The Color Trends Dominating Menswear in 2026 (And How to Wear Them)

If there was ever a time to bring a bit more color into your personal style, it’s right now. Because while Pantone may have crowned “Cloud Dancer” (a.k.a. gray) as its Color of the Year, the industry insiders buying, selling, and styling menswear are seeing something bolder.“I think we’re slowly coming out of a color recession,” says Nick Roethel, brand manager for the Vancouer-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 colors, 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 colors in your closet.With the age of quiet luxury finally fading out, here’s your guide to the color trends dominating menswear in 2026—and a few tips for pulling ‘em off right.The new neutralsThere’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 colors 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 colors come new potential color pairings—a pair of deep brown trousers might play more interestingly off a purple sweater than your typical gray flannels, for instance. “I think what we’re seeing now is menswear finding complementary colors to pair well with these colors as they serve as new neutrals in an everyday palette,” says Luna.A pop of primaryTo brush up on some Kindergarten curriculum, there are three primary colors: blue, yellow and red. You’ll find plenty of each on store shelves this year.Red in particular is suddenly everywhere. Four years after Timothée Chalamet stepped out in his iconic ruby red jumpsuit by Haider Ackermann, the daring tone is finally making some noise in the mainstream.“We’re seeing a lot of people choose a red jacket over black or navy for the first time,” says Jackie McKeown, the designer behind the righteous activewear label Literary Sport. “It’s definitely item specific, but I think people are coming around to investing in more interesting pieces that don’t look like everything else they own.”At Nordstrom, men’s fashion director Jian DeLeon says he’s seeing “an embrace of a much bolder color palette for the menswear wardrobe.”“There’s a lot of bright royal blue, race car red, blaze orange, and lemon yellow on the runways and beyond,” says DeLeon, pointing to Dario Vitale’s one-off Versace collection, Michael Rider’s Celine, Willy Chavarria, and Ralph Lauren. “Of the most dominant color combinations, I think fellow Knicks fans would like to know that blue and orange are practically everywhere. Not just in shows like Willy Chavarria, which featured Jordan Clarkson on the runway, but even in cult collab items like Levi’s latest collab with 194 Los Angeles and dad caps by Emily Dawn Long.”Another blue-based combo that DeLeon says is trending is the “comic book-friendly” pair of red and blue, à la Spider-Man or Superman. “It also happens to be the color of Matthieu Blazy’s superhero-inspired Chanel sweater,” he adds.Go deep with offbeat accent colorsBeyond the primaries, there’s another set of rich, less everyday colors trending this year. On their own, they’re so tertiary they’re almost polarizing. The kinds of hues that refuse to quietly blend in—like chartreuse, burgundy, purple, and teal.“I definitely think there’s a more playful energy entering menswear,” says McKeown. “Brands like Auralee, Prada, Versace, and Celine have been bringing in these amazing colours like deep purples, yellows and teals and it feels like a time where you can really express style through these unexpected combinations. Feels very ’80s but modern at the same time.Luna says he has appreciated the emergence of burgundy in “airy shirting” from Auralee and “more mechanical interpretations” from PAF. “I think burgundy and spicy reds are super easy to incorporate,” he says. “A simple knit can go a long way.”How to wear more colorWhether you’re starting with a closet full of black or already have a panoply of color, there’s always a new shade worth trying. One easy and budget-conscious way to add more color is by picking one bright piece you really love and working it into your fits. “The last thing you want is to jump from trend to trend, or rework your whole wardrobe based on the color of the season,” Roethel says.Accessories may be the safest point of entry, but a colorful vintage tee or button-down also works as a solid starting point, according to McKeown. “Let it be the unexpected element rather than building a look around color,” she says.If you’re ready to jump in head first, on the other hand, there are ways to do that, too. As Roethel points out, monochromatic looks continue to make the people who wear them look effortlessly put together. Or you can go full maximalist.“If that’s your thing, feel free to absolutely lean into it,” says DeLeon. “There are ways of wearing royal blue and bright yellow together that won’t make you look like a Minion. Case in point? Ralph Lauren’s classic Cortlandt fireman jacket that just walked down the runway in Milan, it looks way more handsome than despicable.”