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Do you colour focus or spread the colour love around?

Sal

Veteran

On a recent post Cocolion said she was colour focussing - choosing to have several pieces in the same colour rather than a broader range of colours.

I thought that was interesting. I can see the pros - mix and matching is definitely easier - and why not wear your best or favourite colours more?

I don't tend to go deeply into colour trends - I might add just one piece in a trending colour- but this does mean it is in danger of being an orphan.

Over the lat two years I have added a few navy pieces - bag, boots, sweater, top and a navy and cream skirt. And in the last 12 months I have dabbled in toffee/camel - a bag, coat and sweater to add to boots I already had.

What do you do - do you go deep ( say three or more additions in the same colour) or wide ( say three or more different colours). And what colours are we including?

Black and white excluded - navy and grey and khaki and other neutrals included - although you can argue either way!!

General

45 replies

Latest reply was from The Cat

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I tend to go deep, and tread lightly when adding colors outside of my usual. Certain colors I love but are not my most flattering (orange, rust for example), I’ll add a piece here or there, but they are, as you say, a risk of becoming a closet orphan. I’ve learned to make sure I can put together several outfits with my out-of-the-box color, and not to spend a huge amount on items not in my usual palette (black, blue, teal, cooler greens, grey, white, burgundy and wine shades of red).

JAileen

Veteran

I definitely color focus, although I’ve never heard that term before. After I went grey I wanted to wear charcoal more, so I decided to do just that. I needed to replace my long sleeve tees, so I bought seven in charcoal. All of my friends except one thought I was nuts. The one friend who didn’t think I was crazy wears nothing but black every day. I prefer grey to black because my hair is nearly white and my coloring is very pale, and black overwhelms me.

Then after going on a trip where I took only grey and blue, and loving how easy it was to make outfits, I decided to limit future purchases to grey, blue and olive. I was very strict for a few years. Since then, I’ve eased up on my rule, and added some pale pink items. I’m glad pink is having a moment. Maybe that’s why I wanted it, though. Hmmm, I don’t know which it is. Recently I added some mustard to de-orphan a vintage mustard Coach bag. Finding mustard was hard while finding pink was easy.

Runcarla

Veteran

My closet used to look like a rainbow (6 years ago), but now it is very restricted - blue, white, black, silver/Iight grey. Cognac is my 'bookend' colour (with hair) and red is my happy colour. I had a similar experience/epiphany to JAileen - a tight travel capsule in blue, black and grey with cognac accents resulted in a high amount of happy making outfits.

Nowadays when I experiment with colour, I purposefully buy 4 items in that colour so that I can mix and match. As a result I have some blush/pink, maroon, hunter and olive green. Interestingly, what keeps me committed to these colours is the investment in a leather accessory - 2 belts (blush and maroon) and a bag (green).

I'm waiting for Angie's trend report to learn if there is a trending colour that is in my wheelhouse, but otherwise I'm planning to restrict F/W purchases to rust, cognac, camel (bookending) and greens.

When I shop I have no problem blocking out colours that are not my neutrals, or the colour I have decided to experiment with that season. It would have to be something quite remarkable for me to be pulled in a different colour direction.

Below are 3 images with which I am currently obsessed, and using for F/W inspo.

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gryffin

Veteran

I am the extreme of color focused. Black, Charcoal, Pearl Gray, smidge of white, denim - blue, gray, black, white. That's it. I did this when I had a closet full of clothing with nothing to wear. Now with my tight palate, it's amazing how thing really start to mix and match well. I've tried to broaden out the gray (must be clear and cool) and have added white jeans and two white tops. Soothing, versatile, clean, and flattering to my clear pale rosy coloring and dark hair and eyes. Keeping focused gave me cohesion and that gives me peace. I can enjoy color on others especially all shades of blue but I'm in a happy place now!!

deb

Veteran

I color focus. When I decide to change colors I add one color and delete one color until I am satisfied.

Joy

Veteran

I suppose I do a little of both. When adding a new color I start with one or two pieces. If I like it I try for a column of the color, especially if it is a neutral. A column of color can be integrated most easily into my existing wardrobe, especially a travel capsule. I have favorite colors that are more flattering that I'm most drawn to for individual pieces like a new sweater to wear with jeans.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I wear a lot of neutral, so I’m disciplined about color, but I never intentionally color-focused until this summer, when I added three items in the same shade of rust all at once. I really enjoyed the focus it gave my summer wardrobe, so I’ll definitely think in those terms in the future.

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Anonymous

I am willie nillie with color. I love many colors in both warm & cool shades, have no color palette or rules. I just buy whatever moves me that I enjoy.

rachylou

Veteran

I stage my own mini colour fads. So I’ll focus in on one colour for a bit and build up a complement... and then move on to the next colour. I do, as a result, have a variety of different colours in my closet.

jussie

Veteran

Good question. I used to have an absolute rainbow of colour and print. However it became more and more difficult to get dressed as there wasn’t a lot of cohesion. Consequently now I’m trying to stay a little more focused on sticking with the following:
My major Nuetrals: Black, charcoal, navy, grey
My major colours: blues, pinks, dark periwinkle.
I don’t really do the trending colours, but I enjoy seeing them and take an interest in each new season.

Ginger

Veteran

This is an interesting discussion. I don't think I really do either - or actually, I do both. I know what colors I like and enjoy, I know how to combine them, and so I have plenty of them and willingly add more pieces. (Red, pink, coral, true yellow, emerald and forest greens, all blues, lavender, some purple, and burgundy/maroons, with white, black, navy, and some cognac for neutrals.) When I "add a color" it's more because a color I know I like simply hasn't been available for years. It's like that with greens particularly - forest and emerald - and also with pale pink. Five years ago I had little to none of either, but only because they weren't available to be bought. I don't tend to experiment because I already know what colors I enjoy.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Colour focus for sure. My entire closet consists of a range of blues (and denims), white, grey (from pearl to charcoal), reds and deep berry. There's a smidge of black as well. And lots of silver. I do have a lilac coat.

I'd like to add a bit of purple/ lilac/ plum. But that's it. I'm not really drawn to anything else.

Bijou

Veteran

Rainbow dresser reporting in! I have a largish wardrobe with many colours and I like to experiment with different colour combinations. I enjoy pushing the envelope with the colour I wear.

Having said that, I usually know when I buy something what I have in my closet that I am going to wear with the new purchase. Because I have a good base of light and dark neutrals, most colours will have a support act to work with. I also take the view that all colours work with denim....

I will usually buy one or two items in a new colour together and then if I find I love the colour, will deep dive. However, it also depends on what is trending. Teal, turquoise and tiffany blue are amongst my favourite colours, but I am still on the look out for items in these colours.

DonnaF

Veteran

Every now and again, I tell myself that I need to add more color to my wardrobe, buy something, and then don't wear it even though I know that wearing a bit of color flatters me more than black. I think I have a fairly low tolerance for non-neutral colors. I have a lot of gray and black clothing. I want to reduce the amount of solid black, but I find that hard to do because of the limited offerings in Petite clothing.

I want to add cognac CLOTHING preferably with texture (and not shoes or bags); same with cool chocolate brown. Seen any?

Irina

Veteran

More color focused, I think. My palette is grey, black, navy with some white. I keep my boredom at the bay by adding some color through shoes or some single items: last year I bought an icy blue summer top, a caramel dress/duster. This year I created a small collection of olive items. One of my fav outfits last spring consisted of olive pants with the black merino t-shirt and the black blazer wore with the leopard shoes. Olive works well with the most of my clothes. I feel more restless in the summer season as I don’t feel like wearing black pants often. I use now some cream in both pants and tops and bought deep raspberry checkered pants to wear with black or white tops. The patterned silk top helped to ease my need for variety in my summer capsule.

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Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Not focused but tend to go for certain colors (blue, black and white) and avoid certain colors (certain warm olives, rusts and beiges that make me look green).

Brooklyn

Veteran

I am fairly focussed when it comes to solid coloured items. I use black and white (or ivory) as my base colours. My other colours are burgundy, plum, dark blue, dark green, teal and olive green. And I dabble in brown, tan, taupe and rust.
But I am fairly liberal about the use of colour in patterned items. So a black or blue based floral could be a way for me to introduce a colour that I don’t usually wear as a solid - pink or yellow for example. That provides some variety without becoming too much of colour mix challenge for me.

Oasis Royal Worcester Floral Print Pencil Midi Skirt

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Adriana

Veteran

Ther are colors I love, and will always pick first. But I want to try new ones. I need to look good in it first. I always looked good in black, now better in charcoal. Here I learned not to go everywhere in colors, because nothing goes together. I found a picture where I am wearing a pink puffer, olive jeans, black topper, light grey scarf, cognac bag and brown boots: not good.

Style Fan

Veteran

I colour focus and I have become more strict in the last few years. I don't wear something if it falls outside of my colour palette. My wardrobe is olive green (warm toned), cognac/rust, denim, cream and chocolate brown. I invite burnt orange in on occasion. I also have a few pieces of black.

anchie

Veteran

I color focus and go deep. I always look to add to my bright yellow and tomato red capsules. When I add a new color - it either becomes orphan or I add few more items in the same color and then it becomes workhorse. It depends how much I love the color but also if it is available. It happened to me that I bought item in a color I love but just couldn’t find anything else in the same color. I don’t wear it much in that case but always looking if the color shows up. I wear lot of color in spring and summer, it makes me happy. But by october I start to feel oversaturated and when I switch to my winter wardrobe I enjoy wearing only neutrals for a while. But by spring I start craving color again. So this approach of colorful summer and neutral winter works for me.

Anonymous

I color focus. I never used that exact term before, but I assume it means defining a color palette and being true to that palette.

Defining a color palette (or color focusing) was one of the first things I learned when I became interested in fashion. I gave it lots of thought. I considered everything (retail availability, how it looked on me, how much I loved it).

Color focusing really helps me build a wardrobe. I don't buy outliers. For example, burgundy and spruce were two colors I saw everywhere for a while. Neither of these colors were part of my color palette and I skipped them entirely. No regrets.

This is not to say that if a color showed up in retail that I loved I would avoid it all together. If I loved it, and it coordinated with my defined color palette, I would certainly consider it.

The thing is I have not been interested in colors beyond my defined color palette. I don't love them. I have recently developed an "interest" in mustard. It would work with my defined color palette, but I am not sure it is a color I personally could wear easily. So as of yet I have not purchased anything in that color, but I remain openminded.

Anonymous

I like to have a few pieces in my preferred colors, and stick to my DA color palette. When i buy outliers the often become wardrobe orphans, plus they stick out like a sore thumb in my closet (i hang by color).
I add based on availability, and some seasons i just default to black if nothing else suits. For FW this year, i want to snap up the mustard yellow, dark teal, and toffee while i can!

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I just buy what calls to me which is not a very good way of having a well planned wardrobe but I can’t help it!

cindysmith

Veteran

I used to be highly focused on a tight color palette, but lately I've been all over the map. Since my clothes dont have to hide smashed fruit & rotty vegetable stains from work anymore, I can have colors again LOL

LaPed

Veteran

Somewhere in the middle: I'm very committed to my neutrals (black/charcoal, white, olive, navy/denim), which compose a large portion of my wardrobe, and tend to add one or two new colours (or colour families) each year -- mostly as tops and footwear/accessories. I keep things for a long time, so the net result is a pretty colorful wardrobe.

Anonymous

In the summertime, I’m a wide-spreader. I like to wear a lot of brights and pastels, and I’m not that disciplined. I’ll buy a single lilac top, a single yellow scarf, and so on. As @Bijou mentions, everything goes with blue denim and white denim. I did end up buying quite a lot of pink this summer, but that was partly luck.

In winter, I’m also a wide-spreader and I think this is a mistake. I buy too many random muted colours that don’t look great on me or I just don’t like that much. I think there is just a lack of colours I like in the winter. I should stick to my tried-and-true blue denim, navy and pearl grey as the backdrop and then add in a few brights. Maybe red. And I like black more now too.

If I’m introducing a new bag, I will make sure to have shoes in roughly the same colour, so I’m not completely willie nillie.

If you were to peek into my wardrobe, it is a mishmash of colour but everything works together so i think I’m doing a good job.

There are pictures of closets online where all the colours are perfectly coordinated. It is very soothing to look at these pictures, but I don’t think a closet actually needs to look this way to be functional.

Anonymous

I would say I'm color-focused. In the 80's I had my colors done and I still carry in my handbag that color palette! I would like to have my colors done again but haven't found anyone local who does it. The online quizes are just too confusing. My closet reveals that my go-to neutrals are warm navy, olive, some grey, less black) and go-to colors: are rusts, spring red, aqua to green and blue teals plus shades of blues, clear green to olives in Fall/Winter, shades of purple. I can wear corals and apricots but rarely find any I love though salmon pink pops up in my closet. Camel is my friend and I'm on the hunt for a just right top in camel or toffee.

You won't find sun yellows or yellow golds in my closet, and many other others in the spectrum (I'm supposed to look good in the color of orchid but I prefer darker hues in that shade)

Now that I am letting my hair go naturally grey/white after a lifetime as a redhead, I am finding that is starting to change the colors I look good in. Wearing grey next to my face is a wash-out, unless it's a charcoal grey.

Scarves can be bright stars in my closet, adding color next to the face and tying an outfit together.

kkards

Veteran

laser focused....to the point where i have to tell myself i don't need another navy tee shirt/sweater etc.....and when i do add a new color, i need to add multiple pieces in that same color....

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Great question, Sal. You are FABULOUS.

I am EQUALLY committed to non-neutrals and neutrals.

I have enormous colour variety in my wardrobe because it makes me happy. (I crave a change in colour before I crave a change in silhouette). WIDE SPREAD.

Despite the great colour variety, there is discipline. I stick to the colours I love, and add the ones - neutrals and non-neutrals - I am feeling for the season. It helps that:

I build complements around new colours so that I can easily slot them into outfits.
I have a high affinity for colour mixing which means that I can remix outfits with varied colours more easily.

For this Autumn & Winter, I'm feeling browns, creams, whites and toffees with all shades of blue and bright pink. I'll remix the new lot with my dark blues, bit of black, tomato, orange, chartreuse, citron, blush, burgundy and olive from seasons past.

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