Ever notice how grey everything’s getting? Minimalist interiors, desaturated movies, the MacBookification of all our stuff. Grey has been the most popular choice of car colour in the UK for the past seven years. And, in 2023, researchers from the UK’s Science Museum analysed 7,000 pictures of objects from 1800 to the modern day. They found that pretty much everything becomes greyer over time.

But you know what isn’t grey right now? Menswear. The SS25 runways were a riot of colour, with hot pinks and post-Brat greens in the mix. And it’s not just sportswear and casual outfits creeping along the colour spectrum. “I think men will gravitate towards more playful pastel shades this season,” says the fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell, the author of Big Dress Energy. “The current socio-economic landscape means that, globally, people are craving for brighter days ahead and may use their wardrobes to facilitate this shift.”

At the beginning of March, Timothée Chalamet turned up at the Oscars in head-to-toe yellow, an outfit compared in meme-land to an illustrious stick of butter. Of course, we’re not all Timmy C. Traditionally, men are not especially colour curious. We like our neutrals. A symphony of navy is usually fine with us. But there are ways to experiment, to splash a little colour without looking like a background Ken from the Barbie movie. Read on for five of the best fashion insider-approved ways to discover a new you with new hues.

Good news, pop pickers. You don’t have to abandon the safe zone of neutral palettes to experiment with brighter looks. Neutral colours dampen the overall effect of bolder tones, letting you try out colours in a confidence- and retina-friendly way. The same goes for a peekaboo rollneck or a colourful T-shirt in a layered look.

“As a pop of colour could be considered an unexpected or novel feature, it may make the wearer appear more memorable and appealing,” Forbes-Bell says. “Similar to how research found that people who wear bold accessories receive more positive attention.”

For SS25, Jacquemus was among the brands pairing bold reds and yellows with sandy tones for a warm, considered palette. For cooler shades, try a bright green knit or overshirt with staple black or grey trousers.

Strange, but true: big colours are easier to wear outdoors than indoors. Maybe it’s a legacy of bright football shirts or easily spotted hiking gear. It just sort of works for outerwear. Gucci, AMI PARIS and Dries Van Noten were among the brands sending green, pink and yellow jackets down their SS25 runways, pairing them with neutral trousers and everyday jeans.

For Michael Fisher, stylist to the likes of Adam Driver and Jake Gyllenhaal, softer tones work best for colourful outerwear. “It’s no doubt that yellow is the colour for spring,” he says. “Softer buttery tones work really well with khaki and grey and white sportswear pieces. With pink, paler, softer pinks look fresh for outerwear – think cropped jackets and blazers.” Just don’t mention “Kenergy”.

A lot of men wouldn’t wear a block-colour red shirt – too primary, too much. But a red and white check shirt? Oh, that’s fine. For whatever reason, prints make colour more palatable. It’s something designers are experimenting with in SS25. Check out the bold plaid at Bottega Veneta or Missoni’s shimmering chevrons.

A mix of big patterns and big colours also work with today’s slouchy take on casualwear. Try a The White Lotus-approved aloha shirt with baggy shorts or fatigues. Or, take a multi-coloured knit and pair it with relaxed jeans for an easy, off-duty way to expand your palette.