Interesting Spring Shades – Reds and Greens

Often we think of color monolithically – there is “red” and there is “green.” But at the risk of sounding pretentious, these colors are much more complicated. There is blush and then there is rose. There is evergreen and hunter green. Let’s look at these two color families a little closer.

What brought this to mind was the sheer number of photos I have seen around tumblr the past few days featuring interesting reds and greens. They’re great color families, and ones that I think get underplayed in favor of the justly ubiquitous blue. Most guys have a range of blue clothes, but few have flexibility in these other spectra.

We’ll start with the reds. There are really two ways you can go with this – more pink or more purple. The former results in a nice sunwashed shades like the aforementioned blush or the prep-staple Nantucket Reds trousers. Think of these as relaxed warm weather basics, not powerful color statements.

The later gets you the wine and burgundy colors usually associated with cold weather dressing. But a nice raspberry cotton jacket or tie is a great option this time of year. It won’t overpower the softer colors of spring, but will give your look some heft. If you tend to like fall/winter dressing more, this might be a good option.

Then there is green. My friend Christian Kimber of Style Sage has been a longtime fan of the green blazer, and I think he was way ahead of the curve on this one. I’ve seen tons of them online, in everything from grass green flannel to minty linen. Funnily most are double breasted – don’t know why this is, but it looks damn good.

You could also follow tailor Patrick Johnson’s lead and grab some green suede shoes. It’s certainly a bold choice, but I like how the softness of the suede and the brightness of the hue set each other off. Plus, as always, anchoring these sorts of things with a grey suit is a good move here.

So whether you prefer oxblood to crimson or lettuce to vermillion, try to think of these color families as flexible, versatile additions to your warm weather wardrobe. The sun is out, wear some color.