Muted On Muted - Be Careful Not To Wash Yourself Out

As Australians approach autumn and then winter it is very important that you consider how you are going to play with the seasons. If we are to go by what was hot in Europe this winter, the strongest image I got was of browns, greys and muted blues in suedes and corduroys from the Tod's new menswear range. Whilst I love muted colours and feel that these kinds of clothes conjure up images of the 60's and 70's, of Alpine ski fields and vintage brown Porsche targas, there is a problem I have with too much of those soft and muted colours and not having enough colour. I believe that when you solid block these colours, for example a grey flannel trouser, a grey turtle neck and a brown suede jacket, you can start to look too heavy and dark as though you ought to be on your way to your analyst rather than a party.

To remedy looking too dark and too foreboding it's necessary to use a contrast fabric to your wool or suede and the ideal fabric is of course either brightly coloured cotton or silk. The brightness of silk, as we are often told by luminaries like Will Boehlke of A Suitable Wardrobe, is what offsets the muted colours of wool and it is for this reason that one often uses a silk pocket square or tie to balance the softer colours of wool. In saying this, however, as wool has become finer and finer over the last three decades, wool tends to be more sheer and therefore refracts more light. Where you are using a super 150's or more fine wool, my advice is that you don't need as bright a colour on your silk as you might have used in the past has when your wool was duller.

Overall, coming into autumn first, the trends seem to be browns and greys this season and to wear a suit with either a long sleeve polo or turtle neck. If you choose either of these combinations, my advice is to wear something in your pocket, on your lapel or around your neck to break up the depths of colour.

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