We all see those painfully chic photos of celebrities effortlessly pulling off tricky color combinations. Navy and black, brown and black, and tan and gray look so sophisticated and expensive when expertly paired. But, if you’re not careful, you also run the risk of looking like you got dressed in the dark. Today I’m sharing three tips for pulling off tricky color combos!
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3 Tips for Pulling Off Tricky Color Combos
Did you catch my recent post on wearing tan and gray together? It’s an understated and stylish pairing that you don’t often see because it can be tricky to pull off. Navy & black and brown & black pairings also fall into this category. Below are three tips for making these combinations look intentional.
1. Let the Clothing Do the Work
This first tip may feel like a cheat, but it gets the job done. Simply select a piece of clothing that combines the colors for you! Match your remaining pieces to a tone in the combination piece.
If you aren’t quite ready to go all-in on color mixing, you can look for accessories that highlight a tricky combo for a slightly more subtle look (see handbags and shoes below).
2. Color Block
Color blocking is one of my favorite ways to wear difficult color combinations. Using this technique, keep all of your clothing pieces, save one, in the same shade. I find it easiest to wear the accent color on top, either a blouse, sweater, or jacket, and keep my bottom piece a solid black or charcoal. However, there is no reason why you couldn’t do the reverse.
I typically stick with solid accessories, but these coordinated so well, I couldn’t pass them up!
3. Mix Up Textures
Our final tip is to mix up your textures. You’ve already seen one example of this in the navy/black outfit above. The satin fabric of the skirt and the nubby tweed texture of the blazer help highlight the contrast between the black pieces and the navy top, which is a finer-gauge knit.
The example below further illustrates this. A chunky-textured teddy coat stands in contrast to the leather trousers. Adding accessories in the same whiskey brown shade as the coat makes the pairing look purposeful.
Bonus Tip: Use a white or ecru top as a bridge layer between a black pair of pants and a navy or brown coat, or between a charcoal bottom and a tan coat. It always looks purposeful!
Until next time…keep cultivating a simple, stylish, and satisfying life!
Hi Betsy. I can be such a stickler for the rules. This post has great ways to think outside the box and maybe wear what you already have in your closet. Thank you. ♥️
Hi Betsy. I don’t think my earlier comment showed up. I enjoyed your post, as it encourages me to go outside my comfort zone and try color combinations, that ordinarily I’d be leary of doing. Thank you for the great ideas. ♥️
I’m so glad this post inspired you to try something different! The navy and black combo would be lovely on you, in my opinion. Thanks for stopping by and for your earlier comment as well.