Historically, pink has always been a niche role player in menswear. Spring/Summer formalwear has embraced pink along with various pastels to fight the heat for nearly a century. Hawaiian shirts brought a dash of pink to the scene in the 1940s. Preppies have embraced pink since the 1960s in sporting garments. Streetwear proliferated pink over the past decade for it’s boldness when contrasted with muted colors. Lessons can be learned from all these genres to create a coherent guide to wearing pink.
Pink attire should be handled with care. Like a good dinner guest, its company should be enjoyed without becoming the center of attention. A sharper pink makes a good accent piece and shouldn’t take up too much space. It should be an accessory or a detail on a garment. This works best when paired with darker, cool colors like navy blue or black.
A medium pink can be afforded more real estate. Solid colored garments and bolder stripes (ideally paired with white) work well in this instance as the only pink in the outfit. This can apply to all accessories as well and are the best option when pairing multiples pink items. These pinks cover the widest range of shades and hues. A chalkier matte pink goes best with jeans and khaki pants. While a baby pink is ideally used with preppy pieces like polos and rugbys.
The third category is the most versatile and approachable. A washed-out pink provides a Swiss Army Knife range of uses. These pinks are subtle enough to be the foundation of an outfit and work best in solids. They can be hoodies, pants, t-shirts, button-down shirts, shoes and pretty much anything else. These are also the best pinks to pair with other lighter and pastel colors. As accessories they can pretty much go with anything. Countless retailers offer options right off the shelf but there is no substitute for a pink that has been faded by the sands of time. Second hand shops and the plethora of fashion resale websites are the best way to find an authentically washed-out pink piece. Above all else, a washed-out pink’s best friend is navy blue.