Forget men in black: This awards season is more colorful than ever thanks to Hollywood’s hottest guys. “A bold and empowering hue is an easy way to express one’s self without taking on too much risk,” says celebrity stylist Tara Swennen, who dressed Matthew McConaughey in a purple Strong Suit. “We loved the bold color and it had a beautiful sheen, which really drew us to it,” explains Swennen. Her advice for how to wear the trend: “For the adventurous at heart, pair the suit with a fun printed shirt and accessories. I also love a tone on tone or simple monochromatic look; keep the silhouette fitted and sleek for a clean modern look.”
Stylist Cassandra Dittmer, who picked a striking cobalt blue style for Reid Scott, also loves that men are finally having fun with color. “There’s a lot of chaos going on in the world right now, I think it only makes sense that fashion lashes out a bit in response,” Dittmer says, adding, “the number one rule for suiting, colored or not, is always proper tailoring.”
“Men’s fashion is having a big moment right now, and ultimately men are responding to this change boldly,” says Jaclyn Fleurant, who styles Ava Max, Indya Marie and Moxie Raia. “It’s fun to experiment and try something new! For men, it can get a little dire wearing primarily darker hues on the red carpet, so wearing a colored suit changes things up,” she says. Her biggest tip: “Wear each trend with confidence. In my experience, it doesn’t matter who you are, as long as you wear what you love with true self-assurance.”
Another stylist who advocates for going bold is Ashley North, who picked a canary yellow Topshop two-piece for Terrence Jenkins. She notes, “Color is a fun way to spice up any red carpet look. Suits in reds, deep yellows and shades of blue are my favorite right now. The best way to wear color is to keep it simple underneath with a black turtleneck or white button-up.”
Eric Owes and Lauren Taylor, the duo responsible for dressing Drake, LeBron James and Jesse Tyler Ferguson chime in: “For the last few years, we’ve experienced an exciting revolution in men’s fashion. Society’s masculinity perspective has also tremendously shifted for the better and a larger acceptance for the fashion-conscious man has birthed a resurgence of men taking fashion risks.” Owes and Taylor’s motto is “simple yet significant.” Their advice for perfectly executing a colorful statement suit is to let the suit do the talking and simplify everything around it by keeping accessories and shoes subtle and subdued.
Scroll through to see how more dapper dudes rock statement-making shades on the red carpet.
