Menswear outlook: from blue to bleak

Fashion will be more somber for the fellows this fall, if collections shown at the recent Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York are any indication. And they usually are.

Some menswear designers tried to keep spirits up with accent colors such as red, green and blue. But the dark tidal wave of black and especially gray betrays a certain degree of pessimism that has grown in the last year.

The shift is particularly noteworthy when one considers the designs for guys that have begun arriving in stores for spring. Everything feels simpler, more organic, more nature-inspired. The biggest trend may be the traditional American sportswear vibe that permeates men’s apparel and accessories.

Blue is the most dominant signature color in menswear lines this season - not necessarily because it’s the favorite color among men, but perhaps because it tends to evoke feelings of peace, serenity, tranquility,  harmony and healing.

And who couldn’t use more of each in these somewhat desperate times?