How to introduce color to your wardrobe
Tips on how to effortlessly add color to your outfits, simple color theory to enhance your style, and color combinations you can try yourself.
In every great style journey comes a chapter where you start experimenting with all-black outfits. I went through this moment myself recently. At the time I was trying to focus on efficiency—outfits that I can put together quickly without thinking too much about them while still looking good.
It worked for a while but I started getting bored of my style without understanding why. My outfits became exhausted because while they seemed efficient, there was a lack of excitement to get dressed. This prolonged period of time made me buy more clothes I didn’t want, and most importantly, fall out of love with color. It got to the point where I simply didn’t feel comfortable wearing anything colorful.
On a recent trip with a friend we talked about the clothes we liked, our personal tastes, and how to expand our style by experimenting with more color and patterns. Something in my brain switched during this conversation and I started forcing myself to start looking at clothes in different colors.
After picking up items that I wouldn’t usually go for, I ended up surprising myself quickly because I remembered how fun it was to wear color. I know it seems silly, but it’s easy to forget when you’re doing a straight year wearing only black clothing and maybe with some white tees in between.
The most important change that I’ve noticed after reintroducing color into my life is that getting dressed was fun and easy again.
In today’s letter I want to share how I started introducing color in my life again, color combinations you can try yourself, how to approach color theory, and how you can effortlessly start adding color to your wardrobe.
A good and easy way to start expanding your palette is by turning to physical print for inspiration. Think art and photo books and magazines on street style and culture. Using these while making a conscious decision to focus on the colors that are in front of you is a great way to see how certain shades and tones work together.
Another great resource is A Dictionary of Color Combinations by Sanzo Wada. Sanzo is a Japanese artist that is considered to be one of the pioneers of contemporary colour research.
In this book you’ll have an endless supply of color combinations that you can try out to recreate in your fits. The book is also cheap, wildly available online and is a great source of inspiration.
Having the resources is one thing but knowing how to apply them to your wardrobe is a different conversation. So, how do you start wearing color more effortlessly without feeling like you’re overdoing it?
Everyone has their own approach which is what makes everyone’s fashion journey unique, and that’s totally cool. Below are my tips and tricks on how I stopped wearing all-black clothing, which has helped me erase the idea of having nothing to wear,
START WITH YOUR ACCESSORIES
Going from no color to bright shades can feel like a lot at first. It’s also an investment that requires some money to do properly. Things like gloves, beanies, scarves and even belts are all a great way to add a touch of color to your fit without having to spend a lot.
It’s a smaller investment which allows you to take more risks. You might try something that you won’t end up liking in the end but it will be easier to get over that purchase when it’s a beanie vs a shirt for example. This is also a great way to efficiently figure out what colors work for you.
KEEP THIS IN MIND
People have their own set of do’s and don’ts when talking about color theory. For example, there’s a common narrative online that navy and black don’t go together but I don’t think that’s necessarily true.
Bold tones in specific combinations might feel overwhelming, which could cause people to think that specific color combos don’t work. This is where going with a more washed/soft color combo will yield better results.
In this example, a black pant, preferably one that isn’t as bold—think washed—could go very well with a deep navy.
You can also break apart said outfit with a simple white pair of shoes—I find that an all black pair in this case might make the outfit feel a bit bland, and mixing multiple black colors together might offset the navy top in a weird way. So, instead if you’re doing mostly darker shades for your clothing, mixing in something a bit brighter will end up creating a bit more cohesiveness in your entire look.