My new colour theory - YouLookFab Forum

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My new colour theory

rachylou

Veteran

On the dog walk again, walking behind a girl in blacks that don’t match. But she’s looking sharp. My theory is that this is because she’s also got on some grey and this bridges the blacks. Now to test this theory…

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22 replies

Latest reply was from April

Ket

Veteran

Cannot wait to hear how your theory tests out! I do think that having a color to bridge a color that doesnt' quite match can do loads. It kind of breaks up the color so the eye isn't focusing on the blacks (or browns/navies??) not matching.

On the flip side... I kind of wonder if it depends on someone's innate vibe? I know for me if I get too many colors going I start to look very hodgepodge and I get lost in the clothing. BUT... I haven't tried all browns with a camel to bridge it either. Will have to try this when I get enough browns....

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Navy is even worse to match than black but l reckon getting the underlying tone the same even if the colour match isn’t the same helps ie cool with cool,warm/bright with the same and so on.Also different textures can muddy the difference sufficiently for it to work.Intersting question.

Sloper

Veteran

I agree with Cardiff Girl that contrasting textures help when the colors are a bit off.

Runcarla

Veteran

Cardiff girl is spot on regarding textures when trying to do monochrome. I recently watched a a fashion YouTube where the stylist addressed the issue and stressed the importance of introducing interesting textures when doing specifically all black outfits.

Sally

Veteran

Yeah I have thought about this because I wear a lot of black and the pieces you wear more often get worn and change colour. I don't have much grey but that is a good theory. I wonder what other colours could act as a bridge.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Please share the results of your experiment. The texture point is excellent.

Joy

Veteran

Yesterday I got a new LLBean catalogue with 15 different navies. I will call to find out the difference between classic navy and Navy Blue.,carbon navy and marine navy. And more. What is Raven anyway? I assume that some has more grey and some has green in it. Some is brighter, some darker. I have found that a marled carigan helps to pull different shades together.

Jules

Veteran

Lol Joy! Let us know what they say
I’m back to buying some black after several years of preferring navy. But I’m drawn mostly to soft, faded blacks, which I’m finding easier to mix and match than truer black. Also just accepting up front that black cotton will always fade.
Last night I wore the below finds plus my new Brooks Brothers coat - they call it charcoal but it’s definitely a soft black rather than a grey to my eye! I also had a striped brown and cream tee under the shirt. It came together because of the soft blacks, I think. I was out to see a band at a local dive bar.

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Bonnie

Veteran

Interesting observations!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I like the observation of the bridging grey! Same with dark blues that don't match. Colours worn with the outfit are the bridging piece. Textures help too.

rachylou

Veteran

Colours is what I do, I think. As opposed to grey.

Omigosh, Joy. Lol. I await the answer!

Peri

Veteran

This isn't strictly bridging, but the other day I had on black atheleisure pants, a dark grey long sleeve T, and that fuzzy Barefoot Dreams cardigan, in grey, that would look a lot like a bathrobe except for having a nice curved hem that makes it look only sort of like a bathrobe. So...comfort clothes. The greys were not exact matches, but definitely in Cardiff Girl's contrasting textures.

My husband said I looked elegant. Huh?? In lounge clothes. No single piece was elegant but I guess that is one vote for semi-monochrome.

rachylou

Veteran

Sounds most chic, Peri! I’m curious how dark is the dark grey?

Peri

Veteran

For the T, distinct from black, maybe just medium dark. Definitely grey, not black. The cardigan is kind of marled with grey and black in it, so it was dark also. Maybe the cardigan was the bridge between the black pants and the solid grey T?

lyn67

Veteran

I think it helps! I remember Angie saying you can wear different shades of creams/whites for a great white out outfit. I never could have put it out like a science this way ---but it makes lot of sense-isn't? And IT really WORKS wonders if the shades are right. So why not use this idea on other colors, too? As a low contrast girl myself this is one of my most used outfit formula -as I am/was always attracted to a monochromatic column of color and/or low contrast outfits.

lyn67

Veteran

Hah, Joy, cannot wait to find out the answer!:-) Those names without a clear deffinition really doesn't help a lot...other than that you now can be really sure neither of them matches? We have had an old fashion brand here which used to list the article numbers of the clothes in same shade of color to match-a capsule of color if you want....that was a lot of work I guess (and responsibility).

unfrumped

Veteran

Good observation, rachy. I think you were also on to something about there being an element of the wearer’s inherent style, or panache even. For me I think the quality and fit of items also helps non- quite- matching, and also garment SHAPES that don’t look so disparate together even when colors are not- quite matching. I think that overlaps with texture—so a soft knit pullover or a cardigan is more forgiving both because of “ relaxed” style and texture.

I would typically be a big wearer of gray for” bridging”, but I’ve also noticed that rich brown colors work well with navies and blacks because is sometimes more unexpected and because browns might be available in “ luxe” leathers or fabrics. So top & pants in same-but-not-same neutral, with a great brown leather belt.

rachylou

Veteran

Excellent points, unfrumped. Colour doesn’t do all the lifting and different ‘neutral’ colour can help each other.

On that note: I think I want a dark brown hoodie…

Joy

Veteran

Lands end did a similar thing. I called them last year. Now they seem to be down to two shades of navy. Deep sea and radiant which clash with each other.

Column

Veteran

I just love your good-natured observation: don’t match...BUT LOOKING SHARP!

Anonymous

You're probably right!
I think Marine or Deep Sea Navy would be more warm- like towards teal. I'd be inclined to try those.
Radiant Navy sounds bright and cool toned- like for True or Bright Winter coloring.

April

Veteran

Yes, I think the gray makes the whole ensemble look more intentional.