Ladies, it’s time to paint the town red, errh, green! Pantone, the Nate Silver of colour, has revealed its predicted shade for 2017 — green. Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute stated, “This is the colour of hopefulness, and of our connection to nature. It speaks to what we call the ‘re’ words — regenerate, refresh, revitalise, renew. Every spring we enter a new cycle and new shoots come from the ground. It is something life affirming to look forward to.”
And as soon as the announcement was made, the fashion runways were flooded with this zesty hue. At Balenciaga, it was worked into a horticultural-themed jumpsuit while at Louis Vuitton, it formed the basis of a head-to-toe asymmetrical cut-out trouser suit with modern black accents.
Designer Ridhima Bhasin shares, “Green suits all skin tones — dusky, wheatish as well as fair. It’s also one of the most flexible colours that complement a lot of other shades when it comes to contrasting. There are several shades within the green colour chart that people could experiment with like grass, emerald, bottle, sage, light, peacock, olive, leafy, etc. Lighter shades of green are recommended for daytime and darker shades suit late evenings best. Also, darker shades of this hue will suit plus size women whereas lighter shades of greens can be worn by petite body types since dark green will make you appear slender and light green will make you appear fuller.
Whereas designer Pria Kataaria Puri states that even though ‘greenery’ is quite fresh and vibrant, it can be tricky to pull off. She says, “You can’t go head-to-toe with this shade. However, a dress or a shirt in this shade would look smart. One can also use this colour to accessorise — a bright green scarf over a plain dress or a military green bomber jacket over denim. A green dress or kaftan with bohemian prints in red, black, white is another stylish way to wear this tone. However, remember that this is a bright and bold colour. So if you have an hourglass figure or you are on the heavier side, team it up with another bold colour or use it just to accessorise.”
Sharing more combinations, designer Anuradha P. Dhawan, of A4A, suggests, “Try this shade with classic silhouettes — a deep emerald or jade can be just as much of a neutral as black when worn as a fitted, tailored number. Or if you think head-to-toe green can be too much of a commitment, try it with foliage prints and introduce the leafy hue through leafy prints. Another non-committal way to bring green into your look will be through your outerwear.”
She adds, “As far as men are concerned, military green is one of the top shades of green and one can simply add this shade to the core of one’s cold-weather look. If you are tired of wearing jeans and darker coloured trousers or pants then it’s time to try a pair of slim-cut chinos in a rich, green hue. It’s a striking yet sophisticated look that is sure to make you stand out in an understated way. For a more formal option, try a dark green two-piece. What’s great about this look is that it matches your go-to white dress shirt and blue tie combination but also looks great with rich reds and shades of brown and orange. Try a wool-blend olive suit to begin with. And if you feel like you can’t fully commit to a green suit, try a textured blazer in flecked wool.”
