1, 2, 3 colours or more! - YouLookFab Forum

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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

1, 2, 3 colours or more!

Runcarla

Veteran

Playing around with column of colour outfits, and reading some other posts like racheylou’s https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....our-theoryand Brooklyn’s https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....-1-septoct has me musing over how I put colours together, and if there is any one formula I like better than any other.

Although I’m having fun experimenting with column-of-colour combinations, I think I like outfits that combine 3 different colours best. Not just top, bottom, plus topper - but repeats like shoes match topper, pants match hat, shirt matches bag - or 3 colours and a patterned item that contains all the colours. I like 3 colours more than 2 (black plus a colour, for ex) or a riot of all the colours - although one busy print and lots of solids can be interesting!

I’m still trying to figure out if I like analogous colour schemes better than colour-wheel opposites. I think my default combinations are two colours and a neutral, or two neutrals and a colour!

How do you like to play (or work!) with colour in your outfits?

General

23 replies

Latest reply was from BlueJay

Dee

Veteran

Heck its taken me forever to finally reign in my colour palette, but once I did it sure made dressing and shopping so much easier. I too seem to prefer a 3 colour maximum, otherwise it feels too random and not cohesive enough for me.
I also enjoy patterned tops mostly stripes, polka dots or ditsy but again no more than 3 colours max and they have to match the rest of what I have going on. I think cool mid tones work best on me and I like a bit of contrast too. No soft pastels or super brights and I never do totally monochromatic, its just not me.

cat2

Veteran

Interesting question. Looks like I consistently pick two neutrals and an accent color.

Irina

Veteran

My best outfits would have to have 3 colors even if the 3rd is a color of jewelry - pearls. But I do love wearing one color head to toe and adding accents colors through accessories. So, in my case - black pants with a black sweater, black shoes, black bag, olive trench and white gold & pearl jewelry.

I recently wore to a concert the following outfit - ink sweater, ink pants, ink short wool jacket, black boots and a black bag, yellow gold and pearl necklace and earrings. Too many colors are too much for me.

The Cat

Veteran

I LOVE wearing outfits that combine 3 different colours. In fact, this is what I normally do! I usually start building an outfit by choosing either 2 non-neutral items + 1 neutral item OR 2 neutral items + 1 non-neutral item. The items can be anything from clothes to footwear to eyewear to various accessories.

Sometimes, I choose to wear only 2 main colours (1 non-neutral + 1 neutral). But even in those cases, one or more of my items will likely contain at least one additional colour (in a print or pattern or in some details).

rachylou

Veteran

Hmm. I think I tend towards riot of colour, and yet… today I’m wearing two shades of pink, bottoms have a black/grey pattern and on my feet are bright white socks and sandals. Light blue band and bumper for the watch. Dressed for the bakery. I got compliments, so I feel confident about this getup. I’m somewhat matching, somewhat not in terms of colour.

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

Imogen Lamport has some interesting theory about this. People who are colour dominant (i.e. their hair, eyes, and skin have a lot of colour) tend to look better in colourful outfits, in her opinion. I suppose because it's harmonious -- they can take the energy of it. "Neutral" people -- low contrast with grey or brown or black hair -- look better in one or two colours, in her view. (If I'm not misreading what she says).

I tend to wear one colour (blue, duh) and one or two neutrals (white/ grey). With other colours as accents. Or, sometimes blue plays the role of my neutral and I will wear another colour. I do tend to have some white or grey in my outfits almost all the time.

I love the elegance of monochromatic outifts -- on others. I almost never feel like myself in such outfits. Unless I add some pattern or texture.

JP

Veteran

What a coincidence that I was thinking about the same thing this morning!!
I'm trying to practice one of the 3-color rules (I don't like the word rule, but a guideline) One is 3 colors and black & white don't count because those are not colors. The other, 3 colors like 2 neutrals and one non-neutral, patterns count as one color. I haven't mastered the 3-colors, I like matching my shoes to the top or bottom, or bag... I'm experimenting with complementary and triadic color schemes. But, I'm most comfortable wearing 2 colors.

slim cat

Veteran

For work - black pants, black&white patterned top, white jacket. Or add turquoise jewelry ( or yellow ) for pop of color. For off work - mix white, navy, denim ( charcoal or light blue ).
I'd agree that my low contrast features look better with less bright colors but not in monochromatic outfits .

The Cat

Veteran

Carla and others, you might find it interesting and helpful to read Imogen Lamport's posts on personal colour contrast and value contrast and on how many colours to wear based on your personal colouring:

https://insideoutstyleblog.com.....inant.html

https://insideoutstyleblog.com.....l-you.html

Brooklyn

Veteran

I like more than 3 colours if I can do it, but I don’t think of my outfits as colourful because I like analogous or tonal colour schemes. Eg a tan, caramel, camel, rust, burgundy combination is perfect for me. (Patterns are very helpful for this.) I like complimentary or contrasting colour schemes if they lean analogous or tonal. So 2 or more analogous or tonal colours with one complimentary/contrasting (eg dark green/teal/copper or tan/camel/blue or olive green/teal/pink). Just about any combination of neutrals (black, white, grey and brown) looks good to me, but the more tonal variation, the better. I like a column of colour too, but then I need a lot of textural variation eg velvet pants, silk top, snake print bag or silk skirt, cotton open knit top, beads, woven bag.

Olive Green

Veteran

I am mostly a two colour outfit person, now that I look at it. Orange and green, brown and cream, pink and green. Navy and white. They are often in a muddy or muted palette and can easily go full tonal or colour block without clashing.
I no longer regard anything as a neutral. Black in a couple of accessories is a big pop of contrast for me. Brown and green feature as companion colours, not ignore-me neutrals.
I tend to like texture as an accent. So a very fluffy green hoodie is a statement, even if it’s part of a green outfit.
This is fun, good question.
I love a pop of colour or gypsy exuberance in others.

Anonymous

Team 3 colors- "full house plus one" (1 color 3x, 1 color 2x, and 1 color 1x). I will wear more than 3 colors in a print, but don't like to otherwise.

I'll normally wear 2 neutrals and 1 color, or 1 neutral and 2 colors (triadic generally). On Imogen's system I'd be 2 colors (hazel eyes, golden brown skin) and one neutral (warm dark brown hair- though sometimes I go redder). I'm definitely darker than bright though, so dark neutral/pseudoneutral combos work best.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

When it comes to color, I tend to follow a formula of base, accent, pop. An example if this would be dark blue jeans, olive green top, socks and shoes, and a cardigan which has ombré yarns of gold, greens, rusts, and teal. So even though the sweater is multicolored, it feels like it’s not, but it is the pop.

Another example would be, gray jeans, black and white patterned sweater, black and white Converse shoes, orange top. Or blue jeans, gray sweater, socks and shoes, and chartreuse top. Or blue jeans, light blue striped shirt, red sweater. I like when the pop is a color which stands out an little unexpectedly.

I guess three colors is my preference, after contemplating further.

RobinF

Veteran

You know, I am not really sure what I do! I think I tend to wear one neutral and one color. I do like prints that combine the two colors to tie them together but not absolutely necessary. Today I am in gray and white so actually only two neutrals.

Star

Veteran

Same as your RC. I prefer three over two, and four I just feel not put together any more. I too feel more pulled together repeating or pulling colours from the various items like you describe.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

I don't count colors, but find that I get excited most by opposite punches of color. I really love the primaries of red, yellow and blue, and from what I've seen, you like some of these colors, too, Runcarla.

I enjoy a sort of thrown-together spontaneity, which sometimes takes work...but often comes when you only have 2 minutes to get ready. Orange sneakers with a floral maxi dress, and an easy topper. My favorite style is Italian, where the women display a studied care, but also an irreverence. A navy suit with a raffia bag--stuff like that.

Ginger

Veteran

I like either three colors or one (a dress).

An outfit for me does not include shoes, purse, or topper, since I'm not out and requiring those things most of the time. When I need them I choose to coordinate but they don't "make" the outfit.

Three - a strong color, a coordinating color that's noticeably lighter or darker in shade, and a neutral or very near. One may be a print, including at least one and maybe two of the other colors.

One - a single color, usually mid-tone or lighter.

I'm not a neutrals person! My neutrals are white and... white. Winter white too. I've tried to make navy a neutral but my eye persists in thinking of it as a color. A dark, mostly boring color, but a color. Light neutrals, whether cool or warm, look awful next to my face but tolerable as a bottom. Though not neutral. Warm browns, i.e. whisky/cognac, are decent but also not a neutral to my eye.

Roberta

Veteran

I had to think about this for a while. So much thinking for a Monday! I went back and looked at all my WIWs for the last year. I tend to pick one strong color - hot pink, purple, orange, etc - and then add what I think of as neutrals for the other pieces. This might be black, or white, or even brown. So technically there are more than a single color in the outfit, but I don't look at it that way. I have lots of things that are a print of many colors, but again I will just add neutrals to finish the outfit.

I definitely used to be more of a color combiner. Red with purple, yellow with red, green with blue, etc. Perhaps I was more comfortable with attention, or was seeking it out. This was when I was working. Something to think about!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

My style is very colour-rich! I remix ALL my colours, and two main neutrals (whites, navy, denim blue) extensively, and as my mood dictates the remix when I choose an outfit.

I wear everything from one colour from top to toe (a non-neutral, or whites) - to six solids at a time (many non-neutral!)

I can wear patterns with twenty colours in them.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I think l do both,column of colour and a mix of colours depending on the outfit although it’s rare for me to go completely one colour including accessories,l am just not that organised!

kkards

Veteran

Well I actually had to go to the photos… I guess if stripes, patterns or plaids in tees or sweaters count as wearing multiple colors then —-i generally wear 2 or many. Almost never 3

The Cat

Veteran

Would like to add that my personal 3-colour system is not so strict that patterned items are not "allowed" to contain more than 3 colours. Quite the contrary. Some of my patterned items contain multiple colours.

However, the main or dominant colour in a pattern will be 1 of the 3 colours I choose to build a specific outfit around, and at least 1 of the other colours in the pattern will also be used as one of the 3 main colours in my outfit. The third main colour in my outfit is not necessarily found in the pattern, but will be one that looks harmonious with the pattern.

BlueJay

Veteran

Hmmm...interesting question. When I get dressed, I try to be practical for the weather, or the activity, but then I am also ruled by my emotions of what I "feel" like wearing. During the pandemic, I think I was wearing quiet colours such as blues and as 1 colour or 2 colours (two shades of blue). I do like one column of colour, as Ginger said such as a dress, and I do enjoy wearing bright colours such as red dress from head to toe. As Angie mentioned she has a colour rich wardrobe, and I think I do as well. (I posted today with earthy neutrals and then a purple coat, so I would say that is 2 colours.) I do enjoy lots of colours together though. I do enjoy wearing analogous colours, and color-wheel opposites.

I do admire your colour combinations, Carla. I can relate to your wardrobe.