Colour in my closet, restricting palette, and mix-and-match style - YouLookFab Forum

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Colour in my closet, restricting palette, and mix-and-match style

Runcarla

Veteran

When I first started following YLF many moons ago, my wardrobe was organized by item type and almost all the colours of the rainbow were represented. I tended to have ‘set’ outfits of items that would ‘go with’ each other. If one part of the outfit wore out, I would be left with an ‘orphan’ until I found (bought) another item that would work with the orphan.

During that first year I re-organized my closet by colour. It still looked like a rainbow, but it got me looking at things differently and I started mixing and matching. Bold colour mixers like Transconasharon and MsMary as well as Angie’s popular Friday capsule posts were hugely inspirational.

At some point I became intrigued by threads by a participant (can’t remember her handle ) who was adding to her closet, but restricting the palette of new acquisitions (to pink and blue.). I thought that this was an excellent approach to wardrobe harmony, and also a good way to work towards a tighter, curated (and smaller) collection of mix-and-match clothes. Since I tend to do two shops (S/S and F/W) it was easy to select a palette as a theme. I’ve become more precise, and more disciplined, over time. When I retired I edited my closet to a simple palette of red, white, blue, and black. Recently I’ve challenged myself by moving into a more complex palette. Early 2019 I started adding olive, late 2019 gold/beige, and 2020 lilac. I’m set for olive ATM, and my current project is sourcing lilac - which I think had a moment last year and is harder to find this year.

Interestingly, though I did add a red top this year, I haven’t added any black, blue, or white items. 2 additions are olive, 4 items are yellow/beige, and 3 items are lilac. In store or online, I ‘filter’ for items by colour and resist getting distracted or tempted into buying something outside the parameters I’ve set for myself. This kind of wardrobe management results in lots of mix-and-matchability across all the items - old and new, and no orphans. Limiting my palette supports my goal of maintaining a smaller collection of clothes while being able to create a variety of different outfit combinations.

Does colour factor into the management of your closet?

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44 replies

Latest reply was from anchie

JAileen

Veteran

Color is possibly the most important factor in my wardrobe. If I’m shopping for something, I really try to stick to my colors. I started with just blue, grey and olive, but I’ve added pale pink in the last couple years. I have made exceptions, of course, especially with tees. I’m often tempted by other colors, but when I wear my favorites, I just feel better. I always need to keep that in mind.

slim cat

Veteran

Similar strategy - shopping "my colors" always. Exception is accessories and shoes. After adding 2 pairs of black sneakers last couple of years I felt like going with metallics ( neutral and uplifting ) .
Last purchase - ECCO 7 soft in marigold color and black graphic tee with yellow/purple/blue design. I guess yellow is going to be my new accent color.

slim cat

Veteran

Inspiration for the future.

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nemosmom

Veteran

Color has become a MAJOR factor of managing my wardrobe. I think it was a year or two ago, Suz, LaPed, or Angie posted about how they go about creating supporting color capsules (I will have to find the post later) and once I went down the color palette rabbit hole, I haven't looked back.

I *did* come to the conclusion that because I wear jeans most of the time, my tops don't have to be SO strict to follow a palette. But, the reality is, I find myself habitually reaching for only what is in my palette anyway, and rarely stray into new colors.

I used to buy an item in a favorite color, then duplicate the ITEM in many colors. But, I discovered that I never wear the other colors of that item. What I have found to be a better approach is duplicating a COLOR across different silhouettes. So, an olive tee, vest, sweater, and blouse work better for me than one boxy tee in olive, and cream, and blue, and yellow. The olive will get worn, and the others will collect dust.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Carla, it sounds like you're intuitively and mindfully creating wardrobe palettes that make you happy, suit you, and keep you interested in wearing the items! "Head and heart" working together is always a good thing. Organized emotional shopping personally works very well for me

Slim Cat, SOOO FUN. Love the skirt with the sneaks!

A big fat YES. Colour factors into the management of my wardrobe extremely prominently.

I always shop my colours. I don't veer into colours I don't fancy for my own style. My wardrobe looks like a rainbow because I wear a LOT of colour, and like mixing it together. If you break it down though, it's neatly compartmentalized and thoughtfully accumulated:

sour brights - red, citron, orange, apple green, watermelon, turquoise, shocking pink

pastels - bush pink, light blue

neutrals - whites, dark blues, blue denim, French blue

Gold

DABBLE with earth tones - olive, burgundy, mustard, cinnamon, toffee, oatmeal .....(when the mood strikes me......)

A bit of black - (not as a solid really, but in a pattern)

All the colours here work well together to my eye. I will wear pinks with reds and oranges - no problem. Citron with red and turquoise, and mustard with blush and navy - it's all good

I don't add purple, teal, lilac, mid-tone greens, forest green, dark brown, cobalt, grey, tan, silver, dirty colours, or other pastels to my wardrobe. I am deliberate about that, unless they are part of a pattern in a very subtle way.

The Cat

Veteran

Thank you for this interesting and thought-provoking post, Carla.

And yes, colour does factor into the management of my wardrobe!

I love many different colours, but I also love to have a cohesive and easy manageable wardrobe where most items go together well. My colouring is very cool, and luckily, the colours I love the most are also cool. So are the vast majority of my wardrobe items.

However, I have also been fascinated and attracted by warmer colours, so have sometimes added items in those colours. But I am now in the process of editing my wardrobe and purging all items that are not really cool. So the rest of my yellow, beige, blush and brown items are about to leave my closet and will go to people who look better in those colours than I do. This editing/purging is making my wardrobe a bit smaller (which is fine) and also more cohesive and manageable. Now I just have to resist future shopping temptations when it comes to warm colours.

Sal

Veteran

Interesting. I can see it working for you Carla and I think I could be more deliberate.

I don’t currently have any orphans but I do have a couple of pieces that only get worn one way. I do have colours that I am avoiding adding to my closet and colours that I am actively looking for.

My work capsule was developed in a deliberate way with colour and it has been a success. I am gradually reducing my black items - as I have worked out that casual winter black makes me feel gloomy.

Gigi

Veteran

It's so interesting to read about how others approach their closets, especially in the area of aquisition. For me, color is not generally a huge driving force. That may be because I am very neutral heavy, with a colorful piece thrown in here or there for variety. My wardrobe does not look like a rainbow at all but like a sea of neutrals with pops of color. And the colors are usually darker ones (not many pastels or brights).

From time to time I do really crave a particular color (red, yellow, pink, and green have been some that I've longed for), in which case I will look carefully for one or two items to buy in that color. Since my wardrobe is mostly neutrals, it is generally pretty easy to pair whatever color I buy with something already in my closet.

The Cat

Veteran

Angie, I thought that your colours included sea foam.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

My favourite colours have been changing over the years Carla and that has affected my wardrobe over time. Red was my favourite for decades, starting as a teen, and continuing into my mid 40s ( had a red theme for 40th birthday party). But I did like cobalt blue for a long time too- in 2000 we renovated the old kitchen with a lot of cobalt blue. And I gradually brought that into the wardrobe also, the best example being the 2015 cobalt boots. Plus, in 2013, I saw some olive pants on sale with a gold ankle zip that needed no alterations, exactly the right length, and I like gold hardware. Not sure that I had owned anything olive before that? And I was 52 years old at that point. Now that rivals the cobalt blue as my favourite. Red is a good colour for me still but I prefer it in smaller doses, only every so often. I have also added bronze since about 2015.
These would be my main colours and they don’t overlap very much, but as things wear out I do bear the palette in mind. I find myself looking at olive items in store, I seem drawn to them.

CarolS

Veteran

Great post, Carla. Thank you. I am working at adding colour to my wardrobe. After gaining a lot of weight, which I carry VERY disproportionately around my midsection, it has been very hard to find ANYTHING that fits, so my wardrobe had really defaulted to black on black with the odd bit of gray. Not very inspiring or energizing.

I've dropped a wee bit of the weight, and the universe of things that might fit me is still pretty small, but I am trying. Last year I added a pair of bold yellow Dr. Martens boots, a green cardigan, a light taupe sweater, a camel topper, and several scarves with complex colour mixes to help tie things together.

My goal is to gradually add more white/cream, mid-tone blush, strong yellow, green/olive, teal, blue, chocolate, and camel. Lots of colours, I know, but this will be a slow process, and I think that they will work together very nicely and help liven up my current sea of black.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I really like your strategy of focusing on a small color palette for each season's additions. I find myself doing that, too, to some extent, though maybe less intentionally. As I start putting my shopping ideas into Finds, I find myself really resisting anything that doesn't seem to fit into the capsule on the screen. In the end, that's a good thing, because it makes everything quite mix- and matchable.

Also makes vacation packing a breeze...if we ever get to do that again.

Anonymous

Oh absolutely! My closet is 100% color driven! I keep everything more or less in my dark autumn color scheme, so easy to mix and match- as long as the shapes work. Actually I just reread Zyla and want to move more in that direction with new purchases.

Bonnie

Veteran

I was like you when I joined YLF with lots of different colors and no capsules. Angie's, and other forum member's, posts helped me learn how to build a wardrobe. I started with a palette of black, gray, white, blue, and a bit of red and continued with this limited palette for the most part for the past four years. In 2020, I decided to add more color. I started with a mustard sneaker boot purchase and it's really made a difference. I love the addition of this cheerful color.

Gretchen

Veteran

Yes, I definitely shop by color, and I keep track of what % of my wardrobe is contributed by each color. I find it helps me be deliberate in my shopping - is that 1 purple top the beginning of a capsule, a special wild card, or is it a future orphan since purple isn’t a current wardrobe color?

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

I love the colors you’ve chosen. For a while I was doing this, and really enjoyed how easy it was to get dressed- and how neat and cohesive my closet looked! But then I got evacuated outta China b/c COVID and been living out of my suitcase for the past 6 months...which of course led to shopping for what I needed. And again b/c COVID, my heart wanted pretty colors and crazy patterns. So now my “wardrobe” is a heap of a mess around my suitcase but I am ok with things being a mess. This whole year is a mess! It’ll work itself out eventually.

Joy

Veteran

I wish I could manage colors in the wardrobe better than I do. I do try to limit them to the shades that look best on me, like only tomato red and watermelon in the red group,, citron and olive green but no emerald, etc. about the time a get rid of a color, I crave it. My sister has a good friend that limits her wardrobe to turquoise, purple and pink.

Minaminu

Veteran

RunCarla, good points! I find colour palettes very helpful as it can help mix and match lots of pieces.

For a while, my wardrobe used be made with a palette of white, black, blues and navy and almost no patterns, I loved it but didn't reflect much of my personality and there little variety. This year I have been trying to purchase more white and I am planning to intriduce some pink and taupe, as and when I find the right piece :). At least that's the plan!

Jane

Veteran

Fascinating to read, and yes I organise by colour too and think colour and item / style of clothing in the same proportion. I find it relaxing to think it through by colour and fun too.

If I have an item that is out of sync with other items, it makes me feel uneasy when I open the doors to my wardrobe!

Star

Veteran

I never used to but in the past year or so have been developing a rust/olive based capsule with blush accents. I love being able to mix and match items so easily and will continue doing this in the future.

celia

Veteran

Hi Carla:)
Yes, color absolutely factors in my wardrobe choices and organizing.
I like a varied range of colors but unlike Angie I don't like to mix them together so usually I have different capsules with 2/3 colors.
As I consistently buy the colors I like there is always something in my wardrobe that matches/color coordinates with any given acquisition.
The downside of this is that whenever I see an item out there that is in ' my colors' I have to really rationalize buying it because although I know I will wear it and will fit my lifestyle probably I have that same item in my wardrobe already.
I usually tend to buy teal, purple, cold burgundy, deep/emerald greens, brick red, millenial pink, most blues that are colder in hue.

Bijou

Veteran

I tend to wear and enjoy most colours. I have my base colours of black, white, red, navy, leopard print, denim and blush as my neutrals, so adding other colours into that mix is pretty easy. I will have a colour theme each season and whilst I don’t stick to it perfectly, it means there are no closet orphans, as I develop colour complements.

When I joined YLF I had very little bright colour and a wardrobe very strong on neutrals. I had some beige and grey which I am gradually eliminating from my wardrobe. I had so much black too, so whilst that is still very dominant it is now a support act for my colourful pieces. Before YLF I would rebel and buy a wildcard piece to liven up my wardrobe. The problem was that these were crazy purchases, a red sequinned dress comes to mind, in Finds. Now I buy and wear colourful items that are more practical.

RobinF

Veteran

Interesting post and the responses too!

For a long time I thought I had to have most colors in my closet - a wardrobe hole was most likely the lack of a certain color. I have and wear a lot of neutrals and the colors are just an accent. Lately I have been thinking about limiting the colors to make my closet more cohesive and mix-and-match, and also to make sure the colors are best with my newly gray hair. But I worry that I would get bored with only a few colors.

Roxanna

Veteran

OMG @Nemosmom:

"I used to buy an item in a favorite color, then duplicate the ITEM in many colors. But, I discovered that I never wear the other colors of that item. What I have found to be a better approach is duplicating a COLOR across different silhouettes. So, an olive tee, vest, sweater, and blouse work better for me than one boxy tee in olive, and cream, and blue, and yellow. The olive will get worn, and the others will collect dust."

You just gave me an aha moment. I used to do the same (and sometimes still fall into that trap.) But you are right - different silhouettes in the SAME colour would be infinitely more useful! I will have to remember this.

Also @Angie - I thought I didn't need a 'palette' because I am moving into a season of high colour affinity and mixing. But you are right - though my closet might look liek a rainbow, I am actually very particular about the colours I choose - saturated earth tones, muted pastels, and a few neutrals. This is good for me to remember so i don't go get tempted to buy a new-to-me colour because the item is on sale.

Liesbeth

Veteran

I followed Into mind's approach to wardrobe building with seasonal color palettes for years. I religiously put together palettes with colors I loved that were prevalent in my wardrobe already and tried to limit my buying to those colors. Yet I seldom followed through on putting together capsules with my accent colors. Color is hard for me and these days I try to lean into the emotional aspect more, however always watchful if a new color works with enough of my other colors. That's not too hard considering I own lots of neutrals. Otoh, I find Angie's color capsules useful too. I have a blush and a 'shades of green' capsule that were put together deliberately that I consider a great succes.
Oh, and like you I have been trying to put together a small lilac capsule but have also found this challenging. It's present at retail but in small doses, so hard to find the perfect item.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

My toes are tickled reading about your colour discipline be with a few or many colours.

The Cat, good memory! I have a fun and old seafoam moto that looks good as long as I wear it with my best colours. But it's not my colour. It's more like light blue's naughty cousin that is doing a good job of being well behaved

Roxanna, high five! I have a VERY high affinity for colour and colour mixing. But the colours that earn a place in my wardrobe are very deliberate and work together.

cindysmith

Veteran

I generally only buy black, light blue, grey, navy, soft pale pinks, and tan. I don't even introduce much print into my wardrobe.
I organize each category by color. Sleeveless tops, all facing left, going from lightest color on the left and darkest color on the right. Every single category is hanging thusly in my closet.

Most everything mixes and matches with everything else in my wardrobe, although I do tend to wear the same combinations on repeat. If I stick to a neutral-ish color palette, shopping and organizing my wardrobe is fairly easy.

Ginger

Veteran

This is such an interesting discussion! It's hard for me to analyze my own approach, although I love lots of colors and use them extensively.

I can't limit purchases to a palette, since I happily wear white, pinks, corals, reds, burgundy, maybe a few oranges, yellow, greens, blues, and some purples. (I do have a Do Not Buy list, which includes off-white and most brown-tinted neutrals, and gray, black, and navy dresses and tops; and I'm very careful with pastels other than blush.)

Come to think of it, my "accessories" capsule is much more color-limited. For footwear, outerwear, and layering pieces (cardigans, jackets, and coats), most things are white, black, blush, navy, or burgundy. It's a rare case for me to not be able to match an outfit with one of these colors.

My climate is extremes and my wardrobe is dress- and skirt-based, so sometimes this works great. Like in summer. All I need is a dress in a pretty color, and white, blush, or cognac footwear. 2 items, easy.

But winter gets much harder. I can still wear a dress, but keeping legwear and footwear combinations more interesting than Black & Black is really difficult at times. I've got great skirts and sweaters, too, which add another color. And many times I need another layer because I'm cold, so I'm up to 4 or 5 items.

All that to say, I'm currently working very hard on figuring out really solid color combinations for winter. Finding the right legwear and footwear is a huge part of this, since I'm often frustrated. I'm slowly drawing out principles that help me make shopping decisions.

One principle is Visual interest needs to be on top or the dress/ensemble as a whole, not the skirt or legs. (With exceptions, like a brightly-colored circle skirt.) I have some excellent, very comfortable off-white sweater tights that I almost never wear, since they usually draw more attention than the outfit. So I'm not buying more very light-colored legwear, but I am identifying other colors, like light/medium gray, that will coordinate with many dresses or skirts but not compete or be as heavy as black.

I really need to make my own post on this! But it was such an interesting topic, I had to weigh in. And I find that every time I write out thoughts on this, things get a little more clear. Like the accessories color palette. (Which hits a snag with warm tan colors like cognac; it's the perfect footwear in many cases, but definitely not preferred by my face so I don't layer with it.)

Style Fan

Veteran

I enjoyed reading this.
I have always worn earthy colours. These days my closet is mostly olive, cream/ivory, brown, some black bottoms and denim (it is so an earthy colour!).

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