Do you find holiday season colour combinations off-putting? - YouLookFab Forum

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Do you find holiday season colour combinations off-putting?

Aziraphale

Veteran

You know, like:

bright red + bright green = Christmas
black + orange = Halloween
pink + red = Valentine's day

My recent post about mustard yellow handbag with red shoes got me thinking about colour association. For me that combo is strongly reminiscent of McDonaldland Happy Meals, and I don't think I can bring myself to wear them together. I don't do "season colours" either, although I'll do variations, like orange with charcoal (instead of black) or red with teal (instead of Christmas green).

How about other colour combinations? Are there any that are strongly associative for you? Will you wear them anyway? Like, is bright red with royal blue too Spiderman for you, or do you like it?

Dressing

23 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Sometimes I accidentally wear red white and blue (easy to do with jeans) and when it's primary colors I don't really like the look. Funny, maybe that's why I avoid a lot of primary colors and stick with the secondary ones for the most part.

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

Christmas red and green, black and traffic cone orange and purple and yellow (Easter) are not wearable for me.

I always thought it would be a fun YLF challenge to try to wear traditional holiday colors without evoking the holiday.

Glory

Veteran

Yes I feel uncomfy in holiday clothing esp orange with black but also yellow and black as I feel like a bee....:). I have never thought of red and brown as MacDonalds though

biscuitsmom

Veteran

I really dont like the 'expected' colors, except for the 4th of July....for some reason,it doesnt bug me! I dont mind a low-key Reindeer, Santa, boxed presents, motif, but not a 'in your face' one lol...I usually dont do 'expected' color combos...like the idea of variations! I do like 'snowflake' colors, combos in the Winter, although Ive been known to *snarl* at anyone wearing it before November! lol

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I love the idea of that challenge! It would be a great one!

Why don't we try it?

Anyone up for it?

I can see your point about McDonald's, Elisabeth. For me that would only be true if the colours were basic and primary, without much modulation.

I don't like kelly green and true red together (too Christmasy) but I LOVE a soft sage green and a berry or a rust...

I don't like orange and black together (too halloween) but I do like charcoal and rust....

I don't like candy pink and red...(too Valentine's) but I do like fuchsia with burgundy....

biscuitsmom

Veteran

Yup! I have a lovely 'deer in snow' fleece sweater, with blue sky/stars in the background I truly love and have had for a few yrs, hope it reaches 'wearable vintage' status soon......

Jenniferblue

Not a fan of wearing the holiday colors together at holiday time.
Too expected and a little like the holiday sweaters that I've swept from my closet.
Great for primary school teachers but for other adults, just a touch of any of those colors
at holiday time works fine for me.

Mama Susie

Yes very much so. I don't like holiday combinations at all. Another one that I've never been able to get past is yellow and black. I feel like a bumblebee.

MsMary

Veteran

I don't like Christmas red with Christmas green, I shy away from bright orange with jet black, and I generally don't like purple with yellow because I live in Los Angeles and those colors say "Lakers!" in these parts. And generally I try to avoid primary red, white, and blue.

I'll happily wear other shades of those combinations, though, and on the appropriate holidays (or during the playoffs!) I'll sport the appropriate colors with abandon!

Anonymous

Yes, I struggle with primary red and bright green at Christmastime. I want to look festive without wearing these colors, even separately!

Sylvie

Veteran

Only christmas and halloween. Otherwise, I wear what I like.

Oh wait, maybe not. I have issues with yellow/black (bumble bee) and yellow/blue (high school colors) and red/white/blue (fourth of july)

I agree the problem is worse with primary colors. If you can shift the color palette away from primary colors and add a third accent color, it's easier to make it work.

Laurinda

Veteran

Not really - and I love orange with black.

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goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Huh, I love wearing any color combination, even "holiday" ones. On the holiday nonetheless! (But I love being matchy matchy in general). I wore a dress with hearts on in for Valentine's day with a red trench coat, and red white and blue for July 4, and I probably would wear orange and black on Halloween and red and green for Christmas if the pieces themselves were subdued. It's not like I'm wearing a fuzzy light up reindeer sweater or anything!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

In theory, none of these bug me, but to fair I usually only wear one bright with up to 2 other neutrals. More than 3 colors on my body makes me want to twitch in general.

qpswan

As a K-5 school librarian, I wear all holiday combos including red for Chinese New Year and green for St. Patrick's Day. I have socks for every major holiday as well. However, it is a trifling embarrassing to do after school errands in a Christmas sweater or Easter socks.

I think that the right accessories and shoes can make any colour combo (okay almost any) work.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Yep, I avoid these combinations too!

Some combos also bring to mind corporate logos and such (perhaps this is a holdover from my graphic design career).

Funny example: My dad worked for John Deere for 40 years, so I can't see the combination of green and yellow without thinking of Deere!

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

No! If colors go well together bring them IMO!

Aziraphale

Veteran

Janet -- yep, yellow and green are totally John Deere. And my dad did not work for John Deere...but we've got tractors in Canada too.

Sveta -- I could just about do bright orange and black, because they do, in fact, go together. I agree with you. But imo, christmas green and red don't really "go"...they're too close in saturation for my taste. If you see red and green printed on grayscale, they both look the same shade of gray.

Freckles

Veteran

I can't wear a lot of these colours and perhaps because of that I don't even notice that. A lot of the other things, khaki and polos, we don't have the store or I don't frequent it so never notice a connection.

Krista

Veteran

I generally do not wear holiday colors together, especially on the holidays themselves. Is that weird - that I cannot bring myself to wear holiday colors at any time, especially on the holiday itself? My only exception is that I usually wear red and white on Canada Day. I'd feel unpatriotic if I didn't!

cheryl

Veteran

I don't mind them at all in fact yesterday I wore an orange top, black jeans and orange tennies but someone did say to me that I looked like I was ready for Halloween. It didn't bother me and I just laughed.

Anonymous

I just can't wear the traditional holiday color combos, and find them tiresome anyway, which is probably why I don't bother to try. Funny about the John Deere colors. You are so right!

rachylou

Veteran

I find the pastels of Easter kinda simpy.