Shade of Grey: J. Press Silk-Linen Spring Sportcoat

“Fifty Shades of Grey” is the steamy new novel that has bored housewives all stirred up, but here’s a shade of grey for us guys.

While browsing at J. Press recently, this jacket caught my eye from across the room. The reason was the color: a grayish olive that struck a resounding early ’60s note.

The photo doesn’t do the color justice. Trust me, it’s cool. And I hope it works as a palliative for those who were blinded by the festive colors in the latest preppy news items. Preppy clothing, as Nelson Aldrich notes, seems meant to invoke the playclothes of nursery school.

Unfortunately, at $895 the jacket above doesn’t come with a 1960s price tag. But you can grab it for 30 percent off right now.

Pair it with blue buttondown, charcoal gabardine trousers, black knit tie and burgundy penny loafers and stay clear of the country club. — CC