Streetwear Has Entered Its Pastel Phase
From new-school sweats and chunky sneakers to full-on track suits and logo’d out crew socks, today’s biggest trends were practically made for cold weather. But with streetwear dominating the style world right now, there’s not a chance fashion-minded guys are going to drop the thread just because the sun starts shining. Sweat shorts and wind suits are sure to be popular this summer. One additional, slightly more adventurous way to bring cozy, athletic clothes into warm weather? Say it with us: pastel colors are here. LeBron James, Jared Leto, and Kanye West are just a few of the guys we’ve seen out and about in Easter shades recently. And all three tempered the sweetness of these hues with darker, more serious colors like black and khaki green. And it’s not just streetwear—pink and green and lavender (basically, any color you can buy Peeps in) are taking over suiting, workwear, and business casual basics too. At the Grammy Awards in January Zayn Malik, Khalid, and Tyler the Creator all doubled down on pastel formalwear. Months before that, at the Spring 2018 menswear shows, pastel tailoring was a popular statement on the runway. And you can’t drop your wallet in clothing store right now without hitting a pale pink something-or-other. Chelsea boots, shearling coats, luggage: if you can wear it or carry it, it comes in pale pink. Of all the ways to wear these soft, dusty, My Little Pony-esque hues, laid-back, weekend clothes are our favorite. Whether in pink, or in lavender, mint, lemon, or powder blue, there’s something refreshing about streetwear that isn’t black, navy, or gray—or a jarring primary shade like red or cobalt blue. These might not be the sort of pastels you can wear to church on Easter, but you can wear them every other Sunday for the rest of the season. This spring, be a man: wear more pastels. See more at GQ.
