working in Black, White, and Gray
Working in Shades, Tints, and Tones
STEP 5: UNDERSTANDING PATTERNS AND TEXTURES
Understanding Patterns
Understanding Textures
STEP 6: PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
6 Color Tips
STEP 7: EXAMPLES FROM FILM
Colin Farrell
Richard Gere
Ryan Gosling
Step8: ENERGY, PERSONALITY, AND HIDDEN MEANINGS
Color and Energy Levels
Color and Messaging
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STEP 1 - CARING ABOUT COLOR

The fact that you're reading this article means you're already making progress
on Step 1. Because the first -- arguably the most important -- step in any
wardrobe improvement is caring about it.
Anything you put your attention into will grow and improve. You probably
know that from other areas of your life. Learning about color and improving
your wardrobe will translate into success in other areas of your life too.
Color and color coordination is one that's tough for a lot of guys to get into. The
existing literature is usually written for women's fashion specifically, with a few
paragraphs thrown in on some male or gender-neutral styles.
These don't usually take most of the colors in the traditional male wardrobe into
account, and when they start talking about "seasonal palettes" guys really start
to lose interest. No shame there.
But the lack of real discussion means that you have to motivate yourself to learn
about color and its role in men's fashion. We've got all the information you'll
need here in this article -- it's just a matter of wanting it.
So before we go any further, here are a few simple reasons to start thinking
harder about color than you have been:
Reason #1: Understanding Color Means No More Obvious Mistakes
Let's be honest -- it doesn't take an art critic to know when someone's outfit just isn't working. You might not be able to put your finger on
why someone seems a little hard on the eyes, but you can tell. Most humans have a good natural instinct when it comes to color. We know
when something is off even though we might not know why.
A lot of what we think of as "looking sharp" is just avoiding basic mistakes and not following every new fashion trend. Clashing colors aren't
always obvious or garish -- it's possible to wear something that doesn't work in a very subtle way. People will still notice, subconsciously,
and be a little put-off by it.
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A good grasp of color basics lets you avoid those obvious mistakes. A
lot of things become obvious in hindsight, real "why did I ever do
that?" moments. And you won't do them again. So that's a good start.
Reason #2: Color Lets You Guide People's Eyes
We all have features we'd like to emphasize and features that we'd
just as soon people didn't notice. Part of dressing sharp is figuring out
how to emphasize the good and downplay the not-so-good.
Color plays a huge role in determining where your eye goes. We're
genetically conditioned to prioritize some colors over others. That's
why emergency signals and advertisements favor bright colors that
don't appear in nature very often -- it's a message to our backbrains
saying "hey, look over there."
Obviously, that doesn't mean wearing a pair of neon green eyeglasses
because you think you have good eyes. But by learning the subtleties
of lights and darks and the way colors interact with one another you
can perform all kinds of optical illusions.
Add a few inches of height, lose some pounds, have a more athletic
build -- they're all things you can do with the right clothing. Or at least
they're things you can convince people you've done, even if the body
underneath stays unchanged...
Reason #3: Colors are a Jedi Mind-Control Trick
Okay, not really. But there are psychological elements to choosing
your color, and they do have real, provable effects.
We "like" certain colors more than others. We also react differently to
some than others. Reds enliven us; browns reassure us. It sounds
complex (and the science of it is), but you don't have to understand
which neural pathways are firing to take advantage of people's
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natural reactions to certain colors.

A deep understanding of color therefore has you ready to not only look sharp, but to be controlling the mind of every person looking at you.
And that's pretty cool.
Reason #4: Understanding Your Colors Makes Shopping Easier
When you understand what colors suit you, youll find that shopping gets much easier. Instead of being overwhelmed with a ton of clothes,
youll be able to zero in on what is going to look good on you and ignore the rest. And that saves time and money, which we all want to do.
So we hope you care about color now, even more than you did when you picked this up and started reading. But what do you need to know
to take advantage of all that color can do for you?
Read on. We've made it simple, digestible, and targeted directly at men and menswear specifically. And we promise we don't ever talk
about "seasons" or "being an autumn."
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STEP 2 - UNDERSTANDING COLOR AS IT AFFECTS YOU

"Your" colors meaning your inherent natural coloring -- the
colors in your face, your skin, your hair; your eyes. All put
together we get what's broadly called your complexion.
There are about a thousand different ways to describe
someone's complexion. Most of them are totally subjective.
Are you "ruddy-faced?" I don't know. Probably neither do
you. It's okay -- it doesn't matter. There's only a few things
you need to understand about your complexion:
Effects of Complexion and Contrast
The biggest overall impression your complexion makes has
nothing to do with the specific colors in it. Instead, it's based
in contrast.
Contrast is the amount of difference between one color and
the next. A very fair-skinned man with light blonde hair
doesn't have a lot of contrast between his hair and his face.
Someone with the same pale skin but bright red hair has
more contrast, while someone with the light blonde hair but
very dark brown skin would have even more.
Your first step toward understanding color is knowing how
much contrast you bring to the table naturally:
High-contrast men are those with extreme changes in color.
An older black man with dark skin but whitened hair is high
contrast; so is a gentleman with pale, untanned skin but
naturally (or dyed) black hair. Smaller details can also add
contrast, such as a dark-skinned man with very light blue
eyes.
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Low-contrast men have little change in the deepness of their hues.

Light blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin are low-contrast. So is
dark skin with black hair and brown eyes.
Medium-contrast falls between the two. Swarthy skin with dark
hair but green or blue eyes (a common Mediterranean complexion)
is medium-contrast, as is the classic British redhead with pale skin
that flushes easily, light eyes, and bright orange hair.
This overall complexion will end up being a yardstick for the
amount of contrast in your own outfits. High-contrast men need a
bit of contrast in their clothes as well, while very low-contrast men
can be overpowered by too much clashing of color.
Obviously, this isn't a precise scale. A lot of men may find
themselves somewhere in between one end of the extremes and the
other. But it's the useful starting point for everything else, and it
helps eliminate certain looks, so know your complexion!
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Need Help Discovering Your Contrast?

Take a photograph of your face and then photocopy in black and white (or take a black and white photograph and print it out).
Look at the gray scale above and then look at your skin, eye and hair color and match each to a value on the gray scale. If you feel that your
skin color is a 2 (far left) and your eye color is a 9 (far right) then you would have high contrast between your skin and your eyes.
If your hair was a 3 or 4 then you would have a very low contrast overall and youd know that it would be best to wear combinations of
clothing that also have low contrast.
Effect of Skin Color
Complexion, which we just talked about, is your overall "color scheme" if you want to think of it that way -- it's the way all the different
colors (hair, skin, eyes, etc.) interact.
Each piece also plays its own role. Your skin color shows not just in your face but also your neck and hands, and potentially feet and ankles
as well in the summer. It's the most "framing" color in your complexion -- the one that the most pieces of clothing are going to border.
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Be thinking about your skin color when you think about

contrast. If you're a dark-skinned man who's looking for more
contrast, a light-colored shirt provides that just by virtue of its
contrast with your skin.
Skin color is also going to have an effect on which colors look
more natural on you. Try to have a good sense of where you
fall on the spectrum:
Dark-skinned men can include many African-Americans, but
also men from the Asian/Indian continent, dark-skinned
Mediterranean men, some Hispanics, and even the occasional
deeply-tanned Caucasian. Dark skin contrasts with white or
light-colored clothing, blends more naturally with deep hues
like royal purple or hunter green, and can sometimes
overpower pastels altogether.
Light-skinned men run the gamut from your run-of-the-mill
Caucasian skin to lighter Asian and Hispanic men. Light skin
contrasts with dark colors, matches pastels and other light
colors, and tends to look completely washed-out against too
much black.
Medium-skinned men have some color but no real deep
darkness. It can be hard to find clothing that contrasts. A
medium-skinned man who needs some strong contrast is
likely going to end up looking at black and white, the most
extreme options, or else at very deep or very light colors.
A lot of guys already have a natural understanding of this
without realizing it. There's a reason you'll see a lot more
black men than white wearing deep purple suits or vivid
orange shirts. So have it in mind as a conscious awareness as
you're thinking about your physical coloring.
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Skin Tone
Skin tones are categorized as warm or cool, which is determined by
the undertone.
Look at the picture to the right Jay Z is cool toned go back a page
and look at Kayne West he has a much warmer tone.
You might have a blue undertone to your skin, which would make you
cool. Or, you could have a yellow or red undertone to your skin,
which would appear more warm.
Look at your wrists and palms (or the back of your ear in a mirror).
Your undertone will either be red based (pink or rose), orange based
(peach), or violet/blue (light violet or mauve).
If your palm and ear skin tone is dark or youre having trouble seeing
the colors in your palm, look at your gums to determine the
undertone. You will see either red based (pink, rose or burgundy),
orange based (peach or coral), or violet (mauve or plum).
This is a bit of a difficult concept to see at first and you may need a
friend to help you (the attractive woman at the department store
makeup counter is an excellent resource here ) as its a key concept
to understand your coloring. It helps explain why one shade of blue or
green or whatever color will look good on a person and another shade
of the same color wont look nearly as good.
An interesting note about jewelry cool colored men look best in
silver and warm toned men look best in gold. If you own jewelry
look at what pieces you were drawn too naturally often times this
can be used to help determine your tone as you grew up with an
affinity for it. This doesnt apply to jewelry received as a gift or a
wedding band chosen by our wife although I insisted on silver never
knowing it was perfect for my cooler tone!
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Effect of Eye Color

Eye color makes more of a difference than most people think.
When you're dressed plainly it stands out distinctly. When there's
more color and contrast in your outfit it's another element that
plays into that -- and can ruin the whole effect if the colors are
wrong.
Blue eyes are the brightest natural eye color. They'll stand out in
any dark outfit. Sometimes that works (its part of why Daniel
Craig is so striking in the James Bond tuxedo -- but keep in mind
that's all black and white, with no colors to clash). Other times
you need to be careful. Blue eyes are an awkward fit with colors
that are close but not quite a match or a direct contrast, like
greens and purples.
Green eyes are similar to blue but a bit darker, meaning they
offer less contrast with dark colors. They're a bit odd next to blue
clothing, making the typical blue oxford dress shirt and similar
colors a less-than-ideal choice. Green-eyed men may need to go a
little further afield or work with red-tones like pink and oxblood.
Brown eyes are the darkest and don't usually stand out unless
you're dressing very lightly. Brown looks good with most colors
but odd with plain black or white, so if you're wearing a black
jacket be sure to have a bit of color in your shirt and tie.
Other, rarer eye colors (hazel, gray, etc.) fall somewhere in
between the more common ones. Decide which you're closest to
and see how those rules work out for you -- it may take some trial
and error in front of a mirror.
Colored contacts with non-natural eye colors will, obviously, be
extremely attention-grabbing and offer unique matching issues.
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It's probably best not to play around with those until you've got the basics under your belt!
The color of our eyes is not always as simple as blue green or brown. If you look really closely at your eyes (a magnifying glass can help),
you will probably see a variety of colors. For example, if you have blue eyes, you might have flecks of yellow, green, or white in addition to
the blue. You could have flecks of grey or a surrounding halo of white or grey. And the color of the blue can be very different from person
to person -- some peoples eyes are
an intense sharp blue, others have a
softer watery blue.
Knowing all these details about your
eye gives you clues as to what your
color temperature is (warm or cool)
and the other complimentary colors
that will be flattering to you. These
are accent colors that you will want
to introduce into your wardrobe.
Effect of Hair Color
Hair color is endlessly variable with
dyes. Rather than try to take each
color individually just have a good
awareness of your hair's two basic
characteristics: is it light or dark,
and is it solid or varied.
Light and dark should be obvious.
Some hair falls in an odd middle
ground -- a natural redhead or a
light brunette ("muddy blonde")
may not be quite light or dark. In
these cases, your clothing tends to
bring out whichever end of the
spectrum it's from: dark clothes will
make your hair seem darker, and
light clothes the opposite.
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Solid hair is easier to match and offers no natural contrast. Varied hair (either because of natural graying or because of a varied dye job
like bleached tips) adds to the overall level of contrast in your complexion.
If you go for a bright, non-natural color, be ready to treat it like another piece of clothing. If your hair's blue, all the rules for blue clothes
apply to it. And, of course, it's already eye-grabbing, to the point that you should be thinking carefully about whether it's going to be
appropriate in all situations you'll find yourself in.
Hair color is a very big determinant of your color temperature (whether you have predominantly warm or cool coloring). Even if you have a
lot of grey in your hair you
could either be a warm grey
or a cool grey. You could
have a warm skin tone, but
with very cool colored hair,
which will look much better
in cool toned clothing.
Its the total sum of
skin/eyes/hair that
determines your overall
color temperature and
whether or not you are
predominately warm or
cool.
Putting it All Together
So what should we take from
all that? It's a lot to think
about -- and we haven't even
started talking about clothes
yet. This is just your natural
body coloring. Focus on the
basics:
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Understand what your overall complexion is and how much contrast it offers. Try to match that general level of contrast in your clothing
as well.
Avoid things that are going to "fight" visually with your skin color. Don't wear overpoweringly dark colors if you have pale skin; don't
wear light pastels if you're deeply colored.
Understand that your eyes are going to have an effect despite their size. Think of them as one more piece of clothing -- if your outfit
would clash with a piece of clothing the color of your eyes, it's probably clashing with your eyes.
Know how much contrast and how much darkness your hair is adding to your overall appearance. It doesn't touch your clothing
(although longer hair might reach the collar in the back, or even lower), but it's still being contrasted with it when people view you from
any kind of distance.
Putting them all together you should have a very precise picture of yourself, sans clothing colors: how much contrast there is overall and
what colors you've got going on from your natural complexion.
That's the framework you're going to be building on. Ready for the next part? Now we bring clothes into it.
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STEP 3: INTRODUCTION TO THE TRADITIONAL MEN'S COLORS

A lot of men start thinking about color by asking the wrong question. "Does this shirt go with my tie" and things like that matter -- but
they're not the most important questions.
It's easy to get caught up thinking about the accent pieces. They're often the most vibrant, so that's where we think of clash as happening.
Realistically speaking, most of your appearance is determined by what are sometimes called "core" clothing pieces. Your shirt, your
trousers, and your jacket are the three big core items. They make up 80-90% or so of the cloth on your body on a normal day.
That's where the attention needs to start. And, because pieces of clothing that big usually have to exercise at least a little visual restraint,
they tend to come in just a handful of familiar color families.
So while it's useful to think about things like the "color wheel" when you
talk about color, be aware that it's not representative of most men's closets.
Your wardrobe is likely to be biased heavily toward these most basic
colors, the ones you want the best understanding of possible:
White
Plain white shirts are the dressiest shirt for day-to-day or business wear.
Every man's wardrobe will probably include at least one.
White mostly only shows up in shirts (and in unseen underlayers). You
might see a white suit at a wedding or on an older gentleman (particularly
in the American South), or a white tie on a blues player, but most of us can
safely stick to thinking about shirts.
Here's the basics on a white shirt:
They contrast with just about everything. If you're trying to keep lowcontrast and wearing a white shirt you'll need light-colored trousers
(khakis) and jackets (camelhair, light gray wool, etc.) to pull it off.
Colors show up brightly on white, so your necktie will stand out if you
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wear one. Go for colors that are deep but not bright, like royal blue and forest green.
White means high contrast but no clash. It goes with pretty much everything. Think of it as a blank slate that you can build on with other
colors.
. If your coloring is predominantly warm, choose a creamy white or a shirt with some texture to it instead of a stark, cool white. If its hard
to find this in a readymade shirt, consider having custom made shirts. Warm-toned whites or a bit of pattern/texture will suit your coloring
a lot better. If your coloring is predominantly cool, then go for crisp, stark whites, with little pattern or texture, whenever possible.
A lot of dress shirts won't be solid white, but rather white with a light pattern on top of it. Just treat these as the extra colors demand.
You're still building on a plain white slate; you've just started a little earlier.
Gray(charcoal & dark)
While we're on the formal side of business wear, charcoal gray is going to be
most guys' go-to color for dress suits. It's also a good staple for odd
(unmatched) trousers. This one's an easy one:
Gray's a shade of black rather than a color. It's effectively neutral in terms
of clash and matching, and a little more moderate than black or white in
terms of contrast. It goes with just about anything.
Brighter colors stand out best against gray, so be thinking reds, yellows,
etc. for accents like a pocket square. A deep blue or purple will get lost,
although if youre shooting for a muted affect that perfect.
Mix grays with caution. Either wear a matched suit or wear a jacket of a
distinctly different color with gray trousers (or no jacket at all, of course).
Too much gray can suck the life out of your natural colors and signals a very
somber and serious mood.
You might see gray shirts here and there, but your basic understanding of this
color should be as something for suits, jackets, coats, and trousers.
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Navy Blue
If you're not into gray your other option for
formal business suits is navy blue. Like
charcoal gray, it's also a good trouser color.
It's a little more colorful, though, so it
handles a bit differently:
Blue's a natural match (a complementary
color, in fact, meaning directly opposite on
the color wheel) for orange and yellows.
Gold-tone accents go great with a blue suit.
So does khaki -- a blue blazer and khakis is a
classic business-casual look.
Reds and greens are the oddest-looking
clashes with blue. Some shades will work if
they've gone dark or light enough, but steer
clear of vivid reds and greens with a blue suit
or trousers.
Blue is a youthful color. Younger men want
to steer clear of navy suits, which make them
look a bit baby-faced, while older men can
definitely benefit from the effect.
As far as other pieces of clothing go, you're
likely to see ties with a navy blue base color,
and probably some striped blue-and-white
shirts as well. These are fine to work in with
a blue jacket or trousers if you're a lowcontrast man -- shades of blue work well
together in an outfit, as long as there's some
shirt color (like white) to separate them.
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Light Blue
You won't see a light blue suit anywhere
outside of a 1970s costume party, but the
light blue shirt is a staple piece of menswear.
(All right, the suit comment was a little unfair
-- you do see powder blue suits at weddings
from time to time, but they're certainly not
business wear). Know your light blue shirt
and love it:
Oxford cloth (made with interwoven white
and blue threads to make the lighter color) is
the traditional material for blue shirts. It's
light, comfortable, tough, and easy to
maintain, so stick with it.
Blue shirts were originally a working-class
garment, hence "blue-collar worker." While
they've moved up in the world, they're still
not meant to be worn with your best
business suit. They do, however, make
people automatically associate you with
work and labor -- always a good impression.
Like the darker navy blue, steer clear of
purples and greens and lean toward shades
of orange and yellow (or other, darker blues
if you're a dedicatedly low-contrast dresser).
Unlike the dressier white shirt, your blue
shirts can go anywhere from an office setting
to working on a ranch. Be ready to match
them with every time of outfit you wear.
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Brown
It's easy to think of brown as an accent color for
shoes and belts. Men with decently varied closets
should also know it as a trouser and jacket color,
and potentially a casual suit color as well. Browns
can range from very rich chocolate corduroy to
orange-leaning tweed, but they all follow the same
basic rule:
Brown doesn't clash with much. It's a blending
of all the colors (in a loose sense), so it goes
reasonably well with all of them. It can read as
orange to our eyes depending on composition,
however, so blue is always a good match.
Psychological studies show that people
associate brown with trustworthiness, making it a
great choice for anyone with a sales pitch.
Because it reads as multiple colors, brown's a
little "busier" than a stark primary color. Wear it
with more muted shades to avoid clashing. A
bright, solid tie or similar accent would be a bad
choice with brown.
In all its forms brown makes for a casual color.
The dressiest shoes should be black, not brown,
and the most formal jackets and trousers will be
navy or charcoal. But for a more relaxed look you
can't beat brown wool trousers, jackets, and even
suits.
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Indigo (deep blue)

The darker blue that's passed navy and moved toward the
violet part of the spectrum is called indigo. Indigo is also the
name of the plant used to dye the first blue jeans, and it's
where we still get our idea of what blue jeans should look
like. So unsurprisingly this is a color you'll mostly be seeing
in denim:
The darker the indigo, the more formal the garment. If
you want jeans dressy enough to wear with a sports jacket
look for a deep, rich indigo that's almost midnight colored.
Lighter indigos are good for jean jackets or work shirts.
Some jeans will have "contrast stitching" in a lighter color
-- great for men who want more contrast in their outfits.
Orange or yellow stitching is best.
It's rare to see a true deep indigo in anything except denim.
The only other place you're likely to see it would be a
midnight blue tuxedo, a less-common but acceptable
alternative to black in formalwear.
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Black
Black is associated with formality, and it's still the staple of black
tie ensembles, but apart from that a man rarely wears a blackdominated outfit.
Because it can overpower lighter complexions and doesn't
contrast well with darker ones, it's rare to see black as a suit color.
You'll mostly run into it in casual jackets and jeans.
Solid black is slimming. It's a good color for sport jackets and
trousers on larger men. Slender men, on the other hand, want to
wear blacks with texture or patterns broken up by pinstripes or a
similar pattern.
While it's overwhelming on its own, black is a good, neutral
accent color. It's the go-to standard for leather accents in business
culture. Plain black ties are a little stark for anything but a
deliberately high-contrast look.
You might occasionally see black shirts, especially short-sleeved
button-front summer shirts and polos. They're fine on lightercomplexion men who want the contrast, but they heat up fast in
the sun.
If you're tempted to go with black as your dress suit color consider a charcoal gray instead - it's equally formal without being
quite so stark. Some dressers would even argue that black's
inappropriate for anything but true formalwear, although that
viewpoint is fairly dated these days. Regardless, there are very few
events where black would be appropriate and a charcoal gray or
midnight blue wouldn't be.
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Tan/Khaki
There's a whole family of colors that fall into the general tan/khaki umbrella
(technically speaking, most people would consider tan to be more brown
and khaki more yellow, but they read similarly enough visually to be lumped
together).
Most men will wear these as trousers and jackets. Khakis are universally
familiar dress-casual pants, and camelhair has made a yellow-brown jacket a
common sight as well. The visual rules for either one will be the same:
Khaki is reasonably neutral. It looks okay against both lighter and darker
complexions -- the only people that might have trouble would be very fairskinned, light-haired men, who could look a little washed-out in all light
colors.
You're far enough into the yellow/orange side of the spectrum for blues to
be the ideal match. Khakis and a blue blazer or navy trousers and a
camelhair coat -- equally irreproachable.
Khaki makes a good base for a light-color, pastel-leaning spring or
summer outfit. Khaki pants and a white-based shirt with colored stripes or
checks look breezy and relaxed.
It's worth playing around with a few different pairs of khakis (or tan jackets)
and finding the particular shade that suits your complexion best. You'll see
cloth running from pale, almost whited-out yellow to something close to
olive drab.
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Grays (light)
Once you get out of the deep charcoal gray that's used for strict
business suits gray becomes a less common but still useful menswear
staple. The traditional "gray flannel trouser" is usually at least a few
shades lighter than a charcoal suit.
Light grays are fine for suits, trousers, jackets, and even the occasional
shirt. It's an odd duck with a few unique advantages:
Gray tones give you the same neutral base of white or black with
much less contrast.
You can shed some formality by using a light gray in the place of a
white or back piece.
Like charcoal, grays don't clash directly with anything from the color
wheel. The only thing to avoid wearing them with is too many other
shades of gray, black, or white.
So while your wardrobe probably won't have a whole lot of light gray
pieces, it's worth knowing about the color and keeping it in mind. A lot
of more casual wool garments like sweaters can also come in shades of
gray, and follow the same rules.
All the Rest
The brighter colors that we haven't discussed specifically here are
what you'd think of as traditional accent colors. You're unlikely to find
a suit or a shirt in bright red, for example.
For help putting the brighter colors and these menswear staples
together, we'll turn you to our next step -- Understanding Color
Relationships.
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STEP 4: UNDERSTANDING COLOR RELATIONSHIPS

The last step gave you an in-depth introduction to all the main wardrobe colors of menswear. Now it's time to talk about using more than
one at a time -- putting the core colors together with each other and with the brighter accent colors.
We're not going to get theory-heavy here. There's a lot of science behind how our eyes perceive color and why certain combinations look
better than others. But you can get away with just knowing the basic color wheel:
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Think of this as your cheat-sheet for "do these colors go together?" moments. You can think of all color combinations in terms of two basic
relationships:
The relative position of the colors on the color wheel, and
The light/dark contrast between the colors.
Those two factors are going to determine whether a combination "clashes" or
"matches." (It's more accurate to say "coordinates" than "matches," in most
case, since matching colors would technically be ones in the same shade.)
So while your wardrobe isn't going to represent the color wheel -- almost all of
your core items will come from just a few colors, plus the outside shades of
black, white, and gray -- you can use the wheel to evaluate particular color
combinations and accent choices.
High-Contrast Combinations: Complementary Colors
There are a couple different strategies for combining colors. One is the highcontrast route: going for colors that are natural "good looks" but very distinct
from one another.
Your guides to those natural combinations are complementary colors.
Complementary colors are two colors that are directly opposite one another on
the color wheel.
Human eyes see these colors as "fitting" together. They make the most natural
combinations and they also create the most natural contrast between one
another.
Blue/orange and blue/yellow combinations (which one blue is directly
opposite from depends on the color wheel you use; there can be differences
depending on how the "primary" colors are defined, and that's more science
than you need to dress well so we'll leave it at that). Think navy blazers and
khakis, or blue jeans with brown (orange) sports jackets.
Page 25
Red/green combinations like pink shirts and olive trousers or green-on-white check
shirts with red ties.
Purple/yellow combinations like a lavender shirt under a camelhair jacket or a yellowon-white striped shirt with a deep purple tie.
These relationships can play out in different places in your outfit. You can get the
complementary color contrast with just a few pieces. If your suit is one solid color, just a
necktie and a pocket square is more than enough to make a clear complementing
statement.
Low-Contrast Combinations: Analogous Colors
Analogous colors are ones directly adjacent to one another on the color wheel. These are
the ideal combinations for men that want a low-contrast "matching" look.
Analogous color schemes are best when they use multiple shades of similar colors. That
way there's still variation without generating too much contrast. The outfit doesn't have
to be monochrome to work well, as some popular combinations show:
Camelhair blazer (yellow) with a thin green-on-white check shirt (reads as light green)
and a darker green necktie.
Navy blazer, blue oxford shirt, and dark wash blue jeans.
Light khakis, brown-and-white striped dress shirt, darker brown decorative belt and
shoes.
It's less common to see full suits paired with analogous shirts and ties -- that can get
overwhelming quickly, since the suit itself is such a big, solid block of one color. Adding a
shirt and tie in the same color family can start to look a little "novelty." A white shirt can
help break things up without introducing a new, clashing color.
Working in Black, White, and Gray
The color wheel stops being useful when you talk about shades of black and white.
Page 26
Working those absolute colors in follows a few basic rules:

Black, white, and gray don't naturally "clash" or "match" with any colors. They're essentially
neutral, and can be worked into any outfit.
What you need to be thinking about instead is levels of brightness/darkness. A white shirt
stands out more in an outfit made up of deep, dark colors than it does in one made from light
pastels.
Pair white with darker colors and black (or dark grays, like a charcoal suit) with lighter ones
when you want contrast. Pair white with lighter colors and black/dark gray with darker ones
when you want to avoid contrast.
Break up these stark, absolute colors with patterns as needed. A bit of pinstriping or a light,
colored check helps minimize the visual impact of black or white.
You'll generally want an outfit that's either
mostly grayscale or mostly color -- an even mix
of black/white and brighter colors looks a little
odd. So be thinking dark gray suits with white
shirts and a colored tie, or else colored trousers/jackets with patterned shirts and maybe
just a black belt and shoes.
Working in Shades, Tints, and Tones
There's a sort of secondary family of colors that are made by mixing color wheel colors and
then either darkening them (adding black/shading), adding brown (toasting), lightening
them (adding white/tinting), or muting by adding gray (toning).
These aren't quite as easy to place, and they can make coordinating your outfit a little harder.
Take each one as its own color and think about how to make it work:
Where you can, find the color wheel color that it's most similar to. A bright brown is
basically an orange, for example, while a light khaki is essentially yellow.
Some tones will mostly be grayscale. You can treat them like black/white elements -Mans Guide To Color 2nd Ed August 2012 Copyright Real Men Real Style
Page 27
they're not going to clash with anything directly, but they can get odd if you're mixing in crisper blacks and whites elsewhere in the outfit.
And in many cases these "tones" are actually made by multiple colors of threads all interwoven, as with many woolen tweeds. These are
less "colors" and more patterns made by many colors.
Therefore, it's time to move away from how to match solid colors and into our next topic -- matching patterns made from multiple colors.
Page 28
STEP 5:
UNDERSTANDING
PATTERNS AND
TEXTURES
If you take a look in your closet, the odds are that
most of the clothes there aren't actually a single
solid color. (If they are your wardrobe might need
some varying.)
An interesting outfit usually needs at least a little
patterning going on. Sometimes that's very
obvious -- like the pattern printed on a
multicolored tie -- and other times it's as subtle as
a bumpy, ridged weave that gives the cloth a
varied texture.
Even a lot of the clothes we think of as single
colors aren't. A pair of blue jeans is made with
interwoven white and blue threads. A gray tweed
jacket usually has four or five different shades
intermingled. And those all need to be treated just
a little bit different from a true solid.
Page 29
Understanding Patterns
It's important to differentiate between patterns and textures. Patterns are made by the interaction of colors, usually dyed but sometimes
natural. They can be woven in directly or dyed or printed onto a blank piece of cloth.
A paisley necktie with four or five different colors is a patterned item. So is a white shirt with a very light grid of blue squares. An outfit with
more than one patterned item -- and most of your outfits will probably meet that description -- needs to take some basic rules of patternmatching into account:
All colors get counted. That is to say, if you're planning an outfit of complementing blue and orange/yellow-tone colors, a white shirt with
bit of light green striping still counts as breaking the theme. It'll stand out more than you think it will. Go with plain white or something that
uses one of your theme colors instead.
Each piece of patterned clothing should have a distinctly different scale. Very fine pinstripes in a suit can go with a broadly-striped
necktie, but not with a shirt that has fine, pinstripe-width checks.
Never match two very similar or similarly-sized patterns next to
one another. A plaid jacket over a checked shirt is too similar; the
same jacket over a striped shirt is fine (as long as the colors work
together, of course).
The best outfits will use patterns to "reference" the colors in the
core items. A necktie might have a base color that contrasts with
the jacket but have small dots or figures in a color similar to the
jacket, for example. These don't have to be exact color matches, just
in the same general family.
The important thing is really just to be aware of your patterns as
bringing multiple colors to the table and making sure you're not
bringing in a small accent that throws the rest of the outfit off.
Don't drop a red note into the middle of a purple-and-yellow outfit,
even if it's just a line in a multicolored check somewhere.
Page 30
Understanding Textures
Textures are a little bit different. They're created by the
actual physical weave of the cloth rather than a dye or
print. The texture doesn't add any color, but it does
change the way the eye registers a color.
A garment with a textured look is more visually "busy"
than the same color on a plain, flat surface would be. A
gray herringbone jacket seems more patterned than
the exact same color in a plain-fronted weave. Blue
jeans are another good example -- even though we
think of them as just plain blue our eyes are registering
the business of the diagonal lines in the weave, making
them a little more eye-catching and casual.
Textures are a good way to make solid colors a little
more interesting if your outfits seem too plain. On the
flip side, if you're looking a little cluttered you should
consider some smooth surfaces to tone the full
appearance down a little.
Page 31
STEP 6: PUT IT ALL

TOGETHER
Keeping track of everything we've written here all at
once is tough -- and we kept it as simple as possible!
The good news is that you don't have to. You can
apply all the knowledge we've given you here by
asking yourself a few basic questions before you put
an outfit together:
How much contrast do you want in your outfit?
More contrast is more eye-catching, but also more
overwhelming, especially for men with low-contrast
complexions.
How formal do you want to look? More patterns
and brighter colors are less formal.
What do you want people to feel when they look at
you? Different colors prompt different responses.
What are your own physical characteristics and
complexion? These are going to affect the colors you'll
want to base your wardrobe on.
Go back through our chapters as needed to make sure
you're achieving all your goals. It should be easy to
put the colors you need together -- all without
learning any formal systems or talking about seasons.
Page 32
6 Color Tips To Live By

We threw these in as a bonus. Regardless of what you're dressing
for -- country wedding, boardroom meeting; urban nightclub -these are rules that'll always serve you well. Maybe post them up by
your mirror? We'll leave it up to you.
1. No more than three shades of a single color in any outfit.
Doesn't matter if you're low-contrast, high-contrast, or something
in between -- three versions of a color tops. And usually you're
better off with two, unless you're deliberately trying for a singlecolor themed look.
2. White, black and gray -- pick two of them maximum, with
the exception of your leather shoes/belt. You never want to wear
something like a charcoal suit, white shirt, and black tie.
3. When in doubt, complement. If you just don't know what
goes with a color, look at the color wheel and go for the color
directly opposite it. These are the most natural matches.
4. If you're wearing denim on the upper half of your body
you're not wearing a tie. No exceptions.
5. Pocket square and tie can share a color family, but should
never be a matched pattern or the exact same, solid color. The
pocket square is there to add interest, and it's not doing that if it's
just repeating the tie.
6. Leathers and metals are two things that should always
coordinate throughout the outfit. If you have black shoes your belt
and watch should be black too; if you have silver cufflinks don't
wear a gold tie bar. A wedding band gets an exception and can be
worn with everything.
Page 33
STEP 7: EXAMPLES FROM FILM

This section was made possible by contributing image consultant Cori
Burchell she has dressed many of Hollywoods top actors and brings
twenty years of color experience to the table. She can be reached at her
website http://www.coriburchell.com/
It is possible to be more strategic about how you use color depending on the
situations you will encounter in your day and also to understand a bit more
about the psychological meanings associated with various colors. I also
wanted to introduce some of the special tricks costume designers use to keep
actors looking great and supporting the characters they play.
My experience in costume design for feature films has taught me the
importance of using color to evoke and create emotions in the viewer.
Every costume in a film is carefully thought out (as are all the visual elements
of films). What is the overall mood/style of the film? What color room will the
actor be in? What color will the upholstery of the furniture be? What will the
interior of the car look like? What is the actors coloring going to be in the film
-- will he be wearing a wig or changing his eye color with contact lenses?
All these questions are asked because the costumes need to fit in with the
world the character lives in as well as look good on the actors. But the
important thing to understand is that you can do the same thing every day
with the color choices you make for your own wardrobe.
By selecting colors that are harmonious with your personal coloring and
complementary to your hair/skin and eye color, you are evoking positive
emotions in your viewing audience: the people you encounter in your
day. And if you choose colors that arent flattering to you, youre going to do
yourself a disservice.
Page 34
Colin Farrell
Lets take a look at an example with Colin Farrell. The first
image is Colin in costume for Total Recall. The colors
really work for him -- he has strong, sharp coloring and is
predominately "cool," so the Costume Designer chose cool
tones for Colin.
He wears mostly black, charcoal, grey and varying tones of
blue in the film. The colors look right in the world of the
film and they give us the impression of a strong, sexy,
confident man, which is important for his character,
because we need to believe he can actually do the things
he does in the film.
Compare this with the second image: Colin in character
for Horrible Bosses.
Ignore the wig with the bad comb-over and the extra body
padding for a moment...just take a look at the effect of the
color of his shirt.
This soft, muted green-yellow is a challenging color for
anyone to wear, but it is especially bad on someone who
has cool coloring like Colin has.
That is exactly why the Costume Designer chose it! She
wanted us to really dislike this character and instantly be
repelled by him. This shirt fights against Colins natural
inherent coloring and does the trick quite well I think!
Page 35
Richard Gere
Lets look at another
example with another
actor Richard Gere. In his
personal life Richard
prefers to wear solid dark
colors -- black or navy
blue. What is interesting in
this series of photos is that
as his hair has changed
color and gotten more
grey, so has the level of
contrast in his appearance.
His hair was the dominant
factor giving Richard a
high contrast look when he
was younger and had dark
hair. Notice now that he is
completely grey, there isnt
the same contrast between
his skin, eyes and hair and
he seems to be
overwhelmed by the dark
colors he is wearing (in the
first picture). He needs to
choose colors that are not
as stark -- more mid-tone
or brighter colors. The
level of contrast is too high
for him with all grey hair.
Page 36
Ryan Gosling
The final example
is also warm
versus cool. The
first image is Ryan
Gosling in costume
for the film Drive
wearing a midtone blue coverall,
with medium
contrast. This is a
warm blue and
Ryan has warm
coloring, so it
complements his
skin tone nicely
and goes great
with his bright
blue eyes.
Compare this to
the next photo of
Ryan in a black suit
and white shirt,
both with high
contrast and cool
tones. This
combination
doesnt do as much
for Ryans look as the coveralls, which are much more complimentary. The black and white is too high contrast for him. It overpowers him
and the color is too cool, so he looks a bit washed out.
Ryan tends to wear a lot of navy, blues, and mid to light tones of warm grey - great color choices for him.
Page 37
Step 8: Energy, Personality

and Hidden Meanings
One of the hidden and little known elements to choosing
colors that will compliment you is to consider your energy
level and personality. Colors can have an effect on us
physiologically and psychologically (more Jedi mind tricks).
Color and Energy Levels
If you are a high energy, vibrant kind of person, then intense
bright colors like orange, turquoise, or bright yellow are
going to suit your personality and will support your energy
level. If youre a more subdued person, those colors would
actually be draining for you. You would be better in softer
more muted tones: softer peach, watery blue, or pale yellow.
Color Messaging
Colors also have attributes associated with various
personality and character traits. These are subtle and
subliminal messages that can help support your message and
communications. Imagine having to give an important
presentation to your colleagues at work. Visualize giving the
presentation wearing a navy blue suit, and then wearing a
bright yellow jacket! The message and attention will be
completely different with each choice. And depending on the
nature of the presentation, you might want to factor your
color choice in along with your presentation skills.
Page 38
The subliminal messages associated with various

colors:
Blue/Navy - Traditional, stable, sensitive, refined,
tranquil, good-natured, conservative, calm, responsible,
honesty, integrity, trustworthy, hardworking, organized,
logical
Black - Good listener, interested in others, sophisticated,
high authority, power, assertive, mysterious, sensual
White - Fresh, clean, hopeful, reliable, artistic,
expressive, skeptical, questioning
Tan/Cream/Camel - elegant, approachable, inoffensive,
trusting, calm, elegant
Brown - stable, secure, natural, persevering, slow to
change, loyal, helpful, empathetic, comfortable, down-toearth, industrious, thrifty, practical, no-nonsense
Charcoal Gray - strength of character, authoritative,
refined, controlled, calm, cool
Burgundy/Maroon - classic, refined, elegant, formal
Red - dramatic, self-assured, active, high energy,
courageous, intense, passionate, active, challenging,
impulsive, dynamic, extroverted, positive, energetic,
outgoing, good luck
Orange - social, fun loving, enthusiastic, thoughtful, bright, optimistic, wise, outgoing, fun, discrimination, good conversationalist, exciting,
glowing, religion
Yellow - creative, outgoing, bright, cheerful, optimistic, warm, uninhibited, intellectual, inspired, spontaneous, philosophical, theoretical
Page 39
Green - nurturing, friendly, kind, peaceful, helpful, dependable, practical, cautious, precise, balanced, logical, ambitious, stable, frank, restful
Violet - sensitive, unusual, psychic, spiritual, exotic, has strong sense of inner self and life direction
Pink - quiet, refined, artistic, universal color of love, will exhibit lasting devotion to people, places and ideals
Purple/Plum - artistic, mysterious, charming, dramatic, entertaining, aloof, creative, witty, temperamental, regal, diplomatic, sophisticated
Page 40
Additional Reading
Antonios Premium Style Information Courses
The Classic Style Guide at A Tailored Suit
Real Men Real Style Menswear Advice Website
Real Men Real Styles You Tube Video Channel
Art of Manliness Mens Style Section
Professional Image Stylist Cori Burchell
Page 41

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A MANS GUIDE - COLOR & CLOTHING

Written By Antonio Centeno

STEP 1 - CARING ABOUT COLOR

STEP 1 - CARING ABOUT COLOR

natural reactions to certain colors.

STEP 2 - UNDERSTANDING COLOR AS IT AFFECTS YOU

Low-contrast men have little change in the deepness of their hues.

Need Help Discovering Your Contrast?

Be thinking about your skin color when you think about

Effect of Eye Color

STEP 3: INTRODUCTION TO THE TRADITIONAL MEN'S COLORS

Indigo (deep blue)

STEP 4: UNDERSTANDING COLOR RELATIONSHIPS

Working those absolute colors in follows a few basic rules:

STEP 6: PUT IT ALL

6 Color Tips To Live By

STEP 7: EXAMPLES FROM FILM

Step 8: Energy, Personality

The subliminal messages associated with various

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