Men's Wear Looks to Color Trend, 1956

Like their counterparts in peacock ranks, the male animal this spring is strutting brightly colored plumage.

You have it from merchandising reports the world over, and the final authoritative word comes from the mouths of Suncoast men's shop owners.

They'll tell you this colorful trend comes from Italy, the Orient or first-hand from the young set's taste for loud colors, but whatever the origin, it's here.

Evidence of this enthusiasm is in new slacks in a color range which includes light tones, bright hues and dark shades. You'll find such shades as rust heather, blue heather, tan heather, hemp, sky, pine, charcoal gray and even black.
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The cut of this fabric is a gray horse of another color, though. In this department, the fellas are going conservative, looking to the Ivy League or Brooks Brothers for inspiration.

Three-button, single-breasted suits are getting votes for "most likely to succeed" for Easter parade and after, while lapels have been pared down to the barest minimum.

Straight lines are the shortest distance to smartness in the silhouette, providing they are properly proportioned to the wearer's own individual measurements. Shoulders are natural, lapels are cut with a high-placed notch and trousers tend toward slender, more tapered lines. Waistline pleats still are popular in many circles, but some trousers are tailored without them, with back-strap and buckle details replacing the pleats.

Complete article:

St. Petersburg Times - 3/15/56