Why coloured trousers are a clever sartorial choice

The challenge of dressing for dark dreary days is making sure your outfit doesn’t veer into nondescript neutrals or earthy hues that have no definition. The easiest way to avoid this is to opt for one brightly coloured piece. Choosing a vibrant pair of trousers makes a braver statement than simply grabbing a red shopper or an electric blue scarf. It suggests an inherent confidence in your own personal style and infers a similar level of self-assurance in every other area of your life – never underestimate the power of clothes! If you need a little fashion inspiration before you start spinning the colour wheel, check out how these style setters make colour work for them.

I love the simplicity but standout nature of this outfit. Choosing a strong shade of red is bold, but combining it with an oversized silhouette looks unapologetically stylish. Keeping the rest of the outfit monochrome prevents the pants from looking in any way clownish.

You don’t have to go for a striking silhouette to make colourful trousers sing. These neat cropped pants in fuchsia pink are more impactful because the colourway is continued beyond the waistline in the form of this classic-with-a-twist pink striped tee.

These purple cropped trousers are the perfect punctuation to what might otherwise be a bland outfit. Mixed with shades of soft pink and peaches and cream, they anchor the outfit beautifully.

Instead of being the punctuation in this outfit, these soft-hued trousers balance the depth of the red and navy oversized pieces layered on top. This is a clever use of colour and shape.

I always think a strong shade of blue is an easy place to start playing around with colour as it’s not too far removed from dark denim. With this in mind, you can take more risks with shape and cut than you might with chartreuse or tangerine, for instance.