Three easy colour combos to try
Ana Gimeno Brugada photo: Acielle at Style du Monde
As much as I love bright colours on other women – Caroline Issa, Zandra Rhodes, Linda V Wright, Ana Gimeno Brugada – my own palette is quite restrained. One look in the wardrobe reveals a wave of blues, khakis and denim, with a smidgen of antique pink (looks good with khaki), the odd white highlight – an orange nylon bomber jacket and one vintage gold silk blouse. It’s good to have the occasional wild card, one item to whoop up the basics. And, while I know that my red Bella Freud jumper is an instant complexion-booster, on an everyday basis I tend to keep things muted. I always think it’s best to stay within your Colour Comfort Zone. Choose the hues that work for you. And then turn up the volume, try a new shade of something similar. That may sound boring but it doesn’t have to be – see my navy, sky blue and emerald combo below – this is what Knowing Your Style is all about. Stick to the silhouettes that suit your shape and then play around with colour. I’m at home in blues and greens, Zandra Rhodes always looks happy in her trademark fuchsia and orange clash-up – colour has to feel pleasing and compatible. I never wear purple, and when I get old I will never wear purple, it’s just not a shade that sits within my Colour Comfort Zone.
Here are three easy colour combinations to try:
Red and pink more stylish than you think. Style Heroine Ana Gimeno Brugada adds a softer spin to her gentlewomanly look with pale rose trousers and a coral-red blazer. The orange-y tone of the jacket sits beautifully with the lighter shade of pink, but the red and pink combo works equally well with brighter shades of tomato ketchup and shocking pink.
Note the added colour inspiration from AGB’s rainbow striped bag (above).
That’s Not My Age photo: Claire Pepper
Blue and green should be seen. Staying within my Colour Comfort Zone, these stronger shades are just a whooped up version of my usual khaki and navy blue uniform. Same but different. Another take on this combination could be bottle green and turquoise – take another look at Ana Gimeno Brugada’s Balenciaga bag.
Grace Coddington’s i-D cover
Blue and rust it’s a must. Both of these colours are available in an array of lovely shades, there’s a compatible pairing for everyone. Burnt orange, rust, terracotta or tan, goes well with Bill Cunningham blue, indigo, turquoise or pale aqua. Whether the shades are switched up a la Grace Coddington or toned down as on the Roksanda spring/summer 2019 catwalk, this is a winning colour combination.
Roksanda spring/summer 2019 photo: Vogue.com
More easy summer colour:
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Discussion (19 Comments)
Mrs Tonia says:
Some really attractive clothes featured here. I especially like the pale blue shirred dress. But sadly one thousand pounds.
I have always wore shades of orange since my swinging sixties schoolgirl days. I still enjoy wearing the colour. Looks good with a light suntan and silver sandals and silver bracelets. I’m now using olive as a neutral base rather than denim or blue and adding red, sunflower yellow, other green shades like chartreuse and a lavender purple too. I also like Aqua and turquoise worn with tobacco brown and the emerald colours you show here. Any cheerful and colourful clothing works to brighten complexion and makes you feel more cheerful, even more so when the sun is shining.Lesley says:
I did that whole seasonal colour thing back in the 80s – I’m a summer – and I still follow it. Bright pinks and fuchsias and plums and blue reds are my go to colours, often with navy. I think my love of colour’s a reaction to 30 years of wearing a greige uniform shirt.
MaureenC says:
Great colours, I’m having fun with teal and the bright citrus yellow that’s around at the moment.
Though I spend a lot of time in what I’ve come to think of as my navy “school uniform” I always have something in an intense bright colour and I’m drawn to magenta, ultramarine and intense green like a moth to a flame. My summer purchases have all been in that citrus yellow as I try to grab the intense colours in the odd years when they appear as I’m sure we will be back to a sea of beige next year. Absolutely fine for those it suits but previous attempts to look sophisticated in taupe linen have resulted in lots of enquiries about my health!ps and thanks for the link to the Bill Cunningham piece, it was lovely to read it again
Sara says:
Some great ideas here for me, as ever Alyson. My palette is much more limited in winter than summer, when I tend to add a lot of white, especially jeans. Then, so many bright colours can be added in. I’m waiting for a really good weather day to wear my new bright yellow chinos! Feeling like sunshine is a great enhancer.
I love the idea of khaki as a base, especially with white and have a great Jigsaw sweater, but cannot find any slim/skinny jeans in that real brownish khaki as against the more green hue. Any suggestions? I am still with skinnies as they suit me well and are just so practical for everyday as well as being good for the legs! (Showing them off, one of my better points when some of the other bits are not what they were )
Love getting the new ideas; article in The Guardian earlier this week about ageing and how to do it well; important bit about maintaining contact with new ideas/activities. Not sure they meant clothes, but I enjoy re-thinking long held habits.Jacqueline says:
Having worn virtually nothing else but navy separates, white shorts in summer, since I retired I have recently tried colourful tops. I knew black drained my complexion (livelier looking people in undertakers parlours!) but navy now seems too as well. I have now purchased a dark pink linen dress, worn with orange shoes, and some teal and sea green tops. Not ready yet to give up my basic navy and black trousers though – but I now have some white linen for summer.
Upside – told I look younger by friends and importantly my very stylish daughter.Anna K. says:
It’s neutrals for me, though I love them on other people. At five foot and a fag paper tall, I stick to one colour head to toe then go mad with scarves – I’m all grey as I type this, with a turquoise, cobalt and grey scarf. The scarf is my ‘signature’ and I rarely fail to cop a compliment – even Ken, the postman notices with approval.
Richards Deborah says:
One of the joys of a session or two of Wardrobe Playtime (looking at/trying out what you’ve got before buying yet more) has been seeing surprising colour and style combinations! This article gives me confidence I’m on the right track as well as inspiring the purchase of one or two modernising items to help! Thank you Alyson yet again!
maudie says:
These colour combinations/clashes look gorgeous even if not for the faint-hearted. As a neutral wearer myself, I sometimes wake up with the urge to pop some colour. My favourite tends to be mustard and navy, avocado and navy and the occasional zappy coral. A few days of colour and I am more than happy to neutralise again! It is quite fun too to switch from silver jewellery to gold (coloured!) jewellery when the colour urge kicks in.
Barbara Thompson says:
One of the many reasons I follow your blog is the color combinations you style, as I am using a similar palette. You are such an amazing inspiration. My main basic colors are navy, khaki and olive green. But bright yellow and orange find their way mostly in scarves or shells. Not sure I can do the pink at this time, but it is tempting. Maybe I need to check out my favorite Etsy seller of vintage scarves!
Jeanne Edwards says:
I started introducing colour last year . Burnt orange , deep pink, ruby red and lime green tops. I find black, which I used to love, now aging and draining against my olive skin, but don’t mind if it’s black with a bright print. I saw some burnt orange linen , easy wear, trousers this morning and wondered what colour top to wear. Have the answer now – saw your model wearing blue with orange trousers……so am going to buy them ! Thank you Alyson.
Jeanne
Toomanyshoes says:
I think pretty much any colour will look good with any other colour so long as the depth of the tone is the same and you keep an eye on what goes well with your skin and eye colour. For example I gave up the search for “ the perfect white shirt” when I realised it wasn’t the shirts that were the issue, it was the colour white that didn’t work. For me.
Isobel says:
Oh, wow, these colour combinations are so much fun! In my neutral, muted wardrobe, for a splash of colour I can choose from either a bright red cardigan, a bright red and white hoodie and/or my red sneakers! And a little cotton square scarf of red and pink stripes surrounding multi-coloured flowers, which I love but which I’m unlikely to ever expand into a full outfit.
We’ve had an Antarctic blast all this week, in Tasmania (after a glorious autumn), so that means the annual mass of black puffer jackets on the streets!!Goddessinthedetails says:
I gave up strong reds and fuchsias when the hot flushes set in. Caught sight of myself in a changing room mirror and my top matched my complexion. Eeek! My wardrobe is neutral to navy save for a bite of emerald green or a pair of bright orange Sam Edelmans – i.e. warm colour as far away from the face as possible!
Lesley says:
Like the Podcast development very much. Good for when I’m on the go which is most of the time!
Claire B 
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I love these choices – most of my wardrobe is pretty muted but I’ve realised that orange is incredibly energising and now love it. I’ve just bought a beautiful hand printed orange and blue silk scarf while on holiday in Scotland, it lifts all my navies and blacks. I also have some orange leather Swedish Hasbeen style clogs (although mine are Clarks) which I love – colour can be very liberating!
Great post, some lovely ideas here!