When you want to perk up your wardrobe, adding color is the way to go! Zesty hues can enhance your state of mind and bring positive energy into the world, while softer and earthier tints can help you feel at peace. If you hesitate to wear colorful clothes, it’s time to open your mind to wonderful new possibilities. Here are some of our favorite tips for wearing colorful clothes with style.
1. Pick Your Favorites
Does the color orange make you think of breakfast and sunshine? Does pink make you feel happy and feminine? It’s a lot easier to wear colors you like, and when you’re naturally attracted to a particular shade, you can find a way to make it work. If you’re worried that the hues you love are too bold or unflattering, think about how you can integrate them into a total look. Wearing ochre pants, for instance, with a deep blue or burgundy blouse can brighten your complexion and maintain balance. You can also use your favorite colors as accents. Adding a coral handbag or shoes to your wardrobe or wearing a scarf with scarlet flowers is a no-fuss way to give your wardrobe a lift.
2. Get Trendy
Changing fashions reflect the world around us, and wearing colorful, trendy clothes is a fun way to stay up to date. Wearing skirts and pants with colorful tops in of-the-moment tints shows that you’re in tune with the times. Trending shades give a nod to cultural moods and priorities, so this year, you might notice greens and earth tones in stores that reference sustainability juxtaposed with rich and dynamic shades of orange, red, and blue.
3. Try Something New
Some people think that colors like plum and rose go together naturally, while other pairings like peach and mustard clash. The truth is that there are no real rules when you’re creating an appealing outfit. Color theory tells us that opposites attract, so try pairing blue jeans and a flowy tangerine top, or wear a skirt or blouse in a fun stripe with a solid piece in the non-dominant color. If you’re wearing an espresso-brown skirt with lilac-colored dots, try pairing it with a solid lilac sweater. Once you’re feeling good about combining colors, try a few unexpected combos, like oxblood and brat green or goldenrod and French blue. If a daring pairing seems too tricky to pull off, play with proportions to bring the colors into harmony.
4. Add Balance with Neutrals
If you’re afraid that your colorful look is too loud, tone things down with neutrals. Beige, tan, khaki, olive, slate, and navy are less saturated than their primary counterparts and more muted than black and white. Usually, you’ll want to wear color in a way that draws attention to your face while the neutrals keep your look poised yet vibrant. This keeps your chosen hue from overwhelming your look. For an easygoing style, try pairing a bright green sweater with a navy midi skirt. If you’re wearing a tomato-red dress, you can soften your look with a camel-toned coat. When you do decide to wear a bright hue all over, neutral shoes can ground your look and make the color the star.
5. Go Tone-on-Tone
For a cohesive look that can be subtle or bold, combining similar hues is another great way to wear color. You can put together a chic, fresh look by layering similar pastel tints. Try wearing misty blue and sky blue coordinates with a cerulean bag, or combine mint and seafoam green with viridian green shoes. To keep your style from being too precious, wear high-contrast accessories. This will keep your outfit modern and spirited, yet coherent. Also, consider the vibe of the colors you’re wearing. Cool tones can give off a calm or more serious aura, while warm hues are more energetic, playful, and sometimes even aggressive.
6. Play With Prints and Patterns
When you want to energize your look the easy way, you can’t go wrong with a print. Cute dresses in colorful patterns are lively, easygoing, and forgiving, and you can choose from an endless variety of options to suit your taste. With prints representing fruit, flowers, geometric shapes, tiles, abstract, ikat, plaid, and so much more, you can make a single motif the highlight of your look or get creative and mix things up. To coordinate your outfit, pull it all together with a solid tote, shoes, or outer layer.
7. Dress for the Season
If you’ve ever thought that a lemon-yellow top would look great in July but strange in February, you’re not alone. Some colors, like pastels and soft pinks and purples, look fresh in the spring, while bright, clear, primary and secondary oranges, reds, greens, and blues feel right for summer. As the days shorten, you can transition into autumn with rich golds, reds, browns, and greens. In winter, alternating cool, pale shades with deep jewel tones is a beautiful way to stay cozy.
8. Dress Like an Artist
When you’re feeling creative, try adding a painterly touch to your wardrobe. Seeing how a master artist’s color palettes can inspire your own compositions. Do you favor pop artists like Andy Warhol or impressionist artists like Monet? Painters like Paul Gauguin and Mark Rothko, Frida Kahlo, and Georgia O’Keeffe can inspire you to wear intense colors, too. Visit Google or Pinterest, or better yet, head to a local gallery or museum to observe how emerging artists use color in their work.
9. Make a Statement
Colorful clothes demand attention, and when you wear them mindfully, you can calibrate your look for smiles all around. A core piece in a statement color, like a bright jacket, cardigan, or blouse, will draw the eye and bring attention to your style. When you want a low-risk way to change your look, add a pop of color with a brilliant clutch, hat, or shawl. As you experiment with assertive tints, you can gain confidence by turning up the volume on familiar favorites. For instance, if blazers or midi skirts are your go-to favorites, try switching them out for newer versions in vivid fabrics.
Bring Joy to Your Life With Colorful Clothes
Once you start to play with color, you’ll see how easy it is to fill your closet with clothes that lift your spirits whenever you wear them. Embrace your spirit of adventure, and use happy hues to brighten your days, just like magic.