Q and A with Teri Agins
By TERI AGINS Repost of WSJ.COM
Q: I am in Southern California and almost always in white jeans, which I wear with boots and turtlenecks in the winter. My girlfriend surprised me with a gift of yellow skinny jeans, because she said I need some more variation. I am thinking that they will look good and more manly if I wear them the preppy way. And any ideas about jeans in other colors?
—J.P., Orange County, Calif.
When it comes to colored pants on men, I’m partial to straight-legged jeans or narrow pants cut like jeans, instead of baggy trousers that look like they belong on a golf course.
You’re right that most guys will feel at ease pairing their bright-shade bottoms with classic, preppy trimmings: oxford button-down shirts with the sleeves rolled up, all kinds of polo shirts, perhaps a navy blazer and boat shoes or loafers without socks.
But how about topping off your yellow jeans with some unexpected continental flair?
Try a tissue-thin gauze or linen shirt or an Indian-cotton madras plaid shirt. Do choose a darker shirt—deep taupe, navy, army green—with your burnt orange jeans. Instead of the usual blazer, go rugged with a beat-up jean jacket or a khaki safari jacket. When it comes to vibrant colors, never go matchy-matchy; that’s just hokey.
Mellow out, guys. Don’t be afraid of jeans in yellow and other colors. Once you treat them like neutral khakis or denims, you’ll discover how many shirt shades go surprisingly well with them.
Why not pick up a couple of fun summer colors for yourself
See the complete set on my Facebook page Thanks to my Friends at Corbin for the looks