Stylish guys in pink

Casual cool

Perhaps the easiest way to get some pink into the mix is via the medium of leisurewear. It’s a style lesson that was perfectly demonstrated by the casuals on the football terraces of the early 80s. The subculture’s meticulously styled minimalist pieces in pastel tones is a look worth tapping right now – Oliver Cheshire’s pink trackies are a solid starting point, although the blazer-over-track-jacket up top is a front-row affectation you can choose to ignore, if you wish.

Easy does it

This isn’t about a style lobotomy – wear pink in the kind of masculine cuts you’d otherwise wear and with the items you’re already repping. Do as Travis Scott does and invest in an oversized, utilitarian-style denim jacket, or simply throw on an oversized hot-pink bowling shirt with your ripped black skinny jeans like Wiz Khalifa.

Flower up

For unenlightened souls, the fear of wearing pink is that it has an 'effeminate' subtext (whatever that means). For the rest, it’s simply a case of styling the shade with confidence and individuality. So for those who have mastered the colour, getting florals in the mix is an easy transition. Leading the patterned parade is Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, who has persuaded everyone from Tyga to Harry Styles to wear his floral suits and appliquéd flared jeans, while it’s no surprise that Wiz – a disciple of both pink hues and the floral shirt – has combined the two styles to strong effect. Toughen yours up with leather and denim for rockstar-worthy steez. 

If in doubt, accessorise

Not ready to commit to a head-to-toe ensemble? Focus on the accessories. A shot of pastel pink, via a cap or trainers, is an easy way to give personality to a simple monochrome outfit. Here, Tyler, The Creator nails it with a powerful pastel baseball cap on top of a complementary, subtly ice-cream-flavoured ‘fit.

Sharpen it up

Pink shirts are not just the domain of Gordon Gekko-type city boys. A pale-pink button-up plays especially well with classic tailoring – perfect with a deep blue suit and dark brown shoes. Choose a shirt with a cutaway collar and a slim-fit to keep things nice and modern. Paul Rudd kicks it up a notch further, piecing together bluey green, pale pink and chocolate brown for a unique take on smart that stands out for the right reasons.

Try dusty hues

We’ve already celebrated the benefits of a dusty, sun-bleached take on rosy tones via the new Desert Pink trend. The beauty of these dirty blush tones is that they look sophisticated when offset with neutral tones like khaki or navy – a boxy tee, like Jaden Smith’s, under a bleached-out denim jacket is an easy way to lift your breezy downtime style into something Scandi-cool while smashing the heck out of AW16’s key colour palette.