Color trends

You don’t see many men in Hawaii following fashion’s color trends, but one sizable group is way ahead of the pack.

Cast a glance at any road or construction crew and you’ll get an eyeful of spring 2012’s neon yellows and vivid orange, reflective of Pantone’s Color of the Year, Tangerine Tango.

Those traffic-stopping brights are just one end of a rainbow of color filling store racks and shelves, so if you suffer from chromophobia, get over it. You’ll be surrounded by bright fuchsias, lime greens, periwinkle and salmon, as well.

From a designer’s and retailer’s point of view, neon’s ascent makes perfect sense. We haven’t seen these colors hit the mainstream since the 1980s, so no one, save the most ardent fashion collectors, has a bit of neon in their wardrobes.

But how to wear brights, when so many fear the most muted pinks and oranges?

It takes a brave person (or just one whose job requires it) to don neon. If you do, take your cue from our local road and construction warriors. Note that they’ll pair their bright T-shirts and safety vests with denim. So you’ll want to wear brights in moderation as well. You’re not in Vegas and you probably don’t aspire to be a traffic cone.

Brights should be an accent color, paired with muted or neutral colors.

The timid can also start small, adding a little clutch or colorful bangle to the wardrobe. A handful of compliments or awed gasps may provide the incentive to graduate to impact accessories like handbags and shoes, or a basic tank top to wear under sweater or jacket.

After a while, looking like a Crayola coloring project could become second nature.