5 Easy Ways to Introduce Color to Your Outfits

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You can’t blame a man for playing safe with his wardrobe. After all, it’s difficult to mess up an outfit when you're dealing with neutral tones and monochromes. But introduce one wrong color and your look can snowball into a total fashion disaster.

Yet the right dash of color can spell the difference between a boring outfit for a nine-to-five desk job and a sharp ensemble for after-work drinks. As long as you know how to pick the right shade, it's a lot easier than you think. You can start by tweaking the color palette of these common elements in your look:

Socks are the new ties—use them to make a statement.

The men of your dad’s generation would rely on neckties to add personality to otherwise bland daily workwear. Today, though, it’s all about the socks. Rocking a bright pair can make a basic outfit pop, so you’re going to want to keep a few of them in your arsenal. Finish off a dark-colored outfit with socks in bright colors—think an eye-catching yellow or red—for emphasis. If you’re feeling especially brave, consider a few prints, too.

When you do need to reach for a tie, make sure it has character.

When it comes to suits, it’s navy or gray all day. But that doesn’t mean that you always have to reach for that same white shirt-red tie combo. Ties in colors like orange, pink, and green are a good way of switching up shirts and suit jackets in lighter shades, while a more vibrant yellow goes well with darker outfits.

Get creative with your watch face and straps.

Granted: Patterned socks and power ties just aren’t for everyone. What’s a man to do if he lacks the sartorial courage? Look to your wrist. You can take your timepiece to the next level by replacing a plain watch strap with a striped grosgrain band or spending a bit more for a dial with a solid color.

The bag has to match the outfit (not the other way around).

Your bag is as much a part of your outfit as any piece in your look. As with anything else, neutral colors are foolproof—but a little turn with the color wheel will help any man master the basic hues and gradually play around with louder colors and materials. From bags in neutral tones like brown, you can move into bright yellow and orange territory—they’re a great match for black and dark blue outfits.

A nice pair of sneakers is enough to anchor an entire look.

Your kicks might be the easiest things to play with in terms of color: Just look at how dress shoes are being worn casually and sneakers are now being paired with formal wear. Black and white have always been the go-tos for safe shirt-and-shoe coordination, but flashier and old-school colorways are quietly and quickly making a comeback. An interesting entry point into vivid footwear is a lush green or a brighter blue.

There are plenty of ways to elevate your style through color—it’s as simple as stocking up on the right accessories and injecting your wardrobe with some color, little by little. You’d be surprised how much splashes of color can change the way you dress, and it’s true for other aspects of your life too. Beyond personal style, color can bring life to the things you enjoy. The new limited edition McDonald’s 2019 Coke Glasses, for instance, have all the colors you need to liven up your cupboard.

The Coke Glasses come in six colors: Gray, Green, Blue, Pink, Peach, and Purple. To get a collectible glass of your choice, just add P45 to any meal with a Coca Cola drink. These will be available nationwide starting October 11 – so visit your nearest McDonald’s now!

For more information, you can visit the McDonald’s website.