Above: Old Navy Wool Blend Blazer, Banana Republic Merino V-Neck, Express 1MX.
Orange gets no respect. No one drives an Orange car (there are exceptions.) Red heads get picked on. And the Burnt Sienna Crayon always went unused in the box of Crayolas.
The key is moderation. If you’ll be covering a good chunk of your body in this color, stay away from true, Syracuse-style-orange, and stick with colors that are more copper or rust. If you want something as bright as a bag of carrots, limit its use by way of accessories, clothes you’ll layer over, or sub colors in patterns. Still not a believer? Examples follow. Just don’t wear these all at once or you’ll sprain an optic nerve.
The Sweater: Banana Republic Merino V-Neck – $44.62 w/ BRBOOST ($59.50)
One of the best V-necks out there. BR is perpetually on sale, but their Merino V-necks are honestly worth full price (just don’t tell them.) Wait for a code of course. 25% off is good. 30% off is usually worth jumping on. The collars on these don’t dip super deep like their silk/cotton/cashmeres. Slightly fitted. Could be tighter, but if you’ve got a little around the middle, then you’ll be happy. Perfect under a black moleskin, blue wool or cotton, or grey tweed blazer. 25% off code BRBOOST expires 1/31.
The Tie: Thomas Pink Made in Italy Silk Knit Tie – $59.00 ($105)
Still a splurge ($59 for a tie is pricey for most of us) but made in Italy and the silk knit is something that can work year round. Notice that even though it’s a minor piece, like a tie, the dominant color isn’t orange. Wear it with a medium to lighter grey suit. Extra points if it’s flannel.
The Pants: L.L. Bean Signature Bean’s Canvas Cloth Pant – $69.00
Expensive, but the perfect blend of not too baggy and not too slim. Leaning more towards roomy, but if you’ve got bigger legs, then you’ll appreciate the extra room in the thighs. Straight legs. Great darker orange color. Ships free and plenty sturdy. Hang out for a 15% off (or even 20% off) code and you could end up real happy. (Want a much trimmer fit? Go with Rugby’s Vintage University Chino. The color is more of a true orange, but they cost just under $40.)
The Dopp Kit: Marc New York Canvas Dopp Kit – $19.97 ($59.50)
Hard to get more subtle than a bag that’s inside of a bigger bag most of the time. Tough to find in this color, but the Marc New York Canvas Dopp Kit is a combination of waxed canvas and leather trim. That’ll do.
The Socks: Gap Thick Stripe Socks – $7.50
They’re like Target’s Merona socks. Only a few bucks more expensive. Don’t pay full price. Wait for a sale. And even then, maybe wait until you need something to tip you over the $50 free shipping threshold for another item.
The Watch: Seiko Orange Monster – $170 – $200
A favorite of the dive watch / affordable automatic crowd. Beastly in it’s proportions without getting too big across the dial. Rubber band, nice thick bezel, and the orange dial sets it all off. Image credit: Daystar
The Shoes: Hawkings McGill Wingtip Boots – $54.99 ($88)
Deceptively good looking for the price. Hell, GQ even featured them in a slideshow (not sure if the photog/editors knew how cheap they are before they snapped the shots.) They’ve held up extremely well for me with one exception. The toes scratch up easily, but a bit of colored shoe creme will hide that damage. A steal for the price. Jeans. Awfully good with jeans. Ships free since U.O. gets it to you at $50. Full review here.
The Bag: ASOS Canvas Barrel Bag – $31.33 ($62.67)
Cheap. Real cheap. And at 23×16.5×13.4 it’s got some good size to it too. Big enough for the gym and then some.
Do you stay far away from orange? Should anything be added to the list? Leave it below…