Are you playing it safe when it comes to wearing colour? Colour can make or break an outfit. Avoid the garish and often downright disastrous fashion faux pas and instead utilise it to add a dash of daring bravado. Don’t restrict your closet to a confined colour scheme. There’s a world of colour out there - it’s time for you to explore it.
What colours go well together: To contrast or to complement
Have you ever wondered what colours work well together? If so, you’re not alone. Colour-matching clothing may seem a mystery, but it doesn’t have to be. Our ultimate painting-by-numbers guide will help you nail your colour combos every time.
It’s all about the base. Neutrals are the foundation of a wardrobe. Layered and easy to mix and match, neutrals go with everything in your closet.
Navy blue and who? Choose darker hues that share the intensity of navy like dusty purples, hunter greens and maroons. Alternatively, the seasonal staple can be complemented by contrasting mustard yellow.
The colour combo everyone loves to hate - pink and red is a surprising colour-blocking match. For a top tip, keeping a 50:50 ratio of pink to red pieces is the best way of maintaining aesthetic balance.
With its similarly hued palette, burgundy and blush is an autumn/winter favourite. Play with lighter pinks and darker burgundy to provide quite the grounding contrast.
If you're looking for the perfect party outfit, emerald is a go-to. With its regal richness and earthy zen, emerald works with a jewel tone. Gold, silver or bronze - all metallic colours are winners.
The colour wheel
That primary school art class is going to come in handy. You may be familiar with the colour wheel, but how does it come into play when styling clothing?
Blue and orange may be an unexpected pairing, but they create the most contrast to one another. While you may think they would clash, several colours like to break the rules and work well together.
Harmonious colours are those grouped next to one another, such as blue and teal. They offer low contrast but work well together, creating an overall pleasing outfit.
Colour trends for autumn/winter
Is your wardrobe looking 50 shades of grey? Just because the weather turns bleak, your wardrobe doesn't have to.
Pantone colour experts predict autumn/winter colours will see the serenity of light-infused pastels contrasted by energising brights whose message of joy and optimism celebrates the now.
There’s no beating classic vanilla. A wardrobe drizzled with ice cream hues will be timeless and versatile. One scoop or two?
Usually associated with warmer months, blue remains prevalent in every season in one way or another. Reimagined through tailoring, this autumn, we are dreaming in cerulean.
Following the resurgence of 90s fashion, designers have dug deep into archives. Once pretty divisive, a hot chocolate colour palette is now largely adored. And we're here for pure cacao goodness.
The antidote to the minimalistic hues coming through this season, vibrant pinks are guaranteed to make you look and feel good.
Colour do's & dont's
Do start with tints, shades and tones. Try a layered monochrome look and play with saturation and brightness by using 2-3 shades of the same colour. The more contrast you add, the brighter the outfit will become. For a softer and calmer look, stick to minimal contrast.
Do clash your colours. Create a bold statement through colour-contrasting clothing. The classic clashing combination includes shades of blue with orange, purple with yellow and white with black. Stick to one colour as your base, and the other is complementary.
Do know what colours work well with your skin tone. By rule of thumb, redheads usually avoid pink, and it can be hard to carry off yellow with certain complexions.
Do mix and match. If you weren’t scared before, now let’s talk about mixing patterns. This may seem like a fashion faux pas, but mixing patterns is a great way to stand out with a uniquely vibrant outfit.
Don’t play it safe. It’s natural to feel uneasy when experimenting with new tones and partnerships, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to black head-to-toe.
Don’t ignore undertones. Trying to team a selection of black or white garments together can be a nightmare. Avoid a terrible mismatch and try not to pair an exact colour match unless they have the same undertones.
Don’t be fooled - not all colours work. While red and green are complementary colours, you may be left looking more Christmassy than intended.
Colours for every skin tone
To build your wardrobe, you should know what colours work well with your skin tone. To determine your skin undertone hold a white sheet of paper to your face and compare the contrast. If your skin looks yellowish, greenish or light brown, you likely have a warm skin tone, but if your skin appears pink, rosy or blue, you have a cooler skin tone. And if your skin seems grey or ashen, you have a neutral skin tone.
Note: skin shade does not always determine your skin's undertone. You can have dark skin with a cooler undertone and lighter skin with a warmer undertone.
When thinking of colour, the general rule is that skin with cool undertones is complemented best by greys, browns, blues, greens and purples, whilst skin with warm undertones looks best with bright or light colours. Skin with neutral undertones looks great in bold, bright colours.
If you love a colour that isn't the best for you, you don't have to stop wearing it! Instead of wearing it head-to-toe, consider using it as an accent colour with a scarf, accessory or handbag.
If you remain clueless when it comes to colour or simply need a helping hand, Fenwick personal shoppers are here to help. Their extensive fashion knowledge ensures simple, structured, stress-free dressing. You can trust our personal shoppers to find the right colour and combination for you.
What colours go well together: To contrast or to complement
Have you ever wondered what colours work well together? If so, you’re not alone. Colour-matching clothing may seem a mystery, but it doesn’t have to be. Our ultimate painting-by-numbers guide will help you nail your colour combos every time.
It’s all about the base. Neutrals are the foundation of a wardrobe. Layered and easy to mix and match, neutrals go with everything in your closet.
Navy blue and who? Choose darker hues that share the intensity of navy like dusty purples, hunter greens and maroons. Alternatively, the seasonal staple can be complemented by contrasting mustard yellow.
The colour combo everyone loves to hate - pink and red is a surprising colour-blocking match. For a top tip, keeping a 50:50 ratio of pink to red pieces is the best way of maintaining aesthetic balance.
With its similarly hued palette, burgundy and blush is an autumn/winter favourite. Play with lighter pinks and darker burgundy to provide quite the grounding contrast.
If you're looking for the perfect party outfit, emerald is a go-to. With its regal richness and earthy zen, emerald works with a jewel tone. Gold, silver or bronze - all metallic colours are winners.
The colour wheel
That primary school art class is going to come in handy. You may be familiar with the colour wheel, but how does it come into play when styling clothing?
Blue and orange may be an unexpected pairing, but they create the most contrast to one another. While you may think they would clash, several colours like to break the rules and work well together.
Harmonious colours are those grouped next to one another, such as blue and teal. They offer low contrast but work well together, creating an overall pleasing outfit.
Colour trends for autumn/winter
Is your wardrobe looking 50 shades of grey? Just because the weather turns bleak, your wardrobe doesn't have to.
Pantone colour experts predict autumn/winter colours will see the serenity of light-infused pastels contrasted by energising brights whose message of joy and optimism celebrates the now.
There’s no beating classic vanilla. A wardrobe drizzled with ice cream hues will be timeless and versatile. One scoop or two?
Usually associated with warmer months, blue remains prevalent in every season in one way or another. Reimagined through tailoring, this autumn, we are dreaming in cerulean.
Following the resurgence of 90s fashion, designers have dug deep into archives. Once pretty divisive, a hot chocolate colour palette is now largely adored. And we're here for pure cacao goodness.
The antidote to the minimalistic hues coming through this season, vibrant pinks are guaranteed to make you look and feel good.
Colour do's & dont's
Do start with tints, shades and tones. Try a layered monochrome look and play with saturation and brightness by using 2-3 shades of the same colour. The more contrast you add, the brighter the outfit will become. For a softer and calmer look, stick to minimal contrast.
Do clash your colours. Create a bold statement through colour-contrasting clothing. The classic clashing combination includes shades of blue with orange, purple with yellow and white with black. Stick to one colour as your base, and the other is complementary.
Do know what colours work well with your skin tone. By rule of thumb, redheads usually avoid pink, and it can be hard to carry off yellow with certain complexions.
Do mix and match. If you weren’t scared before, now let’s talk about mixing patterns. This may seem like a fashion faux pas, but mixing patterns is a great way to stand out with a uniquely vibrant outfit.
Don’t play it safe. It’s natural to feel uneasy when experimenting with new tones and partnerships, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to black head-to-toe.
Don’t ignore undertones. Trying to team a selection of black or white garments together can be a nightmare. Avoid a terrible mismatch and try not to pair an exact colour match unless they have the same undertones.
Don’t be fooled - not all colours work. While red and green are complementary colours, you may be left looking more Christmassy than intended.
Colours for every skin tone
To build your wardrobe, you should know what colours work well with your skin tone. To determine your skin undertone hold a white sheet of paper to your face and compare the contrast. If your skin looks yellowish, greenish or light brown, you likely have a warm skin tone, but if your skin appears pink, rosy or blue, you have a cooler skin tone. And if your skin seems grey or ashen, you have a neutral skin tone.
Note: skin shade does not always determine your skin's undertone. You can have dark skin with a cooler undertone and lighter skin with a warmer undertone.
When thinking of colour, the general rule is that skin with cool undertones is complemented best by greys, browns, blues, greens and purples, whilst skin with warm undertones looks best with bright or light colours. Skin with neutral undertones looks great in bold, bright colours.
If you love a colour that isn't the best for you, you don't have to stop wearing it! Instead of wearing it head-to-toe, consider using it as an accent colour with a scarf, accessory or handbag.
If you remain clueless when it comes to colour or simply need a helping hand, Fenwick personal shoppers are here to help. Their extensive fashion knowledge ensures simple, structured, stress-free dressing. You can trust our personal shoppers to find the right colour and combination for you.