If you’ve ever googled a colour related question before, you may have found blogs or articles online that left you feeling overwhelmed and confused. You may even have given up entirely at that point. But I promise it gets easier if you have the right knowledge and you keep training your eyes.

Colour really is the backbone of style, so it’s worth spending the time to fully understand how it works.

Throughout my career as a Personal Stylist, the questions I get asked more than any others are about colour.

I will answer 7 of the most popular today:

1. I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe but also like to wear colour. Can you have a capsule wardrobe with lots of colour?

A capsule wardrobe doesn’t have to be black, white and beige! It can and should have other colours! The key is having the right shades that will complement each other so that you can easily mix and match different pieces together.

For example: Cream, Peach and Khaki should definitely be in the same capsule as the shades complement each other, whilst white, icy pink and emerald green would be in a different capsule as they also complement each other but will not work as well with the first set of shades.

2. I have a skirt I love with print and have no idea how to wear it with colour. I only ever wear it with a grey, black or white top. I know it’s boring but I can’t think of anything else.

Your answer is hidden in the print! Look at it closely.

What colour is LEAST represented in the print? Repeat it in the top or accessories such as shoes or a bag.

If you’re in a hurry, navy blue and soft white are great shades to complement any print!

3. Should the colour of my shoes match my bag?

No. Your shoes and bag can be of different colours and textures. They should complement the outfit though, so aim for similar shades.

4. How can I put colours together in the right proportions?

The easiest way to wear colour in the right proportions is to apply what I refer to as the rule of opposites.

If your base piece or outfit appears lighter, you can make your top, jacket or accessories darker, while if your base piece or outfit appears darker, you can make your top, jacket or accessories lighter. This will create a more balanced outfit that in turn appears better ‘put together’ or more stylish.

5. Can you wear black and navy together?

Yes! Navy blue is composed of 49.8% black and 50.2% blue – it contains black, which means it will compliment black.

The only disadvantage to wearing the two together is that they are both dark colours, so you would need to add a lighter colour to break it up.

6. How do I choose the right colours for accessories?

There are so many ways to accessorize, but the method I teach requires a certain level of colour knowledge. If you don’t have a trained eye, I would recommend sticking to metallics for jewellery and using colour only for your bags and shoes.

Use the colour combination rules when choosing colours for bags and shoes. That is, the monochromatic, complementary, triad, or analogous colour schemes. Remember neutral shades don’t add ‘colour’ to an outfit.

For example an orange dress can be accessorised with a blue bag (using the complementary colour scheme – colours opposite on the colour wheel work well together).

7. How do I wear 3 or more colours in an outfit without looking like a clown?

Avoid using primary shades together in large proportions. For example, blue, red and yellow together in an outfit is a little much. Instead opt for lighter or darker shades of those colours for a more understated look and use neutrals to tone the colours down.

For example: instead of wearing an orange dress + bright green leather jacket + cobalt blue bag, you could choose to wear a peach dress (ie a lighter shade of orange) + an olive green jacket (darker shade of green) + a navy bag (darker shade of blue).

I hope these answers make a difference for you.

Until next time,

Your Personal stylist,

Numba.