Oft-maligned and under appreciated, shades of rust, amber and Atomic Tangerine (an actual colour we promise), are beginning to crop up in autumn pieces as wide and varied as sweatshirts, socks and even blazers.
First appearing on the catwalks of Paris and Milan earlier this year, with the likes of Gucci and Valentino making it a staple in their autumn/winter collections, orange has slowly edged itself into the wardrobes of the front row set and beyond. As you can see, Asap Rocky is a fan.
Following in the equal parts on-trend and tough-to-pull-off footsteps of spring/summer's big hitter, 'Millennial Pink', orange might not be the new black (come on, we had to), but it definitely is the colour of autumn, which is good enough for us.
Here are 5 ways to make it work for you.
1 | Statement Sportswear
Now freshly vindicated as the shade de rigueur, an orange tee, hoodie, sweatshirt or accented track jacket paired with monochrome (black and grey in particular) is still a bold move, but one that treads the fine line between stylish and garish.
Just don't overcomplicate it, ie: mix in other bright shades.
Gosha Rubchinskiy Logo Crew Sweat, £145, endclothing.com
Raf Simons, American-fit Hyena-Print Cotton T-shirt, £176, matchesfashion.com
2 | Your next jacket
Simple enough really. Instead of opting for olive, camel, navy or any other stylish but ubiquitous colour of coat this autumn, change it up with a jacket in a shade that's on the darker, more subtle side of orange.
Worn with dark jeans, work boots and a textured knit (very Portland in the fall), a burnt orange or amber parka, chore coat or corduroy jacket is another low-maintenance way to enjoy the trend without looking like a try-hard.
As in, people probably won't point and laugh at you, which is always nice.
Albam, Washed Cotton Hooded Parka, £180, mrporter.com
COS, Cotton Shirt Jacket, £69, cosstores.com
3 | Black and orange, orange and black
As well as a dead-in-the-water Netflix series, orange and black are also two of the best modern colour combos when it comes to actually decent menswear.
This is a pairing that works best when black is the overriding shade, with the occasional pop of bright orange acting as a sharp point of interest instead of an overly thought out back and forth.
Beams, Reversible Appliquéd Nylon Bomber Jacket, £455, mrporter.com
Nike Waffle Racer, £79, endclothing.com
4 | The easy way in
Ok, so you like the sound (sight; whatever) of orange, but you're not quite sure if dropping your autumn spending money on a jacket or high-end sweatshirt is for you? What to do, what to do...
Socks.
The answer to many of life's great Gordian knots, a sport or business sock (the best kind), worn with black jeans or a dark grey suit will keep things smart and sensible, while also letting the right people know that...
A) You like to party
B) You are very, very knowledgeable about menswear.
Etro, Ribbed Stretch Merino Wool-Blend Socks, £75, mrporter.com
Off-White, Arrows Socks, £55, endclothing.com
5 | Big boy tailoring
Right, so, we're absolutely not suggesting that you rock up to your next formal do in decked out orange tailoring with a matching knit tie, but we are saying that orange is now a perfectly acceptable shade when it comes to suiting. As long as you're careful.
Rather than a matching suit, the best way to approach orange tailoring is to think of it as a colour reserved solely for your blazer. Hard to pull off? Absolutely. But by sticking to a monochrome supporting cast, you'll look like a guy who's confident enough to know what he's doing, rather than one that got lost on the way to entertaining at a kid's party.
Kingsman, Eggsy's Orange Faille-Trimmed Cotton-Velvet Tuxedo Jacket, £1,295, mrporter.com
Paul Smith, Men's Slim-Fit Burnt Orange Stretch-Cotton Buggy-Lined Blazer, £350, paulsmith.com