If there was ever a time to bring a bit more colour into your personal style, it’s right now. Because while Pantone may have crowned “Cloud Dancer” (a.k.a. grey) as its Colour of the Year, the industry insiders buying, selling, and styling menswear are seeing something bolder.
“I think we’re slowly coming out of a colour recession,” says Nick Roethel, brand manager for the Vancouver-based menswear retailer Haven. “The last five years or so have been quite safe — lots of blacks, browns, tans. However, the last two or three seasons, I’ve been noticing a lot more statement colours, like bright reds, Kelly greens, and butter yellows.”
It’s true. The runways in Paris and Milan this summer were splashed in vivid, in-your-face hues, from cherry reds and deep purples to ocean blues and sunny yellows. And that’s to say nothing of the new wave of off-kilter earth tones that are ready to replace all those stark base colours in your closet.
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With the age of quiet luxury finally fading out, here’s your guide to the colour trends dominating menswear in 2026 — and a few tips for pulling ‘em off right.
The new neutrals
There’s nothing wrong with the white tees and black jeans that make up the backbone of your wardrobe, of course. But those stalwart shades may have to wiggle to make room for a number of other neutrals that are joining the ranks as standards.
Ramon Luna, a senior buyer for FWRD and Revolve, has noticed a return to base colours like chocolate brown and olive green. “Guys are getting more comfortable with what can fit into a neutral palette for them,” he says. “I think a perfect example of this is the wave of content about Baker pants and military fatigues being a great alternative to a beige chino.”
Roethel says he’s also seen, “strong sales in brown, tan, and charcoal” alongside the more standard black at Haven, which often infuses palettes inspired by the Pacific Northwest into its in-house collections.
With new base colours come new potential colour pairings — a pair of deep brown trousers might play more interestingly off a purple sweater than your typical grey flannels, for instance. “I think what we’re seeing now is menswear finding complementary colours to pair well with these colours as they serve as new neutrals in an everyday palette,” says Luna.
