Tan

It has seemed like a long time coming but we are approaching the Vernal Equinox in a week and with it the formal end to winter. That means tan suits of gabardine, fresco, silk and other cloths will be coming out of closets across the Northern hemisphere soon, and that is excellent news for those of us who are looking forward to alternatives to gray flannel.

Just as charcoal blends best with gray winter days, so tan is suited for the sun. Indeed, tan's popularity is another heritage of British army practice, this one from colonial times when officers serving in sunny climes would have their cream colored uniforms dyed with coffee so as to make themselves less obvious targets. Today, a cream suit may still make one a too obvious target away from the Amalfi coast but tan is accepted almost everywhere.

Tan is easy to wear with standard white, light blue, ivory or gray shirts, blue neckties and brown shoes. Or, try the combination in the photograph: a brown knit tie with pink spots, peach chambray shirt, brown and white linen square and a Solaro suit (yes, there is red in the weave but it still counts as tan).