Menswear has a weird relationship with colour. While womenswear embraces the bright and the beautiful, most guy’s wardrobes are built around the neutral trifecta – navy, grey and black. But things are changing. This anything-goes style moment, in which side-stripe joggers with a blazer has become a perfectly fine work outfit, has also ushered in a chance – nay, an obligation – to explore new regions of the colour wheel.

Now, we’re assuming that you’ve already mastered the neutrals-plus-colour formula. So it’s time you graduated to some more complex colour equations. These combinations all require a nuanced application of colour theory, as well as the careful selection of the perfect pieces, textures and environments to make sure they land.

Luckily, we’ve got two expert minds on speed dial, who’ve broken down the whats, the whys and the wheres of six surprising or oft-overlooked colour combinations that actually work.

Red And Pink

Colour theory says to avoid shades that are too close together, especially when they’re both fairly attention-grabbing. Luke McDonald, from men’s styling service Thread, disagrees. “Pink and red is a surprisingly easy summer combination. It’s the kind of thing that forward-thinking designers like Raf Simons like to throw into their collections.”

However, because the hues are so close, you need to dial up the contrast with your tones. “For the pink, try something on the pale end of things, like rose. Then the red is best if it’s almost scarlet, bordering on wine-coloured.”

Dunhill

Wear Tt To: A Festival

There are no neutrals here, so it’s best to minimise the amount of fabric on show, ideally in a place where skin – and eye-catching outfits – are the norm. “With a pink T-shirt and red shorts you’ll look punchy without having to fuss too much with prints or details.”