Colorful Outfit Ideas: How to Wear Bright Colors

Silvana Patrick
by Silvana Patrick
10 Minutes
Easy

Today, we're going to talk about how to wear color.


If you're feeling audacious and you’d like to introduce some brighter and bolder colors, this tutorial is for you. Let's get started.


Colorful outfit ideas

After all the neutrals that dominated past seasons, there's never been a better time to embrace color in our wardrobes.


Dressing oneself in some form of color is proven to boost a person’s spirits.

Bright handbag

1. Bright handbag

If you're not used to wearing bright colors, opt for a neutral outfit and add the color in the form of an accessory, such as a bag.


A neutral base highlights that bright color and makes it the focal point of your outfit. This bright bag brings personality and a little energy to my look.

Colorful scarf

2. Colorful scarf

I love the addition of a scarf to a neutral outfit. Because a scarf is around your face, it reflects the light back to your face and can be complementary.


Start with a basic foundation in your favorite neutral color, then tie a scarf around your neck.


If you're feeling more daring, pick out one of the colors from the scarf and opt for a bag in that color. The green bag ties in with the green in the scarf and makes for a coordinated look.

Colorful blazer

3. Colorful blazer

Another great way to add color is to keep your base neutral and then pop on a colorful blazer.

Colorful sweater

4. Colorful sweater

It can also be fun to do color-blocking with a colorful sweater.

Layering

5. Layering

You also have the option to wear a white shirt underneath the sweater for added style and warmth.

Combining colors

6. Combining colors

And you can keep layering and adding different colors or the same family colors, whatever you prefer. 

Monochrome

7. Monochrome

For me, there's nothing better than a tonal look. I love this turquoise color, so I’ve paired a loose-fit cotton dress with a fitted jacket.


What I love about it is that the unstructured dress gets a bit more structure with the fitted jacket, which balances out the look.


I also love the shoulder pads that give the shoulders some structure. I finished the look off with white accessories that work perfectly.

8. Black and white accessories

Here I’m wearing a lime dress and some black and white accessories, which are fun and funky while also sophisticated. The black and white accessories are a great way to break up a monochrome look, so it isn’t too monotonous.


9. Personal coloring

When choosing what colors to wear, it is important to consider your coloring.


When you wear something around your face, the color reflects the light right back to your face.


If you’re wearing the right color, it will enhance your appearance, but the wrong color will cast undesirable shadows.


You don’t, however, need to buy an entire wardrobe based on your coloring, as what is important are the pieces your wear at the top of your body because that's where the light will reflect back to your face.


It doesn't matter as much what you're wearing at the bottom. 


There are two things to consider here: Your undertone and the depth of your coloring. Undertone, in makeup terms, determines the kind of foundation you wear - cool, neutral, or warm.

Personal coloring

One way to determine whether you're warm, cool, or neutral is to place a white piece of paper next to your face.


If you are warmer than the white of the paper, then you’re probably warm, and if you think you're bluish, you are probably cool. 

Personal coloring

You can also look at the back of your wrist and see the color of your veins. If they're olive-toned, you're warm, and if they’re blue, you're cool-toned.


Once you determine your undertone, you can understand base colors for you. If you're warm, it will be yellow-based colors, and if you're cool, it will be blue.


You don't need to wear these colors in particular but colors based on them. For example, there are some yellow-based greens and blue-based greens, and the same is true with reds.


The second aspect of finding your coloring is the depth of your skin.


This is determined by the contrast between your skin, hair, and eyes. The greater the contrast, the more intense the colors you wear need to be. The smaller the contrast, the less intense the colors need to be.


You don’t want to wear anything that will overwhelm you on the one hand or wash you out on the other.

Personal coloring

A great example of soft skin is Kate Winslet. Her eyes, skin, and hair have little contrast between them.

Personal coloring

Courtney Cox has a deep contrast between her hair, skin, and eyes.


Colorful outfit ideas: How to wear color

I hope you’ve found this tutorial on how to wear color and that you’ll put some of the principles into practice.


Color brings energy and joy into our lives and I hope you have fun styling it. Leave a comment down below!

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