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Most of us think of colour like sugar in our tea – to be used in the faintest proportions, if not to be avoided completely. Not me. I love colour like a flamboyant flamingo (or a preening parakeet; feel free to choose your alliteration) at a Holi fest. Life is a dull existential drab from the time one wakes up and trudges to work. The momentary joy one receives from an illogical purchase (from something as small yet dear as a watch to something as big and ridiculous as a sports car) is, at best, ephemeral. Colour, in such circumstances, can add splashes to joy and brightness – a certain inwardly radiance – that can make everything seem overall cheerier.
But first, we need to shed the shackles of societal conditioning which eschews colour and teaches us to condone it like some terrible habit.
When dabbling with colour, there are few rules to adhere to but being cognisant of them surely helps chart your own course down the technicolour track.
1. Start easy:
Introducing colour into your clothing doesn’t need to be drastic. You can start small, say with socks and belts. If that too leaves you feeling too exposed, look further inwards – inner wear, especially bottoms, that’s a great way to feel snazzy without giving away much, or at all. From there, a coloured vest or crew shirt is a gentle level up. Colourful crew tees are also a good way to make your post-work evening loungewear look less dull without compromising on comfort.
2. Match tones, not shades:
Co-ord sets don't appear to be going out of style even in 2024. Understandably so as they're impossibly comfortable and super easy to style. Crafted in the comfiest fabrics, vibrant hues and relaxed fits, they go perfectly well with a knee-length coat for a night on the tiles. Style them with either a duster coat crafted in a heritage fabric like herringbone or bouclé tweed or have fun with a shaggy option in faux fur and you're good to go. Either go tone on tone or colour block. For instance, an olive co-ord set would look dapper with a faux fur coat in brown and a pale blue twinset would complement a midnight blue long line waistcoat effortlessly.
3. Wear dark lower and lighter higher:
It’s traditionally considered easier on the eyes when someone wears darker shades lower on the body and teams them up with something lighter on top. It’s not de rigueur, but it is certainly the low-hanging fruit in the sartorial garden. That said, you can always turn things around and choose to wear a dark tee with a light shade of shorts or trousers without looking like a golfer who strayed too far from the fairway. Just make sure you get the right footwear and accessories to complement and balance out the look.
4. Seasonal Colour:
It might sound funny, but much like clothing styles, colours too follow some cycle of relevance. It’s what helps Pantone do an entire show and dance about the “Shade of the Year.” Just keep your eyes peeled, and you will see certain colours become more prominent in time before being relegated. I distinctly recall Merryl Streep making a reference to it while talking about designers and Cerulean blue in ‘The Devil wears Prada’. So one way to be less conspicuous in colour is to dress in the colour of the season. Tip: 2024, so far, has green written all over it!
5. Never wrong:
In the end, you may choose to ignore everything I have just said and do what makes you feel at ease – whether it be lounging in black shorts and a simple white tee or dressing up a la carnival parade time for going shopping down aisle 4 of the local grocery store. Our tastes and preferences evolve constantly, and this changes even our notions of what we deem acceptable. During the lockdown, I nearly threw away all my jeans in favour of trackies and only dressed in sneakers. Today, as I lace up my brogues and tuck in a crisp shirt into fitted trousers, I look back and wonder in dismay about how I let myself go. So just because you don’t like a shade today, or any shade for that matter, doesn’t mean it will always be the case. So never be shy to click on that banner that has “Definitely not for me” written all over – even I’d hate to admit it, but the algorithm knows you (/us) better.
BY MAGANDEEP SINGH...
About the author: Magandeep SINGH is a peripatetic hedonist who is constantly trying to find ways to keep things heady yet healthy. He is admittedly vain and avoids confrontations with his inner self. He loves to concoct drinks, participate in triathlons, learn DJing and languages,and SCUBA. In his free time, he works.
