Orange: New manly hue

Sarah Young

An all-orange getup hasn’t always called to mind the most stylish of images — instead conjuring apparitions of traffic cones, bygone Tango ads or “Hot Mugshot Guy” Jeremy Meeks — but this season it looks like a heavy dose of vitamin C is in order.

A colour that was shunned by sartorial naysayers post 1990s rave scene, without much warning designers have chosen to revive the fruity hue and embrace bold jolts of orange in their autumn/winter collections.

While the mood typically revolves around designers muting their tones in favour of more earthy shades, designers have flipped that on its head. Instead, shades of dark rust, vermillion and bright citrus orange are being hailed as the key colours of the season.

One of the most convincing takes comes from Givenchy, where designer Riccardo Tisci confessed that after nine years of darkness, he had finally come into the light.

Here, midnight blue tailoring was finished with oversized contrasting buttons in burnt orange while status shirts came out in bright graphic chevron motifs and an all-over cagoule coat with matching bottoms.

Similarly, Dior Homme made reference to 1990s rave and illegal warehouse parties with shots of fluro orange adorning everything from full-length waistcoats to wide leg trousers and a floor-sweeping leather mac.

But, how do you pull off this trend IRL without feeling like a total jailbird?

While the runway presented some show-stopping tonal ensembles, we suggest they stay right there. Instead, ease yourself into the shade one piece at a time and always pair with black, navy or grey seasonal staples. If you’re still a bit wary of veering into Oompa Loompa territory, then use the colour as an accent with a touch of clementine on a T-shirt, a flash of orange on a backpack or even a cool pair of trainers.