Not to sound arrogant, but when it comes to color we know a thing or two. Yet when the world’s undisputed master of the multi-chrome sciences, Pantone, announces it’s Color of the Year, we take notice. Best known for their fan-style color swatch flipbooks, Pantone uses word-association data and trend analysis to annually spotlight one special color for recognition. In 2009, the lucky winner was mimosa; but this year, the new champion is (drum roll)… Turquoise!
According to information issued by Pantone, turquoise is associated with serenity and escape, tropical beaches and pristine skies. It’s been prized by every civilization from the Aztecs to the Mongolians for its aesthetic and mystical value. While it looks great on women’s dresses, protective amulets and Volkswagen Beetles, but what about men’s clothing?
Sure, a turquoise polo shirt – worn in combination with linen pants, Wayfarer shades and a pink sweater tied around your shoulders – is a sure-fire way to pull off an authentic 1980’s preppy look. You may also see turquoise at the occasional rodeo or circus, usually adding color to some sort of uniform or jumpsuit.
For dress shirts though, we’re still pretty skeptical about turquoise, despite Pantone’s glowing recommendation. Being such a bold color, it might be difficult to pull off in anything except a t-shirt without giving the impression that you’re experiencing some sort of crisis.
Don’t get too discouraged though, if you still want to add a pinch of green/blue to your dress shirt stable, there’s always turquoise’s more respectable older brother, teal. Less bright and in-your-face than turquoise, teal still invites comparison with the Polynesian retreats and gemstones. It’s definitely still a casual shirt color, so plan to leave it at home during office hours. On the weekend though, teal looks great with dark washed jeans, sandals and red hair (if you’ve got it).
Unfortunately turquoise may still have some work to do before it reaches the same level of credibility in the world of men’s shirts as blue or green – but people said the same thing about pink twenty years ago, and look how far it’s come. In the meantime though, we’ll settle with appreciating turquoise from a safe distance.
Tags: Casual Wear, Color News, Color Of The Year, Shirt Color, Turquoise
