COLUMN: Color coordination: a definitive guide for guys
Dear Lindsay,
I am a guy who knows nothing about fashion, especially which colors go together and which ones clash. I had never even thought about this until I heard some friends talking about someone who wore the wrong color of shoes or something and even they disagreed. Please help us all out by setting the record straight and clearing up the rules of what colors do and do not go together.
Sincerely, Colorblind
Dear Colorblind,
I congratulate you for being brave enough to find out the truth. And as you’ve already noticed, opinions on the subject can clash just as much as the wrong color combination.
The way this problem really manifests itself, in my opinion, is in the choice of what color of shoes/belt to wear with particular colors. The first key is to never criss-cross your choices. Being a typical boy, you may come to the conclusion that you can solve this dilemma by wearing a black belt and brown shoes if you aren’t sure which matches best. Thus, covering all your bases and at least matching in one area.
If so, that was your first mistake. It is better to have stuck with one color and lost than to have never chosen at all. But the best way to tackle this type of a question is with specific scenarios that are applicable to all of our lives.
One of the most common scenarios: You are wearing a navy blue shirt, jacket or suit. (Note to boys: Navy blue is a very dark shade of blue.) What color of shoes/belt is best? In my expert opinion, I would always go with brown. Black is just too close to navy blue … too close for comfort.
Black and brown are a little riskier and should be handled with great caution. My experience has taught me that black and brown should only stick with their own kind and never cross. The sight of black pants with brown shoes makes me more than a little uncomfortable, but that doesn’t necessarily stand true for all brown/black inter-mingling.
In fact, recent fashion trends show brown paired with black as a new option in certain cases. Not simply black shoes with a brown outfit, but more like a black suit complimented with brown pin-striping or a brown shirt. Please keep in mind that this stunt should be handled with supervision and only done intentionally. It is obvious when someone is unaware of their clashing status.
Though black, brown and navy blue can be tricky, there are colors that can be safely paired with almost anything. I wore a fuchsia watch almost every day for six months and it matched every single thing I wore. (Boys: Fuchsia is a very dark shade of pink.) Maybe that’s because I never wear red and most of my clothes already have pink in some form, but either way – pink is a safe bet.
Another important idea to note is that this problem is not specific to males. All too often I see girls making ridiculous choices and even attempting to pass on their ideas to unknowing, trusting males. But even I make mistakes sometimes. In fact, right now I am wearing a black watch with a navy blue shirt. And I’ll wear this one dark green sweatshirt with anything – seriously, anything. Wow. After analyzing my faults, it seems I may not be the best person to be giving out advice on this subject. But I guess it’s too late now, so take it or leave it.
You may feel overwhelmed by all this new knowledge, but tackle each problem as it presents itself, while keeping the basics in mind. Feel free to consult this article whenever you feel frightened or confused and contact me with any further questions. Good luck Colorblind, and I expect to hear great things about you in the future.
Lindsay Kite is a junior majoring in print journalism. If you would like to see your clever anonymous name and question appear in next week’s edition, contact lindsaykite@cc.usu.edu.