Reflections on adding colours - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

About: How to Add a New Colour to Your Wardrobe

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Reflections on adding colours

rachylou

Veteran

Thinking on Angie's blog post, I am not sure how much colour is in my closet. I like having a variety of colours available in my closet, and yet I don't feel I have that many different colours. Or you might say, I don't have dominant focal colours that I stick with year in and year out.

Maybe the thing is, I think I do my own mini colour fads, so any given season I'm only working with a few much of the time. My tolerance is both high and low. I'll do bright. I'll do multi. But then I'll spend a lot of time working with a limited palette. I have killed off some colours (autumnal ones), and deliberately added some cobalt, mint, blush, and pine green back there in the past... But none has become a go to colour.

...I'm wondering who and how many have signature colours?

General

31 replies

Latest reply was from LaPed

Gigi

Veteran

"I have killed off some colours (autumnal ones)..." That sounds brutal!

I don't have any signature colors. I have discovered that I like having a small assortment of "true" colors available but not a lot. I am happy with only one piece in a given color. I would maybe accept a top AND a bottom in the same color if it is a color that I really like (mint, for example). But I seem to have short-lived affairs with colors, so I don't like to stock up on any one color.

A couple of years ago I was all over wine-colored things and couldn't get enough. The next year, blech. I did buy a wine-colored top this year, but the love isn't nearly as strong as before. I just don't think I'm stable enough for signature colors.

chirico (Chiara)

(website)

Veteran

I have a preferred color (violet), but not really a segnature color: for winter I have violet, burgundy, red, hot pink, for summer also turquoise and other blues.
I think it would be easier for me to mention colors I don't have!
I don't think it's a bad thing to have more than one focal color in your wardrobe, as long as all colors work for your neutrals. Bonus point if you can combine two or more of your colors - but I am not able to do this yet!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I have a large wardrobe and I organize it by color. I have a lot of gray, cream, black and blue. Very little green, and some warm colors like red, pink and coral. Not too much purple or burgundy. I am working on having a more focused color assortment. I feel having so many colors confuses me and creates orphans. I wouldn't mind more green, I like green.

I do respond to trend colors, so the above assortment reflects purchases made in the past 5 years since I joined YLF. (Hello gray) 15 years ago there would have been a lot more brown than there is now (remember brown in the 90s was the new black...) I don't think I will ever have a fixed color palette that I stick to through the years, but I am moving in a direction of limiting the number of colors I own (both neutral and accent), as well as limiting those colors to what is more flattering against my aging visage and corpse.

anne

Veteran

I have a pretty limited colour selection; red, pink, blue, white, black, grey (trying to cut down on that). In recent years I have added teal, some orange/coral and one apple green top.

Kaelyn

Veteran

I relate to a lot of what you said. My affinity for color varies from day to day. Some days I want neutrals and MAYBE one color, other days I'll wear three or four. I have two colors I wear a lot--a bright red, and cobalt blue. I'd say they're my signatures, if I have any. But I also enjoy burgundy in the fall/winter, as well as numerous other shades of blue. Can my signature color be black?

Style Fan

Veteran

I wear the same colours today that I wore 20 years ago, 30 years ago, 40 years ago, well you get the idea. I have always worn warm autumn colours especially brown, burnt orange, olive green and cognac. If those colours are not available at retail then I don't buy clothes. I am hard core. Occasionally for a special event I buy something different but it is always on the warm end or maybe black. My wedding dress was a warm red.
This is a picture from the late 80s. I could wear this outfit today.

1

Anonymous

I live for color. It has a significant affect on both my mood and my confidence level. Although I have an overarching color palette, some of the accent colors can change seasonally, depending on my personal mood and on what is available in retail stores.

For the first time ever, I am introducing shades of blue. The blue I introduced blended seamlessly with my existing wardrobe and I didn't have to purchase a lot of supporting pieces.

I would include a lot more red, but I have trouble finding the right shade of red. I prefer a clear blue red and I most frequently find tomato red in the stores. So I guess at some point, I just stopped shopping for red and started looking for other "happy" colors.

I included my 2015 color schemes. I was extremely happy with them.

1
2

Deborah

Veteran

I think it's fair to say I have a signature colour Black. I would say my signature colour is black and I have some accent colours scattered through my wardrobe. My accent colours are deep red and cobalt blue.

Summer

Veteran

I'm not sure that I have a signature colour, but I do have favourite colours that are always represented in my wardrobe.
For winter, I seem to live in shades of purple and berry, from light to mid tones. In summer I move into mid-toned blues, aquas and shades of teal, plus blue-greens if I can find them.
I need colour in my life, and very rarely wear a solely-neutral outift. Even if it's just a scarf, I have to add a dash of colour somewhere.

Alassë

Veteran

I have signature colours (fern/moss green and shades of chestnut/ pumpkin), but I can see why your colour-of-the-moment approach would not lend itself to this. I think you'll have to do whatever works for you and lets you incorporate trends.

shedev

Veteran

Black is also my signature color, has been since the 80s. My accents are dark cool colors.

Anonymous

I think I have signature colours. It changes from the warmer seasons to the colder ones. Coral in Spring/Summer (no surprise there!) And probably olive and rust in Autumn/Winter.

MuseumGal

Veteran

My signature color is definitely all shades of blue in general, and cobalt (electric, sapphire) blue in particular. I would love to make royal purple a second signature color, but it is surprisingly hard to find. Almost by default, teal has become a secondary signature color because it's much easier to find than other bright saturated jewel tones that flatter my skin.

I don't know anyone in real life who has a signature color, except for one woman who wears black all the time. Your wardrobe works as a whole color wise, so I'm not sure I'd worry too much about finding a signature color unless there is one that particularly makes you happy (as cobalt blue does for me).

JAileen

Veteran

I used to wear lots of both bright and muted fall colors, with tan and brown being my primary neutrals. Then I went grey and everything changed. One day I wore a grey sweater and really felt fabulous. It was a turning point for me.

I started adding tons of grey - coats, sweaters, boots, handbags, everything! I had never worn it, and now I have a lot. I also discovered metallic footwear. I added a lot of silver and pewter shoes and boots. I have embraced bookending footwear to my hair. I did it before, too, but my hair was brown.

Last winter we took a trip and I limited my palette to just a few colors, mostly blue and grey. I did have scarves for color. I loved how easy it was to make outfits.

So going forward I decided to only add things in blue, grey and olive. I actually only have a little olive, just a few jackets. My eyes are olive so it isn't crazy. I haven't gotten rid of anything, but I rarely wear the old color scheme. The other day I did wear a red turtleneck sweater to go with my wool plaid coat, which I love. It has a lot of grey, of course.

So to answer your question, I guess grey is my signature color.

1

Dee

Veteran

I used to have all the colors in my wardrobe, and often not enough neutrals to pair them width. I've made a focus over the last few years to balance it better. Now, I've got a lot of cobalt, purple, teal and raspberry/burgundy, with grey and cream as my main neutrals. Everything works together and makes me feel like I'm wearing most of my wardrobe on a regular basis, rather than pairing an item with the one or two other colors it would go with, as I used to do.

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

I wear just about every color, but cobalt has a big place in my wardrobe. I wouldn't say that I wear it every single day, but I think people recognize it as being "my" color. I don't think everyone HAS to have a signature or go-to color, though. Whatever works for you.

Anonymous

No signature color here -- that seems too limiting. My complexion favors clear, bright, warm colors, but I seem to accumulate colors of all kinds, because I enjoy having a large palette to work with.

Anonymous

l love the white and blue

1
2

Anonymous

I quite like the idea of a signature colour. A signature lipstick, fragrance, and piece of jewellery too. And sunglasses, perhaps a bag. Even a good pen, a notebook, a journal or daytimer. I would like my life to be one big signature right about now. Tired of trends and chasing a look. So, first off , - colour? I am not sure i have one, other than pearl grey and black. But that'll do for me!

Peri

Veteran

I love too many colors to limit to one signature. I'm with Sterling...color drives me. But looking at my closet you would find three standouts...many shades of purple/orchid, red, and cobalt. If I lump together all shades of purples, that would be my dominating color. I'm not sure you could call it signature, since I wear lots of others, but that is what I have most of.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I do have signature colors. Definitely cobalt blue (see photos!), and shades of blue/green ranging from turquoise to teal. All those water colors! But they work well with my coloring, especially my eyes. Burgundy is right up there too. These have been some of my favorite colors to wear ever since I was a teenager, so I've been pretty consistent with color preferences my whole life.

1
2
3

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Well, yup. Blue, blue, and more blue, often combined with white or cream.

I wear different tones of blue in different seasons, though.

I also like cranberry red and soft fuchsia and those are signatures as well.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Blue- especially dark navy, denim and deep gray-blue tones.

Anonymous

I definitely have strongly dominant focal colours and this has come about through a lot of trial and error. And the colours are, drumroll...

light heather grey, black, and denim

I can't reduce it to one colour. It is this combo of colours that I love in one outfit, and when I see it on others, I think, "Hey, that looks chic!". I think you can get away with lesser quality pieces when these are the colours.

LOL to lisap's "I want my life to be one big signature"

Adelfa

Veteran

My signature colors have changed recently. They used to be cobalt and hot pink. Now they are eggplant, burgundy, and olive.

Black used to be my signature neutral, but now it may be deep gray.

Joy

Veteran

I love the idea of signature colors but have never been able to stick to just those. The closest I come would be shades of white, especially for year-round.

It has helped to identify my best shade of colors and try to limit to that shade. For example, my best red is tomato, so I try to avoid cherry and all bluer reds. My best yellow is light gold or citron, so I don't look at lemon or mustard.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Well when I was younger it was black. In the last decade my closet was full of blues and greys. Now I am embracing orange. In my defense, my coloring has changed quite a bit. I figure my hair is signature enough to let me play with colors.

Brooklyn

Veteran

I definitely have a limited colour palette but not a signature colour. I do tend to be influenced by what's trendy, so lots of grey now and lots of brown 10 years ago. Also, as much as I like a particular colour, eg forest green, it can be impossible to find here. But project dye will soon fix that!

rachylou

Veteran

I really like hearing all y'alls colours! You know, one thought always crosses my mind when I go into stores... So much depends on what you can get. Or notice, I don't suppose (I suffer from attention blindness). I have another frequent thought... What a lot of teal. I like teal, don't get me wrong, but it seems so prevalent to me. To the point where I can't even think the name of another colour. Lol! I need to get online and read Pantone colours or something...

12