A lot of people have issues with colour. I think a lot of people are afraid of colour or just don’t know how to pair them properly.
Some people DO just love neutral clothes, so I am not dissing those people, just letting you know that if you ARE afraid to branch out, maybe you could try some of these colours or tips to help yourself build a colourful outfit for spring/summer!!
Okay, so lets start with the basics: Neutrals!
From left to right: Red (YES, it’s a neutral!), brown, navy, light grey, dark grey, black, white, beige
Every single one of these colours can be used as a base for any other color. If you are going to use red as a neutral, keep it on the deep side as opposed to a bright lipstick red.
Use any one of these colors as your pants, top, skirt, jacket – as a way to tone down a pattern or play up a color, the uses for neutrals are ENDLESS. They are also an amazing way to showcase an amazing accessory of a wonderful shoe.
And, Navy is THE neutral of the moment, pair it with white, red and gold accents to really feel that nautical look.
Here are a few of the colours I own and a lot of my favourite combos.
Starting with Red. Here’s a bright red cardigan I wear. I put a bunch of my camis/sweaters around it to show how these colors can look against it. I find that the colors on the right hand side compliment the sweater the most. In fact, that’s a good way to see what base your red is, it goes better with the blues (and the blue based purple, second from the bottom on the right, more than the peach and coral on the left hand side). However, in small doses, I think all these colours could work really well with the red. I LOVE the baby blue (just a small swatch at the upper right corner). I think a peek of baby blue or even the royal blue under the cardigan would look amazing. I think pairing the cardy with a patterned skirt with corals, pinks and peaches would really pop. Maybe wearing a bright right shirt and accessorizing with some amethyst or emerald jewellery would look amazing.
Next is hot pink. Again, you can see a slightly blue base to the sweater as the peach and coral camis clash slightly. I LOVE the look of the apple green next to it, as well as the royal and light blues, and the orchid color in the top left. I think a hot pink top with coral beads (as shown) looks fresh and summery! Also, pairing some emerald coloured heels with a pink skirt would look very “look at me” without looking overdone.
Since I love apple green, I wear this color a LOT! I think my faves with this are the orchid colour (3rd from the top on the left), the baby blue in the bottom left corner and the raspberry (2nd from the bottom on the right).
I also love using green to showcase a lot of the bright accessories I have, especially this chunky red bead necklace from Stella and Dot. I also use this sweater a lot over a deep purple dress that I have, as well as the peach cami with a belted pencil skirt. It’s a really unexpected combo, but the colours really compliment each other and people are often shocked at how well they work together.
Personally, I think this deep purple goes really well with almost everything! I even threw in the red cami (2nd from the bottom on the left) to show you that red and purple really DO go together. Again, think about the base of your purple – if you are using a plummy red-based purple, pair it with reds and pinks. If you are using an eggplant, blue-based purple, then pair with blues/greens.
Lastly is this gorgeous buttercup yellow…which, in my opinion, goes with every single color here. I have worn this cardigan (why are all my pictures cardigans??) with the coral tank and a turquoise necklace. The colors all complimented each other and I got tons of compliments when I wore the outfit. personally, I think this yellow (as opposed to a deeper or brighter yellow) could be used as a neutral because it really holds it’s own but lets the other color shine. For instance, I love the orchid colour against it, but I think that while the orchid stands out, the yellow still shines.
So colour isn’t obviously something to be taken lightly, but it is a lot easier to work with than people think!
And keep in mind, I’m not saying go out and pair red jeans with a royal blue top and top it off with a purple sweater, but you DEFINITELY can layer colors – for instance a bright coloured tee under a different coloured vest or sweater. Or keep it to your accessories. And if you ARE wearing dark colours, that is your time to REALLY showcase your accessories or shoes. If you were wearing a little black dress, don’t wear black shoes, go for the flash and wear a punch of colour on your feet.
Oh and the most IMPORTANT thing to wear with colour is CONFIDENCE. If you feel like your outfit is too flashy or you feel uncomfortable in it, DON’T WEAR IT! If you feel off in the colour, people will notice that. So start small or jump in feet first!
And I HATE when people say they can’t wear colour, you just obviously haven’t found the right SHADE yet! Embrace colour this spring/summer and come back and let me know what you experimented with and what you thought of it!!
Enjoy, fashionistas!
