The six colours you should be wearing this spring
From pale greens to saturated yellows, we've brushed up on half a dozen shades to brighten up your springtime wardrobe...
Words: Jonathan Wells
What’s your go-to clothing colour? We’ve all got one; even if you’re unaware of it. Mark Zuckerberg, for example, gets his hoodies and custom-made T-shirts in a certain shade of grey. Tiger Woods, on the other-hued hand, is known for wearing red ahead of big events. And, when summer in the 1960s rolled around, the late great Steve McQueen was frequently found shining bright in white.
But you can do better than that. Whether you depend on navy or lean on black, chances are your current go-to clothing colour is less than luminous. Gladly, spring is a time for technicolour; for making a vibrant, vivid statement with a new signature hue. Below, we’ve rounded up six splashier, flashier options based on current trends and trendy pieces. Find your true colour below…
Go for block colour with saturated yellow
It’s a summery place to start; an almost-ochre shade of yellow. It’s a more wearable, practical spin on the fluorescent, incandescent shade — deeper and darker than your usual yellow, and perfect for springtime dressing. The rich colour also offers a nice autumnal contrast to the spring greens and blue skies outside.
So how to deploy it? We’d throw it on in bold blocks. That could mean it forms the base of your outfit, such as Drake’s crew neck cotton sweatshirt, or it might mean a pop of ankle-level, eye-catching colour courtesy of New & Lingwood‘s punchy socks, but it pays to put this saturated shade to striking use. Our favourite option? This classic, cargo-inspired workers jacket from Mr P. — light enough for spring; bright enough for summer.
Washed denim blue is lightweight and versatile
From striking to subtle, our next colour-of-choice is among the palest of blues. Endlessly versatile and tinged with texture, washed denim is a brilliant smart-casual option for those of us who stand astride differing dress codes during the course of our colourful days. Balanced between rich and bleached denim, it’ll boost the blue-hued versatility of your spring wardrobe.
Aubin‘s ‘Hessle’ shirt is the ultimate everyday button-down. Garment-dyed and laundered, it’s a washed blue beacon of smart-casual style. Alternatively, lace up the rugged colour with a pair of Uniform Standard‘s dependably durable ‘Series 1’ sneakers. Or, for the king of washed denim duds, pull on a pair of inimitable Levi’s jeans; we’d opt for the slimly-tapered ‘512’ style.
Nothing looks more striking than sunset orange
A warm colour for the warm weather; this toasty, roasted shade of orange is another autumnal flavour you should be introducing to your spring wardrobe. It’s surprisingly versatile for such a bold, head-turning hue — but also forms a solid, block colour base to lively outfits that play with patterns.
It’s such a rich colour that we’d suggest finding some choice knitwear in sunset orange; pieces with a deeper pile and softer handle than your usual warm weather clothes. Rag & Bone has spun a ribbed crewneck from cashmere, and Mr P. has gone even softer — with a silk-blend, contrast-tipped knitted polo shirt. But our choicest piece of sunset orange kit is this leather-trimmed tote from Ralph Lauren; bold and brilliantly practical.
Try taupe for a firm fashion foundation
Taupe can be tricky. Not one specific colour, the term can be brushed across a number of brown-grey shades — and takes its uninspiring name from the even-more-uninspiring French mole. But the colour itself is anything but boring. It may be practical and perfunctory, but the possibilities taupe can unlock in your daily wardrobe are endless. It’s a colour that can be paired with almost any other — and will form a firm foundation to every spring ensemble.
If the weather warms up, Hemingsworth has a pair of swim shorts in the shade; crafted with side buckles and pleats to bring sophistication to the swimming pool. Uniform Standard has laced the colour into its eco-friendly ‘Series 1’ sneakers — and The North Face has a simple, subtly-logoed baseball cap in the ever-versatile brown-grey tone.
Any pale green will work during springtime
The most spring-like of the springtime colours, these blooming, blossoming months are the ideal time to go green with your get-ups. But, rather than opting for a darker, more forest-forward shade of the colour, we’d recommend keeping things pale. Like the washed denim above, it’ll add a sprightly brightness that’s becoming of the fresh weather outside. Stick to olives, sages and pistachios — and you won’t go far wrong.
From Love Brand & Co, this ‘Andros’ shirt is a lustrous olive colour and created using hemp — a material that’s not only lightweight and breathable, but also has four times the tensile strength of cotton. Hartford’s ‘Troy’ trousers are slightly softer; cut from linen, but still walking that pale green line in a shade of sage. Or, for the lightest of light greens, go for Boglioli’s cotton-piqué polo — casually cut and finished with mother-of-pearl buttons.
A delicate pink will work wonders for your wardrobe
Finally, think pink. Along with white and pale blue, pink is one of the three most corporate colours in the world of suit-ready shirting. But it’s so much more than a neutral background for your striking silk ties. In fact, the traditionally feminine colour can really pop if it is just given room to breathe.
That means, if you do wear a pink shirt with your suit, forgo the tie. Look at Emma Willis’ superior option below; with a hem so gently curved it’ll even work untucked on the weekend. Hemingsworth once again corner the swim short market with these softly striped ‘Clipper’ trunks — and Luca Faloni’s ‘Siena’ shirt has a light washed effect; coloured peach using a traditional garment-dying process called ‘tinto capo’.
Looking for more bright, bold colours? Here are 7 suits perfect for a summer of weddings…
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