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Is this the summer of “cute”?

May 22, 2013 By Joe | Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head here to learn more.

Items above from left: Bonobos Green Gingham Blazer – $298, B.R. Milly Collection Short – $?, Brooks Brothers “Red Fleece” color block polo – $69.50 

What used to be the random sightings of a go-to-hell pattern or color, has since turned into dandy heaven. Or My Little Pony.

Spring/Summer 2013 in men’s clothing has hit warp drive when it comes to cute. Floral patterns. Pastels. Needlepoint and more. Some of this in small doses is no surprise. But a pink floral pattern or a Portlandiaish subtle Bird Print used to be something that was only found at Dress Barn… not on a guy’s shirt. Designers are now layering patterns on top of bright colors. Instead of limiting this tactic to small things like accessories, they’re making big pieces like shirts and jackets in this style.  Some guys are even wearing a few of these pieces at the same time. It’s not just loud, it’s loud².

Do we have Dwyane Wade and Russel Westbrook to blame?

Or thank?

Dwyane Wade, who we all know is a seriously successful guy, can’t even get away with this.

In the not too distant past, if a guy “dared” to wear a pink tie, meat heads in visual range would assume they knew something about Mr Pink’s sexual orientation.

But this isn’t about sexual orientation. Not in the least. This is about being taken seriously. And gay, straight, or somewhere inbetween, can you take someone in a hot pink blazer all-that seriously? Maybe kinda seriously. But really seriously?

What about the wedding guest who shows up to the ceremony wearing a bright bow tie, yellow pants, and a seersucker blazer? Is he really going to get a bridesmaid’s or groomsman’s number dressed like that? What if he strikes up a conversation with some higher-up at a company he respects during the reception? Would he get his business card?

You can look sharp in white pants. You can look sharp in a bow tie. You can look sharp in shoes that are a color other than brown or black. But it’s awfully hard to look sharp if you appear like you just guest starred on Pee Wee’s playhouse.

Thoughts from you guys? Where do you draw the line for yourself? Take one or two “risks” but no more in the same outfit? Or is there really no line at all? Leave it all in the comments.

Filed Under: Accessories, Clothing

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Comments

  1. kryogenix says

    May 22, 2013 at 4:51 AM

    Those all look horrible. I never got into trends. I like a more traditional look.

  2. LolaB says

    May 22, 2013 at 5:04 AM

    Some people can pull it off, others can’t. If we’re judging by taking each other seriously, I’ll still go with the yellow pants and seersucker over a way-too-baggy shirt and tie box set with pants that are 3 inches too long.

  3. Evan Phillips says

    May 22, 2013 at 5:16 AM

    I like my bright stuff, but I can’t go with print patterns…. And one bright item per outfit.

    When I wear my bright blue, red, or orange pants the shirt is going to be pretty subdued. If I wear my loud madras shirt I’m wearing “normal” colored pants (faded blue, khaki, black, etc.).

  4. Douglas Wylie says

    May 22, 2013 at 5:34 AM

    Once upon a time, people wore hideous clothing and convinced each other it looked “good”. As that decade ended, those people looked with shame and acknowledged that it was in fact hideous. Please do not repeat this.

  5. Jay says

    May 22, 2013 at 5:40 AM

    My sense is that pastel pants and floral print shirts have a pretty short half life.

  6. Mike N says

    May 22, 2013 at 5:56 AM

    I don’t mind bright colors in moderation, but this is just ridiculous. Those shorts….awful.

  7. pierrot says

    May 22, 2013 at 6:07 AM

    But the “traditional look” IS the current trend! TWIST!

  8. rnjbond says

    May 22, 2013 at 6:38 AM

    I’m all about colour, but there are certain areas that just work better. A pair of pants is a better canvas for red than a jacket. And a red jacket with a gingham pattern is pushing it just too far.

    And big colour once per outfit. Red pants? Fine, but use a neutral or white shirt with it.

  9. Who Me? says

    May 22, 2013 at 6:47 AM

    I actually bought the Red Chambray Blazer and matching pants from Bonobos. Surprisingly they are much more dialed back than they show on their website. In addition, I have worn the matching pants and blazer to work on a local military post. I was not taken any less seriously than I had when I wore one of my other suits.

    However since then I have only been wearing one piece at a time. Personally I really like the color and think its a great choice for spring/summer time. I do agree though some of these items companies are producing are just plain outrageous.

  10. Patrick Patro Lind Lino says

    May 22, 2013 at 7:02 AM

    If you strike up a convo with a big wig from, say, a style or magazine blog then yes wearing a bright colored bow-tie might not be such a bad look. However if you were talking to a law firm then shrewdness in dress might come to mind. The point is it really depends on who your audience is to determine what sort of reaction one would get.

  11. DXLi says

    May 22, 2013 at 7:10 AM

    This is why we’re in dire need of a really outrageous style icon like Liberace, so everyone can get their fix of sartorial train wrecks without actually participating. Styles are like emotions here. Without a source of reliable catharsis, we are doomed to breakdowns of the velvety variety.

  12. Matt says

    May 22, 2013 at 7:28 AM

    Not sure if you’ve noticed or not, but Bonobos is all about bold color choices. For every pair of tan chinos, there are 3 shades of pink, and veritable rainbow of other colors. For every navy blue blazer, there are half a dozen brightly colored ones. Heck even their plainer colors tend to hide a bright pocket liner somewhere. I think it’s good. Orange chinos may not be a good staple, but it’s nice to have some flamboyant options, and Bonobos is definitely good for that.

  13. JacksonNC says

    May 22, 2013 at 7:40 AM

    I think some color and pattern is good. Key word here is SOME. I have two pairs of GTH pants, one teal, one red. I wear them consistently, but not constantly, and when I do, they are paired with subtle items that compliment the color, without saying, “Hey, look at me everyone…everyone, hey, why are you looking over there, I’m over here!” I don’t wear them often enough that it becomes a “curated look” and no one, that I know of, refers to me as, “that guy with crazy pants.” But, when I do wear them, I almost always get sincere compliments (well, they seem sincere anyway). I won’t wear them to a wedding (the wedding party should stand out at the wedding, not the guests), and I won’t wear them to work on a day when a scenario could possibly arise where GTH pants might be considered disrespectful (interviewing a potential candidate, lunch with the boss, etc.).

  14. jdw says

    May 22, 2013 at 7:44 AM

    It’s not just about who can pull it off, but where they can pull it off. If you live outside of a major urban center, a lot of these things don’t work in the least. But inside the big cities, so many more things seem to work than out.

  15. jdw says

    May 22, 2013 at 7:45 AM

    Floral print shirts are forever… if you’re James May.

  16. ARP says

    May 22, 2013 at 8:13 AM

    Exactly- the current trend is what I’m calling amplified preppy.

  17. ARP says

    May 22, 2013 at 8:15 AM

    This is a good general style rule- if you want a showcase (bright shoes, bold pattern shirt, etc.) item, everything else should be more traditional/subdued.

  18. Dan says

    May 22, 2013 at 8:36 AM

    I don’t understand the repeated use of the word “serious.” The silly patterns and bright colors are meant, I’m sure, to evoke the joie de vivre of the season, and while most of it isn’t up my alley, scorning it for not being “serious” is kind of like criticizing “Hogan’s Heroes” for not accurately portraying life in a prisoner of war camp.

  19. pfmicks says

    May 22, 2013 at 8:40 AM

    Don’t know about yall, but I’m kinda diggin that Bonobos green gingham blazer. Pair it with some off white jeans, and maybe even a muted color t-shirt underneath and your all set. IMO perfect for the 90+degree wedding reception, or a casual date, or just hanging out at the beach. It’s bright enough to grab people’s attention…but in a good way, as long as it’s paired with other items that are toned down.

  20. Joe says

    May 22, 2013 at 9:12 AM

    I don’t know if I totally agree. Completely see where you’re coming from, but the latter situation seems to be a guy who just doesn’t know. I think we were all there at some point.

  21. Joe says

    May 22, 2013 at 9:15 AM

    I don’t think scorn is the right word. Wear the crazy colors. Go nuts if you wanna. Hogan’s Heroes was a comedy. All depends on whether or not the wearer wants to be… a walking comedy? (There is, of course, an inbetween)

  22. Matt says

    May 22, 2013 at 9:41 AM

    ONCE?! Are you talking about the 1960s paisleys? Or maybe the 1970s uhm.. everything, Maybe you are talking about 1980s Neons? 1990s plaids? The 2000s near as I can figure recycled damned near every style of the previous century, especially the 1980s, but didn’t seem tohave a clear style of it’s own, then again give it 20 years, maybe we will have enough perspective to define an overarching trend. Now here we are into the teens, and bright colors seem to be “coming back”, but were they ever really gone? I would argue that bright colors and bold patterns have always been and always will be an option for the sartorially adventurous amongst us, and there will always be khaki and navy for the conservative types.

  23. lesbryant says

    May 22, 2013 at 9:46 AM

    As an elderly southern gent once told me “if you are going uptown, look like you are going uptown!) While I do like most of these, the places where they are not appropriate greatly outnumber those where they are.

  24. LolaB says

    May 22, 2013 at 10:07 AM

    Indeed. Living in southern Alabama, my yellow pants have garnered a few odd looks, but pretty much anything without “Wrangler” stamped on the rear will do that here.

  25. LolaB says

    May 22, 2013 at 10:08 AM

    I still appreciate the attempt, even if someone else’s taste doesn’t match mine.

  26. Sigtweed & Corduroy says

    May 22, 2013 at 1:18 PM

    I don’t think there is one clear question being asked, and they are unfairly being grouped together I think. “Can you be take seriously?” and “Would you wear this?” are two very different questions and are unrelated. Both are highly individual and skewed by personal preference. Plus, they’re highly subjective based on environment. Loud plaids and colors at a bank meeting? Probably not. But at a more “fashion-forward” event or party? Sure. Do geographical constraints and habits apply? Absolutely.

    For the record, yes I like bold choices, but in medium and small doses. A simple foundation is critical but then upon it personal choices, of varying degrees, can be laid. That’s my take.

  27. Justin Brown says

    May 22, 2013 at 1:18 PM

    Living in one of the trendiest places on Earth, Williamsburg Brooklyn, I see a lot of this going on right now and I don’t have the brass ones to even attempt it. Bright multicolored paisley short sleeve button ups and wingtips? To me it’s confusing and too missmatchy. It’s almost like wearing something completely normal around here is being different and unique. Doesn’t translate for most other places in the country though.

  28. Aaron Chang says

    May 22, 2013 at 2:48 PM

    +134525824435 points for the James May reference

  29. Joe says

    May 22, 2013 at 4:23 PM

    I think there’s a time and a place to attempt. There’s a sliding scale though, and it’s really situational, and… well, y’know. Complications of course.

  30. Megaman says

    May 22, 2013 at 4:45 PM

    I love this “summer of cute.” First off, cool prints and bold colors are now available at lower prices from almost everyone. Before, if you wanted a floral shirt, you had to buy it from Paul Smith. Now you can get one from gap or jc Penney. Second, the outrageousness of mixing polka dots with neon green is good for everyone because it stretches the bounds of what is “normal”; it recenters what an average guy can wear. If a dandy’s combinations pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable, then wearing a polka dot shirt with jeans doesn’t become too weird for everyone else.

  31. Chris Phillips says

    May 22, 2013 at 5:14 PM

    I appreciate your elegant, fair writing about the subtopic of sexual oritentation and clothes here.

  32. Chris Phillips says

    May 22, 2013 at 5:15 PM

    Bonobos must make small quantities of some of this very outrageous stuff? It seems like a smart marketing play for editorial coverage.

  33. Matt says

    May 22, 2013 at 9:40 PM

    Yes, some of the stuff, is limited edition, to celebrate a holiday, etc. They don’t expect to sell a lot of it, but it is good marketing. Flag chinos, and “Fast Breaks” breakaway basketball chinos are 2 examples of that limited edition stuff they come out with each year.

  34. theYeti says

    May 23, 2013 at 8:57 AM

    Very astute, and a lot more succinct than the reply I was attempting to compose.

  35. theYeti says

    May 23, 2013 at 8:59 AM

    Repost this every decade, please.

  36. Zeejet says

    May 23, 2013 at 1:50 PM

    Summer is a time for pastels and colors in solids and simple patterns. There is license to add color, but NOT a license to go wild with patterns (I personally don’t think you should ever go wild with pattern).

  37. Sigtweed & Corduroy says

    May 23, 2013 at 3:26 PM

    Ha, thanks.

  38. Sigtweed & Corduroy says

    May 23, 2013 at 3:27 PM

    This is wonderfully stated.

  39. Alan Skinner says

    May 24, 2013 at 9:40 AM

    This needs to die…

  40. Kiel West says

    May 24, 2013 at 9:59 AM

    I live in Idaho. So all of this is completely impossible.

  41. Matt says

    May 28, 2013 at 6:37 AM

    When I was in college I had a pair of old worn out jump boots that I spray painted pink, and I wore them. I wore them to a punk show, and people warned me “man don’t wear pink combat boots to a punk show you’ll get the sh*t kicked out of you”. What happened instead? “Man you wore pink combat boots to a punk show? You’ve got balls of steel!” Had I showed up in black boots, no one would have ever even noticed me at all. So you see, sometimes being taken seriously is about not being afraid to take risks.

  42. Mustafa Kacar says

    May 28, 2013 at 11:30 AM

    Have to keep it classic with a twist. These don’t work for me.

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