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What Colors Go Well Together for Any Outfit

coloful umbrellas

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The first impression is of such importance, that we need to be especially careful of the message we send with our looks. Among factors such as hair style, makeup and scents, colors are an important instrument as they have the ability to induce emotions in others and ourselves. Choosing colors that go well together for each occasion will help us communicate the precise image we want to portray and choose color coordinated outfits.

Part of that image is matching the colors correctly to convey style and class. Read on to learn the secrets of color matching your wardrobe and the color theory fashion.

The use of the Color Wheel for your outfits

What is a Color Wheel? It is a a type of color combination chart, which in fashion helps to select clothes that match. This may sound like dry theory but trust us – once you understand the Color Wheel, color matching will become straightforward for you and you will enjoy your new knowledge on how to match clothes.

The Color Wheel divides the spectrum into 12 basic colors: three primary (red, blue, and yellow), three secondary colors which are the combination of two primary shades (orange, green, and violet), and six tertiary colors, which are derived by mixing the two neighboring colors. Make the best of the fashion color wheel by combining by the main ways of color co-ordinations below.

circle of colours
Credit: www.decorfacil.com
There are several main ways to combine colors using the color wheel for clothes:

Combine complementary colors

These are colors that are opposite one another on the fashioncolor wheel. Generally, this means combining two colors, and in most cases, you can add white or black as these are considered to go well with almost any color. This is the simplest way to combine, but consider the hue, tint, and shade. For outfits, the combination red-green is to be careful about as it is mostly associated with the Christmas season and may look odd in summertime, for example.

For fusing 3 colors combine those that are equidistant from each other on the color wheel – forming an isosceles triangle.

You can also go with a combination of 4 colors, two by two being opposite to one another in the form of a cross.  An example: red-orange with blue-green and purple with yellow.

These combos create vivid and playful appearance and we recommend them for more cheerful events.

what colors go well
Credit: https://brightside.me/

The analogous Color Scheme

The second main combination is the analogous color scheme, where the selection is of 2 to 5 colors that sit next to each other on the wheel. This combo works well because the hues are derived from the same base color, and gives a colorful, but relaxing look.

Monochromatic Color Combo

The third option is to use Monochromatic Color Scheme – using several shades of the same hue. Although it may be tricky to apply in fashion, there are some combinations that look especially chic. For example, pale blue shirt, navy pants and sky-blue shoes and bag.

We have picked the most popular color that go well together:

1. White, Red, and Blue

Combining two out of the three primary colors in a red and blue outfit, and adding white which sits in the center of the color wheel, is definitely one very powerful color mix. Especially suitable are the intense red shades and the darker blue hues. These are some examples of what colours go with red clothes.

This color combo is attention-grabbing, and is often used as office clothes for women, as it demonstrates more power and will.

We often see the three colors combined in a single outfit, as the look is really classic and is preferred by many women. In addition, these are colors you can wear all year round. If you add yellow to blue and red, you would be wearing a primary color dress.

We hope we have answered the question ‘does red and blue match’, as we’ve have been asked quite a few times.

2. Yellow and Green

Yellow is associated with happiness as it is related to the sun and its life-giving rays. By wearing yellow clothes women can attract attention in a very positive manner, and portray the image of sunny personality. If you want to know all about wearing yellow clothes and accessories and what colors are best combined with yellow, check out our post.

Green reminds us of spring, of nature and of the new beginnings. It portrays a fresh look, especially the bright lighter shades. Green clothes for women would underline the skin tone, thus if your skin is pale, select a more intense green hue.

Combining green and yellow in a woman’s attire is mesmerizing and creates a feeling of sun and green grass. A yellow dress worn with green womens shoes and a green bag cannot remain unnoticed. Expect a desire for new ideas and adventures from ladies wearing a green and yellow outfit.

The yellow dress below is an example of solid color fashion, consisting of only one primary color.

3. Orange and Navy Blue

Orange is another vibrant color that catches the eye and portrays a good mood and a feeling of warmth. Much like the fruit, an orange piece of clothing can bring a smile to our face. It may be a bit tricky to combine, however if you get the mix and match right, your style will be highly appreciated.

We have found that the most preferred color to match with an orange clothing is the dark blue. It enhances the radiance of the color without taking away from its presence. Of course, black is always an option but it is a bit too classical for my taste.

The selected images below are an absolutely perfect casual clothes for women outfit, however the combination of colors will work well as business casual clothes for women for your office days, and for a more formal attire.

orang sweter

4. Pink and Pale Blue

Pink clothes for women, especially the pale pink, portray an image of humbleness and shyness. It is associated with the girly traits of the ladies, and provokes in men the desire to protect the lady wearing it. When applying for a job, a pale pink shirt may be an excellent choice for interview clothes for women.

The pale blue (or baby blue) is another very gentle color. Combining the two will make you irresistible to the men that have the inner desire to safeguard their humble half. 

In recent years, pale pink has become especially popular for men’s shirts and t-shirts as well, a true fashion colour. If you like to be color coordinated with your partner, it is definitely possible with the pale pink and blue color combination.

pinks raincot

5. Grey and Yellow

This is such a classy and yet playful color combination for clothing. The grey that is practically the least noticeable color matches so well with the most luminous color yellow.

You can combine grey jeans with a grey sweater or shirt, and a yellow blazer as in the set shown below. Or choose a pair of yellow pants with a grey shirt and a grey blazer. Either way, try to have only one yellow piece of clothing in your outfit. Combining with yellow shoes or handbag is also a way to accent your style.

Yellow and grey may work out perfectly for everyday casual clothes for women, for office clothes for women, as well as for an event outfits.

6. Red and Fuchsia

What a combination! Although the rigorous red may seem to strict for the playful fuchsia, they are actually a great match. Perfect for summer clothes for women, these colors will brighten up any gathering.

You can combine several clothing pieces and accessories of solid colors of red or fuchsia, or get a dress or top that combines both colors.

Finish your look with a pair of red shoes for women or a red designer handbag for a stunning appearance.

7. Beige and Blue

The beige and blue color mix is preferred option when you want to be on the safe side. It is very popular for interview clothes for women, as well as for office clothes, as it is not so emotional as a mix, and portrays balance, stability and calmness.

Mix and match cloths and accessories of these colors as you like – you cannot go wrong. As both colors are more dim, the outfit would look perfect even if you had too much of one or the other (unlike combinations with colors such as yellow or red, for example).

8. Black and White - Caution!

Although black and white may seem like to most safe and harmless combination, it could actually be very tricky.

Please, use this combination with caution!

Unless your business attire requires it, avoid wearing a black suit with a white shirt and black shoes – going to the restaurant next door in this outfit may put you in an unwanted situation where you look exactly like the restaurant staff. Or the store’s saleswoman.

Try to avoid black and white stripes, which may make you look like a zebra or a referee.

And above all: black and white outfits are boring, unless they are styled with a lot of passion. In today’s diversity in fashion products, you can always throw in a colorful piece of attire to bring out your personality in your outfit.

Classic combinations of the main colors

Below is an outline of the classic mixes for the primary, secondary and other popular colors. We will get in more detail for each color in a separate post for in-depth information.

  • What color goes with everything: black and white are the two universal colors that practically can combine with every other color.
  • Colors that go well with white: White is a universal color and combines with all shades, especially red, blue, and black.
  • What colors go with black clothes: Black also goes well with everything, especially orange, yellow, white, and red.
  • Colors that go well with red: red matches best with black, white, navy blue.
  • What colors go with blue clothes: Blue combines with yellow, orange, green, red, white.
  • What colors go with yellow clothes: Yellow combines best with blue, purple, violet, gray, black.
  • Colors that go well with violet: violet combines with green, yellow, white, gray. 
  • Colors that go well with fuchsia: Fuchsia combines with vibrant colors, such as yellow, orange, red, royal blue.
  • What colors match with orange clothing: Orange combines with cyan, blue, lilac, violet, white, black.
  • Colors that go well with green: Green combines with golden-brown, orange, salad green, yellow, brown, gray, cream, black, creamy-white.
  • What colors go with beige clothes: Beige mixes well with brown, blue, black, red, white.
  • What colours go with grey clothes: Gray looks gorgeous with yellow, red, purple, pale blue and pink. 
  • Colors that go well with brown: Brown combines with beige, cream, cyan, pink, green.

We hope you got some excellent ideas for your outfits with our clothes color wheel explanation. If you have an image of some colorful clothes, but you cannot find them, please use our free personal shopper service and we will do our best to utilize our Fashion Finder skills.

Got questions or comments? Or would like more information on how to match clothing – please, contact us at info@fashionfinder.online.

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Comments (2)

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I needed to thank you for this excellent read!!
I certainly loved every little bit of it. I have you book-marked to look at new stuff you post…

Thank you for the kind words! Please, visit our Blog to find more great and helpful fashion ideas.

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