Every wardrobe needs some neutrals to calm the eye and soul, and create versatile outfit combinations. The degree to which you incorporate neutrals into your style is as personal as your favourite foods. Some people have a neutral-rich style and others don’t. Some prefer to wear dark neutrals in the colder months, light neutrals in the warmer months, and some don’t differentiate between the seasons. Some stick to one or two neutrals at a time while others wear them all together. Some only wear cool-toned dark neutrals. Some only wear warm and light neutrals. And some mix it up depending on their mood. It’s all good as long as it feels and looks right on this current leg of your style journey.
I wear the same light and dark neutrals year round, although I tend to lighten things up even more in Spring and Summer. I used to wear a lot of black and white outfits, but have slowly replaced many of my black wardrobe items with navy and ink blue versions. I still wear black and white looks, but these days throw in some tomato red, citron, denim blue or blush to break it up. I wear quite a bit of blue and white. I don’t wear grey because it makes me unhappy, and I’m completely committed to yellow gold as my metal. Cognac has disappeared from my wardrobe at the moment.
My most important Spring and Summer neutral is optical WHITE. I feel fabulous in white and wear a lot of it. It picks up the white in my hair, looks fresh, adds crispness as well as a soft and pretty integrity that I crave in an outfit. It’s also a great neutral to pair with non-neutrals like pastels and sour brights, which I wear a lot of too.
White is followed by navy and ink blue, all sorts of denim blue, a little cream, bone, tan, some black, a smattering of pearl grey and olive, and gold. Here are all my Spring and Summer neutral wardrobe items. The exact pieces are represented in the collection.
I’m adding blush pink as a pseudo Spring and Summer neutral. It’s not officially a neutral, but it functions like one for my style. Blush shoes and bags have somewhat replaced my need for metallic footwear and bags. Here are my Spring and Summer blush wardrobe items.
Warm colours and clear brights look best against my complexion, yet most of my neutrals are on the cool side of the spectrum. I do effectively warm them up with gold and sour brights, which I guess is what prevents them from bossing me around.
Over to you. What are your Spring and Summer neutrals, and how do they differ from your cold-weather neutrals? Has your neutral palette changed over time?
