When it comes to men's fashion, the term 'contrast colour' is usually associated with a blue shirt with a white collar and white French cuffs. Another example would be Gordon Gekko in all his megalomaniacal glory. In Hong Kong, where bankers and lawyers are a dime a dozen, contrast colour shirts are almost a uniform. The crisp white collar and cuffs peek from a dark suit. Then there are also those men who don black shirts with white collars, but that's more mafioso than corporate.
Otherwise forgettable garments become more eye-catching because of the unexpected pop of colour. We love that panel of red on an all-black leather Prada card case (above, HK$2,000) and the way the Martin Margiela high-top sneakers (below, HK$7,050 at Harvey Nichols) stand out with their panels of silver, black and brown.
This season, the theme is evolving and moving into product categories other than dress shirts. Its presence can be seen on jackets, shoes, sweaters and wallets, lending everyday wardrobe items a new dimension. Take the case of the dark blazer (above) at Louis Vuitton (inquiries: 8100 1182, Louis Vuitton Landmark, Central). By rendering the sleeves in the same fabric as the torso but in a different colour, the jacket, a wardrobe staple, suddenly becomes young and fashion-forward.
This baseball jacket from Carven (right, inquiries: 2118 3388, Lane Crawford IFC) shows another take on the trend, with its knitted navy body and its sleeves, neckline and waistband in black.
