People tend to one end or the other of the visual spectrum when it comes to the colors they feel most inclined toward. So judge for yourself the usefulness of these two palettes. And I think the '50s are in again. With the simple addition of lots of white, hot colors become cool and breezy. It's psychological, I think.
Transparency connotes light cotton.
And that says cool. That is, a serious color combination can be fun. And a fun color combination can be taken seriously. There is nothing more serious than brown. As in your math professor.