MEN IN THE PINK

Pink suits may be coming to a tailor near you soon. The vibrant example on page Colourful Style shows the bright future for menswear that is now upon us - well, almost.

There is an inexorable trend towards more colour in menswer, and while the safe dark blues, greys and browns of the traditional Savile Row ensemble will continue to dominate board rooms around the world for some time to come, the shades they are a-changing.

Less formal, lighter and brighter casual clothes are increasingly being worn - even by quite the most respectable of English gentlemen.

At recent high fashion collections at home and overseas, prints were also all over the place, mixing colours for some tailored outfits as well as casuals.

And where the brighter road ahead is particularly noticeable is in accessories,in shoes in particular. Footwear offers all sorts of bright lights, brought in by those dratted trainers but now made acceptable in high quality loafers, sandals and two-tones.

A pair of plain black Oxfords may still be de rigeur with a plain dark Savile Row suit for many - but look down, and some daring chaps have a foundation of contrast that would have been unthinkable for a be-suited man a short while ago.

Ties have long been a man's only means of being colourfully extrovert, and continue to provide scope from originality. But what has changed here is that men are increasingly putting a colourful tie with a contrastingly colourful shirt - a green against blue, for example, a purple against yellow.

This summer has seen straw hats blossom, decorated with bright bands, as well as light cotton caps in varied shades and patterns. Scarves, once only seen as winter warmers, now drape elegantly around open-necked shirts and summer jackets in an array of exotic silks and cottons.

So, with global warming upon us, the British are taking a leaf out of the Mediterranean book, relaxing, chilling out and putting on the colourful style.

This growing acceptance of more colour and style is good news for tailors. They will continue to have demand for the traditional business suit, its status in top business circles undiminished. But in addition there is increasing demand for an extra wardrobe of less formal jackets and trousers, in lighter, brighter cloths.

And in turn, these are being influenced by formal wear, neater tops and shorts and high waisted smart trousers teamed with tailored jackets - as shown above, from tailor Gresham Blake.

Hardly surprising that it is younger men especially who are seeking to ring the changes. They are style-savvy, and a recent survey found that they are now spending more on their wardrobes than their girlfriends, and considerably more than their fathers used to. They appreciate quality in cloth and make - and are prepared to pay for it.

Pictured here from top:
Printed outfits shown at the London Collections Men earlier this year, from Craig Green.
From Nike, whose trainers have helped fuel the desire for colour at the footline, their latest brilliantly coloured sports model.
Above right, showing how coloured casuals have taken on a more formal styling in this outfit of tailored jacket, polo shirt and neat shorts by Gresham Blake.
Above, scarlet raincoat from Hardy Amies.
Left, a distinctive pattern happily replaces the ubiquitous slogan for a neat top by Orlebar.
And right, pale green suede shoes by Oliver Sweeney, who has other coloured designs in an extensive collection of high quality shoes.