OPINION:
In F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, it's telling that Jay Gatsby's credentials are questioned because of the colour of his suit. Pink, in this case and, according to one sceptic, never the shade of an Oxford man. Attitudes have changed a bit, but the sugared almond tones of pink, blush, violet and lilac are largely forbidden territory for men. Too many memories of mother-of-the-bride outfits, frilly nightgowns and prissy dresses make the idea of lilac just a step too far. Hollywood, however, thinks differently.
This week Ryan Gosling declared that his soft jacket and lilac suit, at the premiere of his new film The Gray Man, was inspired by his character Ken, the candy-floss-hued doll he's playing in the forthcoming Barbie film. It follows on from Brad Pitt wearing a soft pink jacket and trouser co-ords by young American designer Haans Nicholas Mott. Yes, movie stars are unshackled by the need to dress for a normal job, but pastels do work in real life too (honestly). And just as they flatter the older lady, they have a surprisingly pleasant effect on the skin tone of a 50-plus man also. Last week I watched an immaculate gent sipping a martini in the Florentine sunset wearing a crisp white shirt, tailored pale yellow trousers and similarly shaded loafers; not lilac, but still on the pastel spectrum. A film still straight from Fellini, he was the most stylish man I've seen in a long time.
For those who fret about pastels being too "girly"; if your sense of masculinity is so fragile that it's tied to a particular colour, it's hanging by a pretty thin thread. As we steer into summer holiday time proper, pastels are a great colour to complement the chilled rosé, lilac sunsets and aquamarines of foreign sojourns. Here's how to don pastels with panache.
