Last night Bryan Cranston picked up Best Actor at the Olivier Awards. No surprises there. Following a now iconic performance in narcotidrama Breaking Bad, the 62-year-old wowed theatre darlings across London in Network, a small stage adaptation of the 1976 film of the same name.
Less predictable however, was the actor's outfit of choice to collect the gong.
By switching done-to-death monochrome for a darker rust, Cranston played the parakeet in a sea of penguin suits. No easy feat, especially when black tie is so often limited to the bare bones of formal dress.
Still, it wasn't too far a stride from the norm. The actor's Prada suit very much fell into the classic tux category, with all the right boxes ticked: razor-sharp fit, contrast lapels and traditional accessories. By making one simple switch - in this instance, the colour - Cranston has stepped to the fore without upsetting the dress code at large.
Just don't assume all colours will work as well. Darker tones - rust, emerald or navy - are far more effective (and palatable) than a primary hue: canary yellow is for a football shirt, not a fancy bash.
So remember: the next time you're in line to pick-up a prize for work/sport/a dazzling performance in Theatreland, you needn't go back to black.
