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Adding yellow to my wardrobe - impossible?

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

I have love-hate relationship with yellow. I love the color on others, but not on me. Today I've returned a cute scarf with strong hints of yellow in it, because something did not feel right about the color.

And yet, on the way back home, with depressingly solid gray sky hanging over my head I kept thinking I want something yellow to brighten up the long winter ahead.

With my dark hair and pale skin I think I look bad in anything with yellow undertones. Logically, that should rule out anything yelowi-ish... or not?

I'm not after anything big, a bright handbag or shoes are not an option. A scarf would do, but the scarf in the right color? Are there shades of yellow that I could consider?

Anything else but scarf?

29 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Yellow leather gloves?

Louise

Veteran

I had the same problem during the summer I ended up with a patterened yellow and white scarf in the sale from Boden, it's so much easier to wear than solid yellow x

Louise

Veteran

Perhaps something like this? http://www.marksandspencer.com.....ed-items-3

Suz

(website)

Veteran

A pattern, yes...

Or maybe a belt?

Or how about a yellow umbrella?

I can't wear yellow, either. But I love yellow and gold. My study is in shades of gold. Our hallways throughout our house are all gold. Our kitchen is warm yellow; our dining room is a very soft yellow.

Sartorially, I went for the yellow shoes because on sale they were an excellent price. They are not super bright, but more gold, yet on my bare skin they almost read as neutral (even though my skin has pink undertones...weird.)

But I won't wear a solid yellow near my face, no way. Maybe a pattern, but even then it has to have other flattering colours in it and be dominated by those colours.

Switching tacks here...doesn't your red and cobalt and purple cheer you up on grey days?

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

How about a skirt? <you could have guessed this will come from me, right?>
It is easier to wear because it is not against you face and the right yellow can work well with your cool colour pallette.
Also you may just need to find a right shade of yellow. Maybe more of cool-toned lemon yellow with some green in it?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Sveta is so clever.

A yellow skirt would go brilliantly with your greys, some of your blues, even your purple (if you are daring) or your red.

Hmmm. Maybe I need a yellow skirt, too. <grin>

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Suz, you do need a yellow skirt. It is too much fun for words.
See what you have done: I am planning to wear my yellow skirt tomorrow!

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Suz, for 2.5 years I've lived in an apartment with the bright yellow living room. It was north-facing, cold and dark, but that color was bringing life to the room. I loved it! I don't understand why we haven't painted anything in our house in yellow now that i think about it!! Well, I am color-illiterate, definitely!

Switching tracks... those colors, my colors, are cheerful and I love them. Perhaps it's the returned scarf I keep thinking about that really brought yellow back to my attention, combined with the dismal weather today.

Shannon, gloves sound like a great idea.

Louise, Sandra Bullock wears similar scarf in "Proposal" and I loved the styling in the movie! Thanks for pointing that one out.

My issue is learning how to recognise the right shade for me. Same as there are reds and reds (e.g. orangey and purplish reds), I'm guessing there must be different yellows and one must work for me. Oh, how I wish I can be fly on the wall in Jean's classroom to learn all of this!

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Sveta, we posted at the same time.

Yellow skirt, that's an idea.

Suz, I'd wear all those colors! Purple and yellow, that's an idea! Actually, I have a week of color combinations roughly planned that I wanted to do ages ago, I just never got around to it.

Astrid

Veteran

With the colors you normally wear, I would guess that you need a citron yellow instead of a sunflower yellow. So a yellow without any warm orange tones in it.

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

catgirl

Veteran

Yellow is a struggle for me too. I would suggest a skinny belt to start. Substitute it for your red accessories and see how it goes. You have the perfect wardrobe to add pops of color like that!

Anonymous

A yellow bag perhaps? That is not close to the face. And there was an awesome thread about a Nordstrom yellow pencil skirt here on YLF. I'm not American, so I don't remember the brand . Skirts can be versatile even if colored. They're not close to the face! ( Purple top and yellow skirt, turquoise top and yellow skirt - i seem to remember those through YLF osmosis) . Also a yellow/ gold wallet . Makes you happy when you use it, and you're bound to use it daily.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

Ornella, I think I wear the same colors as you - deep bright blues, greens - essentially the cool colors. The only yellow I can wear moderately well is a soft butter yellow. Anything bright or warm and I look like dirty ditch water.

I was thinking maybe yellow tights. I do love the idea of yellow gloves.

Sylvie

Veteran

Are you set on sticking with a bright clear yellow? How about mustard?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I vote a warm marigold yellow handbag, Ornella.

(I LOVE YELLOW!)

Anonymous

No solutions here, but I just wanted to chime in and say I feel the same way about yellow (and orange). Both are sunny and warm...until they get near my face. I like how people are wearing colored bottoms with everything else neutral, but I'm still building a really basic wardrobe. I tried a yellow sweater with my blue and white; it looked great lying on the bed, but horrible on me. I do love the color though; it's so inherently cheerful.

Angie usually gets it right. I'd take her advice!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Dittoing Claire.

Maybe when she and I expand our wardrobes a little bit, we could have a challenge in which those of us who wear cool colours better could incorporate a warmer toned item every day. It might mean a bit of thrift store shopping! Meanwhile, those who wear warmer tones better could aim to try a cooler toned item.

JennyAnne

(website)

Veteran

Go for a bag. You don't have to spend a bunch. Or a belt. Something not right by your face if you think it's not your best color.

fern

Veteran

I can't wear yellow either.
I got a yellow satchel
It is very bright. It is also fantastic against my navy coat.

ETA: I re-read your post. No handbags? This works way better for me than a scarf - yellow near my skin is frightening.

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AJ

Veteran

I'm also drawn to yellow, but have a hard time wearing it. I have a yellow cardigan that I hardly wear, a scarf that has yellow in the print and yellow earrings. I once almost bought a yellow and black striped crossbody bag, but I was getting a bumble bee vibe and put it back on the store shelf.

How about a yellow floral pin? The yellow belt and skirt are FAB suggestions. A yellow beret and gloves?

Amy

(website)

Veteran

I have a yellow wallet, which wasn't expensive by any means and it manages to bring a smile to my face every time I pull it out of my purse.

Lyrebirdgully

From your photos Ornella, you might have cool colouring (a Winter or deep Summer) in which case virtually the only shade of yellow you can put right up next to your face is a pale lemon, as Sveta suggests (see pics below. Hope the colour shows true onscreen; it should look light, pastel,and happy, not heavy or intense). Lemon has a touch of green in its makeup - which cools down the "heat' of the yellow component. Pale lemon looks terrific next to darker hair like yours, and next to dark neutrals such as navy, maroon etc, where it functions pretty much as white does, i.e it lifts a dark colour by creating contrast (see pic of frock and blouse below - with black and white, a very sophisticated combination!)
Lemon is not a common colour by any means, but well worth giving a try if you come across it.

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Jonesy

Veteran

I'm on Team Anyone Can Wear Any Color They Want To, so I say find the right shade of yellow that makes you happy, and don't look back :)!

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for the suggestions (and photos too fern & Lyrebirdgully, color names additionally confuse me sometimes as English is not my first language).
I'll start the search.

Fruitful

Veteran

Ornella, I just saw this thread - how did you go?

As I mentioned in my yellow necklace thread, I find simply wearing the right makeup as well as combining with more flattering colours, plus a clear-to-cool shade of yellow, makes it work. I consider myself a Winter if that is meaningful to you.

I'm not sure if you share the same colouring as Lilli from Frocks and Frou Frou, but to my eye there's a similarity. I think she wears yellow well http://frocksandfroufrou.com/2011/10/finally/
unfortunately she hasn't tagged her posts "yellow" but I've seen her wearing it quite often, whether as a garment or simply jewellery.

Kari

Veteran

I *thought* I couldn't wear yellow for the longest time and I was wrong. It isn't the BEST color near my face, but I can wear mustard tops or blazers. Mustard or marigold yellow, as Angie described the shade, are my favorites - warm, red-toned yellows are my best shades rather than "sour", green-yellow hues that make me look ill and jaundiced. One of the YLF ladies at the Toronto meetup (I'm forgetting which one) described my recently acquired mustard handbag as a "spicy" color, which I love - because it's kind of the color of curry.

And of course my yellow pencil skirt and yellow slingback pumps are absolute wardrobe workhorses. I truly do treat those two pieces as "neutral" shades with many of my wardrobe items, because I found from experimentation that they harmonized well with other shades that I frequently wear.

In general, if I like a shade that is "just okay" on me doesn't look *amazing* next to my face, and want to wear it anyway, I'm much more inclined to wear it as a skirt, handbag, or a pair of shoes. The colors I wear near my face tend to be the colors that are most flattering to my complexion.

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Fruitful, Kari, thanks a lot for chiming in. So far, nothing yellow had made it to my wardrobe yet, but I'm keeping my eyes and options open. I've been given some great guidelines and ideas here.

Fruitful, thanks for the link too, I love it.

Kari, OF COURSE, your bag! And shoes too, but that bag is one amazing piece. I have red structured handbag on my wishlist (like Sveta's) but anything like yours would be equally desirable.

rachylou

Veteran

How about a yellow and grey striped skinny scarf?