Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Color is the New Black

Color is nothing to be afraid of!

When you layer (and even when you don't!) color is really fun to play with and pop in to keep things fresh and exciting. And right now we're living in a very free fashion world. There are a few rules, only guidelines. Once you see people mixing pink and red in one outfit, you pretty much know you can get away with a lot.

What's important to have around to pull off a colored look is a color wheel. Think of it as your Spark Notes...you can cheat and make so many people think you have a bigger grip on how to put things together if you'll just know how to work the color wheel.

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when layering with color.

1. The colors that compliment each other the best are the ones that are across from each other on the wheel. ("Why Purple, you do look marvelous today." "Thank you, Yellow, you're looking dashing yourself, as usual.")

Example: Christmas colors. I don't know where they originated from, but whoever picked them out knew that red and green being polar opposites would, when combined, bring a Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

2. Then there are analogous colors (or corresponding colors). These colors are neighbors on the color wheel and play so well together, they are the most pleasing combination to the eye. The best way to pull this off is to use one color as the main one in your outfit, then accent it with the other "neighbor" color.

Bad neighbor joke in 5, 4, 3, 2.... Green and Green-Yellow agree, they both have the best lawns.

3. Finally, there is the monochromatic color scheme. Which is mixing different shades or tones of the same color. This, to me, is daring and outside my way of thinking, but if you own a lot of pink, pair it with some white or black to anchor the look and you've got yourself a monochromatic look!

Print that picture or another picture of the wheel out and try to put together at least two outfits based off it it, and it really can open your eyes to the possibilities that lay out there with color.

I'm the first to admit that I gravitate towards a lot of black and white with pops of color, but I tried mixing it up and now I'm totally inspired!

PS: it's important with these looks that when you're pairing bold color pieces to keep the jewelry minimal. You don't want to look like closet shrapnel :)

No comments:

Post a Comment