Have you ever stood in front of your wardrobe, wondering if you can get away with an apple green top and tomato red trousers? You are not alone. There are certain colour pairings – red and green, pink and red, and navy and black among others – “banned” historically according to the rules of fashion.
But fashion has changed, and so has the guidance on what to wear, colour-wise.
With the emergence of mass market clothing in the first half of the 20th century fashion rules evolved in a way that encouraged conformity and convention; even the most adventurous fashion fan was unlikely to find inspiration readily hand. There were no street style blogs or fashionista Instagram accounts and, at best, discerning dressers could rely only on monthly or quarterly editions of fashion bibles such as Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar for their style cues. With advice dribbling in at a snail’s pace, broad fashion rules around colour coordination, hem length and accessorising gave people their only sense of security in a time when dressing boldly or outrageously was not quite as acceptable as it is today.
As a result of this widespread fashion conformity, all-consuming trends swept society. In the 20s, women revelled in flapper dresses and cloche hats while the men discovered casual attire before changing into formal suits for dinner. By the 60s, miniskirts and flower power were all the rage and defined that decade, while power dressing, perms and pastels took over alongside a wave of androgyny in the 80s. But since the 90s, fashion has become less one-dimensional. Microtrends emerged as fashion got faster, and as the gap between catwalk and high street closed, everything from online retailing and the rise of vintage fashion has had an influence on the industry.
Today, even dedicated followers of fashion mix and match trends from different eras and subcultures, and colour guidance has been abolished in favour of self-expression. Contemporary designers recognise that sartorial colour sense is in the eye of the beholder, and brave colour clashes can actually make, not break, an outfit. Here’s how to do it in style…
Be seen…in red and green
Forget the Christmas connotations – red and green can look amazing together if you get your styling right. The season is important: in the autumn and winter, a muted palette is best. Try an olive shirt with dark red trousers for a chic effect or, for something more street-friendly, a khaki parka with a red scarf, or bright red jumper looks great. In spring and summer, ladies could try a bright green tea dress with pillar box red shoes and beret to strike a fresh, vintage-inspired tone.
Colour pop in red and pink
Red and pink are close colours and they make a definite statement: go for broke with hot pink and bright red as subtlety doesn’t work so well when combining these two. For women, wearing the lighter shade on the bottom half is kinder to the figure when matching separates, so try a red top with cerise trousers or maxi skirt. To make sure your statement is bold, you’ll need plenty of fabric, so experiment with wide-legged trousers, long-sleeved tops and high necks. In high summer, bright pink shorts worn with a scorching red tee will likely turn heads, whatever your age or gender.
Navy and black is back
Another close colour combination, navy and black is an incredibly stylish fashion route – but to make it work it needs to look deliberate. For example, a black shirt, tie and shoes can freshen up a classic navy suit, while adding a black shrug, shoes and clutch to a navy frock is smart styling. You can also look out for dresses and suits that combine these colours and do the colour matching for you – but if you wear a black or blue dress or suit, make sure you stick to either all black or all blue accessories to streamline the look.
Introducing Valspar paint
Valspar can create as many colours as the eye can see – that’s 2.2 million shades, so if your heart is set on a colour, Valspar can match it. What’s more you can save your colour preferences on Valspar’s system, so whether it’s the ideal shade for Laura’s bathroom, or dad’s study, you’ll remember for future reference.
Available exclusively at B&Q, Valspar’s Premium paints feature a super scrub formula so paint won’t fade or chip off when cleaned and it comes in a range of wide range of high quality interior and exterior paints in a variety of finishes. Visit valsparpaint.co.uk to see how you can start colouring outside the lines, or see the range at B&Q.
