Colours Combo: Royal Blue & Chartreuse Green
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If you know my style well, you'll know that mixing colours is one of my favourite ways to create something new and fresh. When I pair two unexpected colours together, it suddenly feels like I'm wearing each item for the first time-even if I've had them for years.
Some might refer to this as a trend called "Colour Blocking", which simply means you pair two or three totally different colours together to make a bold statement. True, that is exactly what I'm doing, but I was doing it well before it was "the trend of 2011" and will continue to do so long after it's gone "out of style". Why? Because as far as I'm concerned, it will always be a part of mine.
I always keep an eye out for colour when I'm shopping, even if it's not on my list. Case in point: this chartreuse green skirt I scooped up from H&M for $7 last year during their end-0f-summer sale. I was hunting for a new pair of classic black trousers, and out of the corner of my eye was this vibrant colour I'd never seen. The skirt was the last of its kind, hanging all by its lonesome amongst the sale section, so I quickly ran over to see if it was my size.
It was a four, and although I'm a six or eight in H&M sizes, I was dying to try it on. I sucked in real tight, secured the button, and slowly pulled the zipper closed. It was a liiiitle tight (think small but cute tummy muffin, hah!) and for $7 I could make it work.
Of course, this isn't my logic for all of my purchases. Fit is something I normally take very seriously, but this time there were other factors at play. Was the sale price intriguing? Absolutely. Was it obvious to others that it was a smidge too tight? Nope. Would I have purchased the skirt if it was at a higher price point? No, only if it was my exact size.
So there we have it, I'm willing to forgo fit (depending on the item) when the price tag is too good to pass up. Sometimes an impulse buy from the sale rack based on colour is the best style decision you'll ever make, even if all you can eat is an ice cream cone.
$20 Old Navy Top (Similar) / $7 (sale) H&M Skirt (Similar) / $15 Winners Bandana (Similar) / $10 Winners Slides (Similar) / $20 Call it Spring Wallet (Similar) / Vanderzee Jewelry
The best piece of advice I can give someone who wants to bring more colour into their wardrobe is to experiment with what you have. Put on some music, make some snacks, pour yourself a drink, and dive right into that closet of yours.
To start, pull out a few colourful tops and hang them where you can see them, and do the same with your bottoms. From here, put on a top and then rotate between your bottoms until you find a match you like. Repeat for the rest of your tops until you find a colour combination that you like, or continue to create multiple!
If you simply don't have enough colour options, a shopping trip might be in order. If that's the case, my advice to you is this: find your inspiration. What two colours have you seen together that get you excited and make you want to wear them? Those are most likely the colours you will wear more often, and separately too. If you don't have much cash for a colourful new outfit, see what colours you do have and set out to find their match. I advise you to bring their counterpart just to be sure it's a good fit!