In Defense of Earth Tones

I've always had an affinity towards wearing earth tones. I think maybe because my birthday falls on the fall equinox (no pun intended...actually, it was kind of intended).

Even though they have never been my go-to colors, they have always had a special place in my wardrobe.

The thing about earth tones-- which consist of browns, greens, reds, and yellows-- is that they aren't the easiest colors to wear. I find that most of the time when I do wear them, I wear them all together. 

So for example, nine times out of ten when I wear my favorite brown sports coat, I pair it with my dark brown or swamp green chinos and either a white or yellow shirt.

Note: While I am talking about earth tones in the post, I commonly use brown as a reference point. That is because brown in the most common and easiest to wear earth tone.

But without further delay, here are 5 reasons I think you should consider wearing more earth tones:

I. Earth tones are a bold choice that will set you apart from others. It is true that there are other colors like pink that will set you apart, but when you wear an earth tone, you're going to have a much more powerful presence than if wearing a color like pink. That's because earth tones like brown are often associated with power, strength, and success. People are going to be drawn towards you because of your bold presence.

II. Earth tones are the perfect colors to wear in the autumn because they blend in. This one makes a lot of sense and probably needs very little explanation. In the autumn, wearing colors like brown, green, or yellow, will be accentueated by the changing leaf colors (assuming you live in such an area where that happens) and orange is a perfect choice for October because of pumpkin harvesting. Earth tones are just an ideal choice to wear during autumn.

III. Earth tones can be incredibly masculine. Perhaps it's because the aforementioned traits of power, strength, and success, but for whatever reason earth tones are an incredibly masculine and sexy color to wear. Earth tones like brown also give-off a sense of ruggedness and that you're hard-working; both of which can also be seen as desirable traits. I think, in a sense, brown conveys a very similar message to the one conveyed by black, but it tends to be a bit more powerful and bold when worn by a man, whereas black is going to look super sexy on both men and women.

IV. According to customhomegroup.com, earth tones are typically considered "friendly, contemporary, and inviting". The same goes for when you wear earth tones. I think in a way this makes brown a better choice over black. While black is going to make you appear somewhat aggressive, earth tones such as brown are going to make you appear more approachable and trustworthy while still retaining a lot of what black conveys. Think of wearing an earth tone like the perfect balance of wearing black and wearing blue. When I envision someone wearing an earth tone-- like a professor- I picture someone who can go from being super serious and focused to extremely friendly and welcoming. 

V. Earth tones can make you seem intelligent. Brown and other such colors are one of the few colors that convey a message of intelligence. With most other colors we get a sense of the person's personality, but with earth tones, you get insight into their mind. According to bright side.me :[a]...man in a brown jacket give[s] the impression of a reliable, intelligent, and rational person". And it makes sense: think back to when you were in school or even just depictions you've seen of academic life. Professors were always apt to wear brown. Usually a brown sports jacket, but also brown suits, brown waistcoats, and brown jackets. That's because brown is just a smart color.

With Autumn right around the corner, I think now is the perfect time to start implementing earth tones into your wardrobe. Of course, like me, you most likely won't wear them all the time, but wearing a hearty brown or burnt orange can be a great choice; one that will make you stand-out, look really good, and make you appear more intelligent. 

Earth tones are truly a set of sophisticated colors, and I think we could all use to wear them a bit more often!

-Ryan S.

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