Red, orange, and purple…
There was a time when I would have never considered wearing these three colors together. In fact, I’m not sure I would have worn any combination of these three colors together! A few years before I retired, I started reading Debbie Stinedurf’s blog, Your Styled Story. Back then, it was Fashion Fairy Dust. I don’t think there was just one post that made me realize I could wear what I wanted. But, Debbie is definitely to blame the reason why I’m much more fearless in wearing colors and prints together. Debbie now provides life coaching sessions as well as being a personal stylist.
Any colors together…
Are there any color combinations I wouldn’t wear? Hmmm…I don’t really know. I think it would be easy to say, “I’ll never wear x, y, and z together because blah, blah, blah.” But, when I say red, what do you see? Do you see tomatoes, wagons, or stoplights? Maybe you see pomegranates, beets, or garnets? I could go on and on. We all think of different colors or shades when we hear a specific color name, right? If you’re confused about color, shade, hue, etc, here is an article. But, I’ll admit I don’t have much more clarity than I did before I read it! I’m going to call them colors even though it may be a tint, a shade, or a tone just so we’re all on the same page.
A little more…
What I’m trying to say in soooo many words is that I think all colors work together if you find the right shade, tone, or tint. I actually googled “what colors shouldn’t be put together.” And, this article popped up. Guess what two colors are on that list? If you guessed red and purple, you win a gold star! Now, in the article’s defense, they are talking about what I consider pure colors and not variations of them. But, the red and purple pairing they show on their site is pretty doggone close to what’s in my sweater/dress/coat! In their defense, they do seem to be a graphic arts company of some kind. But, back to my point…if you’re averse to wearing a pure red with a pure green because you think it will read too much Christmas, try dusty rose with sage green or crimson and olive. See what I mean? Sally has written many posts about the science behind color combinations.
Serendipity…
This isn’t, technically, a dress. Gudrun Sjödén calls this a knit coat. But, I’m going to wear it as a dress, a duster, a sweater, just about anything you want to call something you put on, and it hangs from your shoulders! The Ottilia Knit Coat is made of cotton and wool and is really nice and warm. Sometime last fall, I was able to purchase this at a deep discount, but it wasn’t delivered until this year. I already had the Luna slip, and I love how it adds that extra bit of je ne sais quoi. I’ve noticed Gudrun Sjödén’s necklines are a little lower than I like in the winter so I usually add a scarf. Imagine my surprise when I pulled out this scarf and found it matched almost perfectly! This scarf is either from Banana Republic or Old Navy, and I bought it more than a decade ago. It’s an abstract print, not floral, not geometric. But, it was the perfect finishing piece! If you’ve been reading the blog for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed these are all colors I don’t often wear. In fact, I thought I’d ordered the blue version. I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and bought this one. I love the colors and the way they work with my coloring. Definitely serendipity!
The Lewk!
I find I don’t wear these L’Artiste Originala boots as much as I should. Is it the color? Hmmm…I don’t know. I wore them here for a Style Imitating Art challenge. They really are comfortable, and that heel is the perfect height for me. I wore these to pull out the purples in the sweater/dress. I wore the pink topaz jewelry (all by Effy and years old) to pull out the pinks. I don’t have any orange jewelry. Who knows…I would have probably worn that to pull out the oranges! I didn’t wear a necklace because I knew it would get lost against the prints of the scarf and dress/coat.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
You know, I often sit down to write a post and have absolutely no idea where I’m going to go with it! That’s exactly what happened with this post. Once I decided on the title, I was set, though. If you’re feeling a little blah about your wardrobe or your life, I urge you to get in touch with Debbie. She is so good at helping you drill down to what you want and need to change. So, can we talk? Are you afraid of mixing colors that others see as jarring? Or, are there no limits to the combinations you’ll put together? What colors would you never put together? Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.
Thank you!
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Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, and Style Splash. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Marsha, you look absolutely stunning! You wear those colours so beautifully. I love that you have been inspired by Debbie…she is a real inspiration isn’t she?
Hugs
Suzy xx
Thank you, my friend! Debbie is so amazing. I keep mentioning her in hopes that people seek her out because she’s so smart and personable. I learned so much working with her. I honestly wish we were neighbors though she’d probably get tired of me always asking her opinion!
Those colors are fabulous together and you look so lovely in you coat/dress/sweater. 🙂
Thank you, Joanne! I was kind of surprised when I saw the photos because I really don’t wear these colors very often. I’m just stepping out of my comfort zone!
These three colors are so pretty together and this whole look is WOWZA!!! Everything is working so well here – your hair looks amazing and that dress is fabulous!
xo,
Kellyann
Oh, thank you so much, Kellyann! I was really, really happy with the look and very surprised at how my decade+ scarf was an exact match for the sweater. I was definitely having a good hair day!
Wow Marsha! This is a absolute stunning coat/ dress! I love the different prints and the way it’s closed. And what a beautiful colour combination. Very interesting look!
Thanks, Nancy! Isn’t it gorgeous? I didn’t realize, when I ordered it, that it would button asymmetrically. That was just a happy little surprise!
You look lovely in these colors! Nicely done! And your hair is just gorgeous, too!
Thank you so much, Beth! I was definitely having a good hair day that day! And, I was kind of surprised at how much I liked me in these colors. You get used to wearing the same colors all the time, right?
Gorgeous! These 3 colours look amazing together and also on you. I love them/this!
Well, there’s been this myth idk, I may check Debbie’s blog after I am done with my comment, but to answer your question, about what colors don’t go well together, since a young age, I’ve heard a lot about black and brown, or just brown, how hard it is to wear something that color, etc. Truth is, my wardrobe is mostly black and browns, and the other day I wore a dark blue almost black top with a brown skirt, I loved it so much that I wore it again but with a black top instead, then last Sunday, I wore same colors just different way, black skirt with a brown top, and just like you, I don’t know if those colours look great on me or not, but as long as I feel comfortable in them, I have no problems, plus I may not know what my style is yet but at least I know my signature colors (the ones I love wearing the most) :]
Have a lovely day and wishing you (from now) a happy weekend too!
XO, Melissa
Thank you so much, Melissa! You have really hit the nail on the head. We should wear the colors we like and those we think look good on us! Before long, we know if a color doesn’t suit us. I think we need to toss those ideas of what colors can go with what colors out the window! We just need to play around with the different tones, shades, and tints to find the right one for us!
I hope you have an absolutely spectacular weekend!
Oh this coat looks amazing on you Marsha and I love how you layered it with the little ruffles and the scarf, it’s beautiful! I think you’re right, often we struggle and think colours “shouldn’t” go together, but sometimes we dine a piece like this coat or a print where the shades are just perfect and we realise we have held ourselves back! I used to struggle a bit with green as you aren’t “supposed” to wear it with blue. But it turns out I really love green and blue together, and now I have quite a bit of green in my wardrobe! It’s good to experiment and find what works for us 🙂
Thank you so much, Mica! Oh, I love blue and green together. I think green is one of those colors people take really strong stands on…either they love it, or they hate it. My thought is they just haven’t found the right shade of green for themselves. BTW, I can never choose one of your posts as a favorite because I can’t get a photo. Is there a workaround, or do I just email you sooner in the week?
I love the coat/dress and scarf separately, but together they are MAGIC! I can’t even. Thanks for the shout-out; I agree that so much of what colors go together comes down to specifics of the precise version of the color, the textures of the fabrics, the nature of prints, and so on and so on…as well as a person’s own coloring. This combination is stunning on you, for example – it brings out your eyes and the variations of color in your hair. I love that you’re “not categorizing” (as Jodie would say) the coat as a coat but keeping your mind open to all the things that “hang from the shoulder” it could be! I’m not sure I’d say there are any colors combos I would absolutely never wear, but one I tried and couldn’t stand on myself was mustard and burgundy – burgundy top + mustard cardigan. It made my pink skin look unhealthily feverish and sunburned red! That cardigan was probably the worst clothing purchase decision I’ve ever made. It was about 10 years ago, back when I was first starting to read style blogs, and I didn’t think through how what looked amazing on the olive-skinned blogger would make me look sick. I might try mustard and burgundy again some time but I’d do it VERY differently now (although really, the combination reminds me so much of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers that I’m not sure I’d do it except as little accents to other colors).
Thanks, Sally! You are truly the color analyzer! I do think there are colors we can’t wear because of our coloring, etc. I, for example, can’t wear peachy pinks next my face because my neck well and truly disappears! But, I could wear it away from my face. I usually just skip that color because there are so many other pinks I can wear. I received an email from a reader about how certain colors reminded her of things, and that’s a whole other ballgame, right? It just might show up as a blog post!
Love this outfit! The red is so … calming I guess I’d say.
As for two colors I wouldn’t put together – probably bright yellow and really dark purple. Ew. I don’t know, though, there are some people who could pull even those two colors off and look good. I just wouldn’t.
Thanks, Lisa! Oh, but bright yellow and dark purple remind me of pansies, and I love those. But, I do see your point. I think that the more the contrast, the less our eye is drawn to something.
Your coat dress is gorgeous! I love the colors – they’re so flattering on you! Your hair looks amazing too!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Oh, thank you so much, Jill! That means so much to me!
That’s exactly the kind of color combinations I am drawn to now. Something bright, happy and full of life.
What an amazing outfit
XOOX
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! I find myself drawn more and more to bright colors and prints.
You look great in these colours Marsha and the coat/duster is a really unique style, lovely!
Thanks, Debbie! I appreciate the compliment! I kind of thought, when I pulled it out of the package, I’d made a huge mistake. But, it really is a beautiful sweater!
Dress, coat, whatever you want to call it, I think it is gorgeous! What a show stopping piece! The colors are fantastic together and look so pretty on you!
Thank you, Laura! It is an amazing sweater, isn’t it? I loved everything about it. I’m trying really hard not to break down and buy it in the blue version. But, I think that would spoil the magic of this one! Thank you for the compliment!
This is such a pretty print and I think the colors together are beautiful. Now my eyes were drawn to your amazing boots: how gorgeous!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thanks, Mireille! These boots are really special as they were Christmas gifts from my kids. I just need to work harder finding things to wear with them…I’m pretty sure I’ve got lots!
Good for you! I find I am dressing more for me these days. I sure do like your dress
Thank you so much, Linda! Do you remember those articles about “who do you dress for?” I have always dressed for me, but I never wanted to break any “rules.” Now, I wear what I like, and I’m glad you do, too!
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What a stunning outfit, Marsha and you’ve proven that ‘yes’ you can wear red, orange and purple together. You look lovely and I do love colour in our wardrobes as we age. x
Thank you, Sue! I don’t usually wear these colors, but I think I will now! I have always liked jewel tones but mostly on the opposite side of the color wheel!
I absolutely love the dress/coat! The print is stunning! Definitely something I would wear. Thanks for linking!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
Thank you so much, Emma! I was surprised at how much I liked it after I found the scarf! And, thank you for the link up!