YOUR STYLE GUIDE : COLOR THEORY

If you’re going to kick the color up a notch, might as well be in summer am I right?  But let’s be honest, not all colors look good on all complexions so my first piece of advice is to know what already compliments your own coloring and personal tastes. 

That said, I love to explore interesting color combinations and the energy that color creates. Here are some general combinations and techniques using color theory to pair together shades when styling your own looks.

 

MONOCHROMATIC: This has been big in the last year as the rise of the minimalist in shades of grey, beige and cream but we’ve also seen using boldy by maximalists for example dressing head to toe in pink embracing “Barbiecore”.  This can be as simple and straightforward and pairing a knit top and trouser pant in the same color OR as over the top as matching your dress-tights-handbags-shoes etc.  The reason we like this on the eye is that the look is not broken up, but more so the body appears more elongated with one seamless color throughout. 

 

TONAL: Similar to monochrome, but using a variation of tones in the same color family – i.e. lavender, purple, eggplant for example.  It’s a soft way to add dimension to a “one color” look and recommend mixing different materials like linens, silks and knits to add texture.  An easy way to try this is to pair a denim with a lighter blue top and cobalt heels, for example.

 

COMPLIMENTARY & ANALOGOUS: The big boys of color mixing.  Complimentary involves two colors directly opposite from one another on the color wheel.  This makes each shade appear brighter/bolder when paired side by side.  Some popular combos I see a lot in dressing and interiors are Navy & Rust and Deep Purple & Mustard.  The other color combination we see often is two shades directly next to each other – think shades of blues & greens for example. 

 

Some side note call outs to steer away from – Red & Green, Orange & Black, Neon colors with too much black (feels too 80’s) and brown with gray (dated).  For 95% of the time, these are just don’ts.

Looking to breathe some more color into your closet?  We got you!  I’m certified in personal color analysis and trained in the Pantone color system so SCHEDULE A CALL WITH ME HERE, and let’s get chatting!

 

Xx,

Amanda