Written by Bec Loades in Trends on the 11th January 2016

They say only a real man can wear pink, so now is the perfect opportunity to wear it with confidence and prove your masculinity. Every year Pantone announce their colour of the year and the colour for 2016 is Rose Quartz (13-1520). Back in the early 1940s the colour caused such a stir by ending up on the front cover of US Vogue, in the form of supposedly the country’s first pink polo shirt. Now the colour is back and this pastel shade has been a hit on the catwalks.

This colour may slightly unnerve some of you, but it can actually be a really easy colour to wear, as long as you keep it simple. Pantone's Rose Quartz is quite a soft and calming colour and will be a great tone to have in your wardrobe ready for the spring. When it comes to wearing it with denim I would advise pairing it with a pair of loose-fitting light-washed grey jeans. These two tones work extremely well together. A crisp white shirt under a ‘rose quartz’ cotton jumper with the grey jeans would be an ideal combination or perhaps a simple t-shirt in the rose tone when the weather improves this coming spring. If you feel a solid rose coloured shirt is too much, then perhaps try and introduce the colour in a stripe, mixed with another colour - which would work with most denim.

There are other ways of introducing this colour into your wardrobe. If you prefer a more snug fit with your clothing, then a pair of slim-fit cotton trousers would look great with perhaps a dark grey/black bomber jacket and a plain white tee underneath. Wear them with a pair of leather sneakers and you are good to go. 

If the episode of Friends where Ross is desperate to retrieve his slightly feminine 'salmon pink' shirt from his ex-girlfriend's flat is haunting you, please remind yourself that the colour for 2016 is of a slightly softer hue and should not be judged for adding it to your wardrobe. If you really aren't sure then why not start off by brightening up your suit with a rose quartz toned silk tie, just to test the waters. Legendary actors Robert Redford and Leonardo Di Caprio famously wore an all out pink suit in The Great Gatsby and still managed to look macho, so why not give it a go.

"The soothing, calming nature of colors in the Spring collections are led by PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz, a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Like a serene sunset, flushed cheek or budding flower, Rose Quartz reminds us to reflect on our surroundings during the busy but lighthearted spring and summer months." - Leatrice Eiseman Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute.

How to Wear the 2016 Pantone Colour of the Year. This year Men can wear Rose Quartz 13-1520 with confidence.