In Style: Everyone needs a dash of colour

Why should women have all the fun of colours? Twenty five years ago, Don Johnson in Miami Vice dared to dress in salmon pink loafers, white suits with pastel-coloured tees showing that colour can be masculine, edgy and fun. Men have since fallen into bad habits, playing it safe in jeans, lace-up brown shoes and T-shirts with meaningless slogans. We all leave the house looking the same in tired blues, drained browns and lifeless blacks afraid to express ourselves and take risks. We're a lazy breed after all, and that can reflect in our clothing. However, the simplicity of adding small splashes of colour to our wardrobes makes a strong statement that times are changing and men can now experiment with new ideas and colours but still remain distinguished and virile. Think of every style rule about what colours not to mix together and throw it out the window. "Red and green should never been seen" — well not any more. Colour blocking is clashing tones that defy conventional colour matching. It's a confident, dynamic and expressive approach to fashion that can easily be achieved with a few splashes of colour in your everyday wardrobe. Colour is something we can all experiment with. For the colour shy, don't panic. It's not all about head-to-toe in intense colours. Choose neutral or darker shades and take it one colour at a time. Take your everyday classic white shirt, adding primary red shorts and this season's must have footwear, white espadrilles (bottom, middle). Add a blue belt to break up the look. When selecting colours, aim to mix a cool colour with a warm colour. Colour blocking isn't only limited to clothes. Why not cheer up your wardrobe with a cheeky pair of yellow socks, red brogues or even a green wallet (left). The high-street stores are the best place to pick up flashes of colour without splashing out the cash. The beach is a another place to look effortless with colour this summer (bottom right). For pale skin tones avoid looking washed-out by sticking to softer, pastel shades. Darker skin tones can get away with bright oranges and canary yellows. For an understated use of colour, go tonal — use different hues of the same colour for a confident, minimal look (right top). Work with darker colours in areas of your shape you want downplay such as the waist and brighter colours in the areas you want to accentuate such as your chest and arms. For the risk-taker, nothing is off-limits. Though try stick to a maximum of three colours at a time to save yourself looking like a melted fruit pastille lolly. Pacific blues work well with bright oranges, canary yellows pair off with all flavours of green and red will work with just about anything. Greys go great with salmon pink for a soft contrast and why not throw in a neon yellow accessory in there to take the outfit off the colour chart.