How to Wear Your Color ‘Crush’

Just like men…sometimes we love a color that is simply not a good match for us. For instance, I’m crazy for the “solar power” yellow that’s in stores this season, but it doesn’t love me back. (It makes me look a little “unwell” in fact!) While admittedly there’s a potpourri of colors to choose from this season, sometimes we just can’t break the attraction to the colors we know are not well suited for us. (Sound familiar?) How can we wear the colors that are not necessarily ‘our best’ and still look fabulous? Read on for some helpful hints.

Tangerines/Oranges are everywhere this spring season. If you love the color, but it overwhelms your features or leaves you looking tired, here are some suggestions:

1. Pair orange with your favorite neutral. Let’s say navy looks great on you (and it does on many people.) Pair your favorite navy blouse with tangerine jeans! This is a great way to brighten your outfit and to be right in step with the bold pant trend. The trick is to keep the orange hue away from your face.

2. Accessorize in orange. If adding an orange top or bottom seems like a bit too much of a good thing, look for an orange accessory! An orange skinny belt can add a pop of color to your outfit. Tuck a white blouse into a high-waist tan pencil skirt and add a skinny orange belt to your waistline or just wear it with your favorite jeans to spice things up.

3. Think outside the box. Make orange your go-to color and enjoy it many times a day by using orange-colored zipper bags to help you organize the contents of your handbag.

Soft shades of blush or nude can add polish and sophistication to any outfit if it’s done right. If these colors resonate more with your heart than your complexion, here are some suggestions.

1. Start at the bottom. Add nude pumps to complete your look. When looking for a pump, find the blush or nude tone that is most flattering to your skin tone. Bonus: by keeping the color of your shoe tonal to your skin tone, your legs appear longer and you appear taller!

2. Play with contrast. Use nude shades as the ‘yin’ to your darker neutral ‘yang’ to create a high contrast look. Black or navy are both great paired with nude shades. Blush and charcoal gray is also a fabulous color combo. For evening, you can opt for a blush colored lace skirt with a top in your favorite dark neutral. You could even add the above-mentioned nude pumps to finish the look!

3. It’s in the bag. A nude handbag is great alternative to the classic black bag – not to mention it translates equally as well from day to night. Wear it for dinners out, cocktails with friends, or for special occasion dressing like a wedding.

Pastel shades are so comforting, calm, and slightly sweet – not to mention they’re always appropriate for the warm weather months. How can you add these sorbet-colored hues when your typical colors are bold and bright? Tastefully, of course!

1. Opt for a printed blouse. Since prints contain multiple colors, look for one that combines some of your best colors with other colors that you just love.

2. Create a tonal mix. Let’s use blue as an example and think about separates like cropped pants, blazers, and t-shirts. Choose one of the items in powder blue and the others in shades of royal and/or navy blue. Playing with shades of one color is not only mistake-proof, but also fun and fashion-forward.

3. Enjoy these softer shades with your makeup. Experiment with eye shadow, eye liner, or mascara in your favorite pastel. Alternatively, paint the town pastel with your finger or toenail color.

Are you color-confused? Don’t despair. I can help you ID your best colors and figure out how to wear them. Remember, this season and always…it’s all about hue, so experiment and have fun!