Welcome back to the Gentleman’s Gazette!
Today we discuss the most underrated colors in men’s wear, green!
Not only is green a very versatile color, but it can also be dressed up and down.
And it can really help you to develop a signature style that stands out from the rest of the
crowd who favors city grays and blues.
Personally I am a huge fan of green but it wasn’t always like that.
I had to get to know the color and learn its versatility and the abilities it gave me.
So what do I mean when I say green?
Most men have a tendency to overgeneralize colors and just say red, blue, gray or green.
But take a look here, there is lots of different greens.
There is more like an emerald green, there is olive greens, there is medium greens.
You could also have light greens and all kinds of different shades including forest greens,
there’s your racing green, mild olive green and whatever you want.
Green is such a versatile color and I think that one term isn’t even enough or sufficient
to describe the full range of colors.
When you are new to green the big question is, how do you wear green so it flatters you?
First up,
I think it’s really helpful to have a green suit or at least a green jacket.
Just like the one I’m wearing here right now.
It’s part of the suit but I can wear it separately with other kind of corduroys or
chinos or even seersuckers.
Olive is a kind of green that has some brown tones and sometimes yellow tones and this
one here too has a mottled yarn which means it has more color depth and it really helps
you to combine it with other colors.
For that reason it’s a first grade choice.
The same is true for a fresco jacket which is also mottled and is a great summer suit
because it has a lighter springy summery color but it has an open weave and cools me down
and it’s also not too dark so the sun does not heat me up overly like a black suit or
a black jacket would.
In terms of fabrics, you can wear green with a worsted, with a flannel, with frescos or
even seersucker.
And it’s a broad color range and you don’t have to shy away from anything.
Of course the darker the green is, the more formal is it and it could be a good substitute
for a dark brown suit because it has the same level of formality so it’s not overly formal
but definitely more formal than sport coat combination.
The other wardrobe element that looks really good in green is pants, particularly corduroy
pants or moleskin pants they’re perfect for cold fall-winter days and I just like
them because they are different and I can combine them in an interesting way for example
with brown jackets and I don’t have to wear a brown or blue pair of corduroys.
This is a dark olive green, so most people wouldn’t necessarily recognize them as such
in the evenings.
You can also go with lighter shades or brighter shades but typically those are things you
would wear in the summer or in spring.
So having a pair of bright green chinos for example or a light green and white seersucker
these are very much suited for spring summer climates or warmer climates in general.
The other element you can invest in is vests.
I have a green vest that matches the suit which I can wear individually or in accordance
with the suit.
I also have a really beautiful dark bottle green vest in velvet which is double-breasted
and I love wearing it because it really keeps me warm and it’s different than all the
other vest you see out there.
Bottle green velvet is also a really popular material for dinner jackets and you can see
Fabio here wearing one of those.
To learn more about dinner jackets and all the other options you have and how to wear
them right, please check out this video here.
Another area where green is hardly ever seen is dress shirts.
I really like it, this shirt for example will go well with a madras tie and a brown suit.
You could also wear it with a blue suit or even a gray suit, especially during the summer.
This shade of green is very summery and springy.
If you get something darker like olive green maybe with a pail white and ivory stripe,
it is much better for winter.
Of course you can also wear green shoes.
Sometimes people go with a darker kind of green or an olive green.
I think both can be very versatile probably the olive green is even more versatile than
the regular green.
If you wear belts make sure you get a matching belt, that way you get a harmonious look and
it’s overall well rounded.
While you can’t find regular box calf leather shoes in green?
I personally prefer suede because it underlines the more casual character of the color and
as a tassel loafer, it is really great for summer outfits.
That being said you could also think about getting a dark green maybe racing green boot
for the winter.
it would be very unusual maybe in a scotch grain.
The darker you go with your green, the more formal it is.
So especially in evenings, most people wouldn’t even recognize that it’s not a black shoe
or a very dark brown shoe at the same time you can combine it more with casual outfits
that you couldn’t wear with a black shoe for example.
Personally, one of my favorite elements to wear green is socks because you can use it
as a contrasting color for example when you wear chinos, with brown shoes or you
could get two-toned socks and pair it with green and purple and just have interesting
outfits either with corduroy pants or other winter trousers.
Of course lighter greens are better for summer and the sky is the limit here.
Last but not the least think about a pinky ring in green maybe malachite or cufflinks or even
a tie bar.
They all really work together and it’s a wonderful color that creates contrast on your
white or light blue or otherwise pastel colored dress shirt.
As you can see there are lots of items that you can wear in green.
But when you are just starting out I suggest to invest in accessories first simply because
they are easy to combine.
It is not a huge investment and you can find exactly the right kind of shade of green that
works for you and your existing wardrobe.
When you live in a warmer climate you can go with a bright shantung green or with a
bourette houndstooth silk either bow tie or tie.
If you are more in a colder climate maybe a darker olive green or something in a wool grenadine
will be better for you.
Apart form bow ties and ties, a perfect place to start is a pocket square because it is
rather affordable and it has a number of different colors especially when it’s printed so you
can pick out different colors such as red, yellow or purple or green and just create a really
interesting unusual look without having to invest too much upfront.
Green contrast beautifully with all traditional jacket colors such as gray or navy but it’s
not too stark so it’s a subtle sophisticated contrast and I’m sure once you invested
in one pocket square, more accessories will follow.
Now green should only be just one color in your outfit and your entire outfit should
not just be green because that would look odd.
So the big question is, what colors work well with green?
In my opinion, one of the easiest color to combine is blue.
Whether it’s navy blue, mid blue or even light blue, green really goes well together
with it because green is a little more warmer.
Blue is a cooler tone, green is a warmer tone and together they harmonize and work perfectly.
For example look at this green madder silk tie with orange and blue Macclesfield Neats
pattern it looks very elegant, doesn’t it?
Let’s say you have a navy suit or navy blazer, a green accessory just works really well and
harmonizes perfectly and you can wear all your existing white and blue shirts that you
have in your wardrobe already.
If you like more texture, think about a green grenadine tie or maybe a green knit tie in
bottled green or maybe two-tone with blue.
I like the combination of green and blue so much that I even designed a tie with those
two colors.
You can find these tie but also the other green accessories in out shop here.
The second big color you can combine with green is brown.
I particularly like dark chocolate brown but also lighter browns work really well with
it.
With this beautiful Fort Belvedere shantung tie with green stripes and I love to wear
it with a blue jacket.
Unlike blue, browns is also a warmer color and today they make the perfect combination
for casual outfits.
Something I really like to wear with this green jacket is a brown pair of corduroys.
It really creates warm country inspired look especially when paired with a pair of tan
Goodyear welted double soled boots.
You might be surprised about the third color which is gray and another traditional business
color that work really well with green.
Just take a look for yourself.
That is a beautiful green and gray grenadine tie and it’s a very harmonious look that
provides enough contrast no matter if you wear a brown jacket or a blue one or even
a gray one.
Although personally, I would probably stay away from that because the grays may be too similar.
Two great outfit combinations are a green tie with a gray flannel suit or a green maybe
knit tie with a gray tweed jacket.
Personally my favorite color to combine with green is orange because it’s likewise warm
and here you can see the orange and green stripes shantung tie which goes really well
with my jacket.
Whether it’s an orange pocket square or orange knit tie or orange grenadine no matter
what color green and orange will always work they’re unusual.
And I even have jackets that have an overcheck or sometimes I wear an orange vest with a
green tweed jacket because it is just beautiful, unusual and sophisticated.
In the same vein, yellow pairs really well.
I like to wear yellow neckwear because yellow jackets really don’t look good but as accessories
they really harmonize perfectly with dark green as well as light green.
Another color that I’m really fond of is purple.
Its not a very popular color in countries like Italy whereas in Britain it is quite
popular with office workers and bankers.
Personally I believe that green and purple together are both dark and they harmonize
really well and create a nice range of contrast that is not ostentatious or over the top.
If you want to create a signature style that is truly unique implementing those two colors
in your wardrobe will really help you to achieve that.
Last but not the least a really important color to combine with green is red.
As you know, red is one of the most popular accessory colors and every man should have
a red tie or pocket square in his wardrobe.
You may think it can look like a Christmas combination but the key is to go with very
dark shades such as in this tweed sport coat with green and purple herringbone tones or to have
another color such as light blue to get away from that Christmas feel.
Chance are you already have quite a few red items in your wardrobe, so adding a green
jacket allows you to even utilize those accessories more.
That way, you get a lot of mileage out of what you already have without having to invest
more money.
Now red doesn’t have to be the dominant color.
It can be an accent color in your jacket such as the overcheck in your glen plaid or just part
of the glen plaid or your pocket square or boutonniere.
Now that you got a lot of inspiration about how to wear green and how to combine with
different colors, one of the most important aspects to keep in mind is that you simply
have to try it.
There is no way around it and not every combination will be perfect but the more you try the better
you’ll look.
Don’t be intimidated.
Green is a very versatile color and if you don’t know where to start go with blue and
combine that with green it will look great.
Now go have fun experimenting and if you are in need of some green accessories, please
head over to our shop here where you have cufflinks, accessories,
pocket squares, ties, bow ties and even beautiful gloves.
If you enjoyed this video, please give us a thumbs up.
Sign up for our newsletter which is free and you get videos like this right to your inbox.