<p>Vibrant colours have always been the territory of women but not anymore. Coloured jeans and chinos for men are making a big splash this season, observes Ankita Sengupta</p>.<p>.<br /><br />Hair gelled carefully into soft spikes, an aviator perched on the nose, crisp white shirt, with sleeves rolled up almost to the elbows, and bright green jeans...<br /><br />Getting over the fact that the classic combo of white shirt with blue jeans has been abandoned for a green one can take some time. But while the previous combination has been considered by everyone as an epitome of classic fashion, coloured jeans add a little character to the look.<br /><br />Colours, especially in vibrant shades of blue, yellow, and red had mostly been considered the territory of women and perhaps of the actor, Govinda. Men found both comfort and style in dull and subdued colours but now, there has been a rising interest in coloured accessory for men and now coloured clothing, especially the pantaloons. Also, now men are not limited to formal trousers, jeans, and shorts. There are cargos, dhoti pants, and chinos, all of which are available in various colours.<br /><br />Although a few fashion brands did experiment with colours for men a few years back but there were very few takers. At that time, thanks to Bollywood stereotypes, the common perception was that you had to be either a woman or gay to wear coloured jeans. A man had to be “macho” and something as “feminine” as coloured jeans would only pull down the show of masculinity. But gradually, these jeans found favour, thanks to Saif Ali Khan and his tribe of metrosexual men. Now these jeans have developed to becoming the wardrobe essential of many. The younger crop of actors, too have started favouring feminine colours, even pink. Remember how dapper Imran Khan looked in his salmon pink suit in MTV music video awards this year?<br /><br />Men have now become more comfortable with wearing colours, they do not feel that wearing a light shade of pink will make them look feminine. Instead it is this feminine side that some have embraced freely. <br /><br />It also doesn’t hurt that in a crowd of men dressed in dull colours, wearing a coloured chinos will actually grab eyeballs. Be it bright red, yellow or dark purple, coloured trousers are a trend this summer.<br /><br />For college students, be it coloured jeans or chinos, it is just a chance to break away from their regular avatars. Jeans are considered synonymous with the colour blue, but thanks to the coloured jeans, they can now can try whacky experiments with their looks. What’s more, they don’t seem to attribute this fashion to being “metrosexual” or “gay”. <br /><br />However, there are some who would prefer to play it safe. They find wearing coloured jeans, silly. “No offense to people who do wear them but wearing coloured jeans is a funny way to look cool,” they think. And some others find it downright disgusting. “Coloured jeans and chinos for men? What next! Floral prints?” they respond, in utter horror.<br /><br />Much as some love it and others love to hate it, men have started experimenting with colours. Be it coloured jeans, chinos or even suits, it sure seems that men’s fashion is bound to become more colourful this season.<br /><br />Most people tend to think that coloured trousers can only make a person look funky. However, if worn with the right combinations, coloured trousers can not only be funky, but casual, and semi-formal. Here is how you can go about it:<br /><br />The casual look<br /><br />You can opt for cargos, chinos or jeans in shades of green, maroon, ochre or even electric blue and team it up with a white or any other neutral coloured t-shirt. You can also try light pink coloured chinos, if you are up for experimenting. Keep the footwear simple; you can either go for canvas shoes or in case you want the extreme casual look, choose the slippers.<br /><br />The semi-formal look<br /><br />Go for the darker shades, burgundy or bottle green should do well. Team it up with a neutral coloured shirt. It doesn’t matter if the shirt is patterned but it should not be loud. You can throw on a dark blazer to look more formal and as for the footwear, you can try wearing loafers or leather shoes.<br /><br />The funky look<br /><br />The trick is to stay away from wearing too many colours; else it will just spoil the funkiness.<br />Even if you want to colour block, stick to only two colours or else you can end up looking like a candy! Instead of adding more colours, concentrate on the accessories. A chunky watch, nerdy glasses, a satchel or even a hat can give a boost to the funk quotient.</p>
<p>Vibrant colours have always been the territory of women but not anymore. Coloured jeans and chinos for men are making a big splash this season, observes Ankita Sengupta</p>.<p>.<br /><br />Hair gelled carefully into soft spikes, an aviator perched on the nose, crisp white shirt, with sleeves rolled up almost to the elbows, and bright green jeans...<br /><br />Getting over the fact that the classic combo of white shirt with blue jeans has been abandoned for a green one can take some time. But while the previous combination has been considered by everyone as an epitome of classic fashion, coloured jeans add a little character to the look.<br /><br />Colours, especially in vibrant shades of blue, yellow, and red had mostly been considered the territory of women and perhaps of the actor, Govinda. Men found both comfort and style in dull and subdued colours but now, there has been a rising interest in coloured accessory for men and now coloured clothing, especially the pantaloons. Also, now men are not limited to formal trousers, jeans, and shorts. There are cargos, dhoti pants, and chinos, all of which are available in various colours.<br /><br />Although a few fashion brands did experiment with colours for men a few years back but there were very few takers. At that time, thanks to Bollywood stereotypes, the common perception was that you had to be either a woman or gay to wear coloured jeans. A man had to be “macho” and something as “feminine” as coloured jeans would only pull down the show of masculinity. But gradually, these jeans found favour, thanks to Saif Ali Khan and his tribe of metrosexual men. Now these jeans have developed to becoming the wardrobe essential of many. The younger crop of actors, too have started favouring feminine colours, even pink. Remember how dapper Imran Khan looked in his salmon pink suit in MTV music video awards this year?<br /><br />Men have now become more comfortable with wearing colours, they do not feel that wearing a light shade of pink will make them look feminine. Instead it is this feminine side that some have embraced freely. <br /><br />It also doesn’t hurt that in a crowd of men dressed in dull colours, wearing a coloured chinos will actually grab eyeballs. Be it bright red, yellow or dark purple, coloured trousers are a trend this summer.<br /><br />For college students, be it coloured jeans or chinos, it is just a chance to break away from their regular avatars. Jeans are considered synonymous with the colour blue, but thanks to the coloured jeans, they can now can try whacky experiments with their looks. What’s more, they don’t seem to attribute this fashion to being “metrosexual” or “gay”. <br /><br />However, there are some who would prefer to play it safe. They find wearing coloured jeans, silly. “No offense to people who do wear them but wearing coloured jeans is a funny way to look cool,” they think. And some others find it downright disgusting. “Coloured jeans and chinos for men? What next! Floral prints?” they respond, in utter horror.<br /><br />Much as some love it and others love to hate it, men have started experimenting with colours. Be it coloured jeans, chinos or even suits, it sure seems that men’s fashion is bound to become more colourful this season.<br /><br />Most people tend to think that coloured trousers can only make a person look funky. However, if worn with the right combinations, coloured trousers can not only be funky, but casual, and semi-formal. Here is how you can go about it:<br /><br />The casual look<br /><br />You can opt for cargos, chinos or jeans in shades of green, maroon, ochre or even electric blue and team it up with a white or any other neutral coloured t-shirt. You can also try light pink coloured chinos, if you are up for experimenting. Keep the footwear simple; you can either go for canvas shoes or in case you want the extreme casual look, choose the slippers.<br /><br />The semi-formal look<br /><br />Go for the darker shades, burgundy or bottle green should do well. Team it up with a neutral coloured shirt. It doesn’t matter if the shirt is patterned but it should not be loud. You can throw on a dark blazer to look more formal and as for the footwear, you can try wearing loafers or leather shoes.<br /><br />The funky look<br /><br />The trick is to stay away from wearing too many colours; else it will just spoil the funkiness.<br />Even if you want to colour block, stick to only two colours or else you can end up looking like a candy! Instead of adding more colours, concentrate on the accessories. A chunky watch, nerdy glasses, a satchel or even a hat can give a boost to the funk quotient.</p>
