Colors In Fashion - Dark Prospects And Mens Style

If you've been keeping an eye on the men's fashion scene these past few seasons, you'd know that bright colors have been making regular appearances on the runways. From the neon Steven Sprouse graffiti tees at Louis Vuitton to the signpost yellow knapsacks at Dsquared, it's all bright, bright, bright. In the next few months, though, you'll want to switch your wardrobe over to the dark side of the fashion palette.

Spare Style
As the worldwide economy remains gloomy, expect the fashion houses to go in the same direction with their clothes. After the blinding exuberance of the last couple of years, the big names in men's fashion seem to have a much darker point of view than before.

Black and gray, for example, will be making a major resurgence soon enough, unseating the loud oranges and bold blues that have been dominating the runways. Luxe touches will also most probably be toned down; premium brands are resorting to subtler cues of quality like finer cloth or better tailoring overall.

Change from Outside
Outerwear is one of the best places to observe the upcoming black trend. After the big jump in popularity of baseball and biker jackets, expect more people to be wearing them in black by next year. On most other items, black is plain, nondescript color; on jackets, however, it's a very strong color that can really grab someone's attention. Look for jackets in very dark brown if you want to stand apart from the predominantly noir masses.

Even the supposedly stable field of coats is being affected by the darker trend. Black trenches and pea coats are seen as more fashionable by 2010, replacing navy and gray as the best color for your cold weather gear. Just remember that the plainer and simpler a jacket is, the better it will fit into your wardrobe because it can go with more outfits.

Dark Gets Darker
It used to be that anything black had to be paired with another color like white or a pastel. Not so next year. An all-black outfit: black tie, black shirt and black jacket are fair game, if you know how to pull off the look.

Tastemakers are saying that next year isn't going to be about color on color, but texture on texture instead. It's a trick that's often used in interior design, and it'll soon be coming to men's fashion boutiques near you. Stock up on different textures, wool suits, knit ties and broadcloth shirts, for example, because they're the next items to mix-and-match.

It's a good idea to pick up on these trends early on. First, you'll be the talk of the office because you're wearing exactly the things that are printed in newspapers and men's fashion magazines. Secondly, many of the items you need can already be found in department stores, and they're still cheap while the trend hasn't gone full swing yet. So whether you want to be stylish or scrimping, it's time to go to the dark side either way.