Why no green

[TyskJohan]

I have been wondering for a long time why green (in all its shades) is less accepted than blue (and even pink/red) for formal menswear and accessories.

I have a light tan complexion and green eyes, and I think green would suit me quite well (light green for shirtings for example).

A very hands-on example: Where can I find plain green silk knots that aren't in the atrocious color called lime? Same question for braces...

 

[LabelKing]

The shade known as bottle-green has been used in men's accessories and jackets with some regularity.

Lime-green tends to be seen in brands like Ralph Lauren who aspire towards that eccentric WASP look or brands like Helmut Lang who simply use the color as a device.

 

[wEstSidE]

I hate to be the one to do this but...

green is for farmer.




Anyway, green is often used for velvet (especially smoking) jackets. I've definitely seen bottle-green solid ties at Jack Spade.

 

[epa]

I have two green dress shirts (one solid green and one with fairly wide stripes, both towards the darker end of the scale). I also have a few mainly green ties. I normally combine them with a (dark) brown suit or with a dark grey sportcoat. Looks very nice, IMO. I also have green eyes.

 

[Dragon]

I have some green (olive) ties and shoes. I would like to add to my collection some green jackets and trousers as well, even though I`m not a farmer

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by TyskJohan

I have been wondering for a long time why green (in all its shades) is less accepted than blue (and even pink/red) for formal menswear and accessories.

I must say I really like bottle green as a colour. It is seriously underutilised.

Bottle green coats have not been an established feature of formal daytime dress or evening full dress since the early years of the 19th century. Here is a strking bottle green dress coat (in the early 19th century the dress coat was still daytime dress) from 1819:

Bottle green remained a popular colour throughout the 19th century (eg waistcoats) but never can I recall anything that said that frock coats, Newmarket coats (later to become the morning coat) or dress coats were ever considered to be acceptable in bottle green.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

 

[thinman]

Bottle green blazers widely accepted and according to Flusser (or maybe Roetzel, I don't recall) they are a Brooks Brothers staple. The largest BB store in NYC apparently keeps them in stock. JLibourel has one from WW Chan and when I met him and saw it in person, it stuck me as unique but just as versatile as navy. It's a very nice piece and has me considering the color for my next blazer.

 

[Get Smart]

one of my fave colors is an olive green that's been desaturated so it almost borders on grey. any kind of rich green (no matter the tone) looks too costumey (thank Leprechauns and the Riddler).

 

[Jared]

Originally Posted by thinman

Bottle green blazers widely accepted and according to Flusser (or maybe Roetzel, I don't recall) they are a Brooks Brothers staple. The largest BB store in NYC apparently keeps them in stock. JLibourel has one from WW Chan and when I met him and saw it in person, it stuck me as unique but just as versatile as navy. It's a very nice piece and has me considering the color for my next blazer.
Manton says you're only allowed to wear one if you've won The Masters.

 

[JBZ]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

Always reminds me of this scene from Miller's Crossing:

I love that movie.

 

[william]

Like most things, it's all about the shade of the color and how you wear it. Note this example from Ralph Lauren Purple Label:

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by wEstSidE

green is for farmer.
No that's brown! I love bottle green and would take it over mud brown any day. I have a bottle green Brioni DB blazer and agree that it is extremely versatile as well as perfectly wearable. As the OP and other posters have noted gaudy shades of green are to be avoided unless you want to look like a leprechaun on St Patricks Day.

 

[Will]

Bottle green velvet smoking jacket and slippers are one of the classic evening combinations.

Albert Thurston sells hunter green braces.

Rather unexpectedly, a search of a few sources found only one pair of bottle green silk knots and that comes as part of a set of four. http://www.cufflinks.com/basikncu.html

 

[Sommerseth]

TyskJohan, if I am not much mistaken you'll find (non-lime) green silk knots at Ferner Jacobsen and possibly at the Shirt Factory (på Steen og Strøm). I think they are around 75 kr a pair.

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