DIFFERENT SHADES OF BROWN

Donning the preferred colour of the geography professor without looking like a ’ 70s throwback.

All actions will have an opposite reaction. This might explain why, even as global trends keep nudging us towards evercrazier looks, there’s a certain countercurrent favouring a return to smart, sensible menswear choices that have nothing to do with oversized shoulders or brick-like sneakers. And the most classic and no-nonsense colour in the menswear palette must surely be brown – one of the It colours of the season.

There’s no need to fear looking like an academic from the Humanities department in the ’ 70s. Make brown look right now with these styling tricks from our favourite designer runways: • Pair classic tan tailored pieces with crisp basics such as jeans and a white T-shirt. • Alternatively, pair modern utilitarian separates – such as an outdoorsy jacket – in taupe with a navy pinstripe suit. • Play with proportions: Cropped and boxy, and fi nished with clean hems, a tobacco-coloured leather jacket at Berluti looks modern, not Marlboro Man. • Pick an item with an unusual fabric treatment that is light years away from old-fashioned, like a two-tone quilted coat by Hermes, made from the brand’s exclusive lightweight and water-resistant Toilbright fabric.