Coloursense » Style

Purple

Sarah — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:06:31 +0000

Purple is the colour of the season (Autumn ’09). Purple, a combination of red and blue, is a secondary colour and symbolizes superiority and prestige. Bishops wear purple, and it was the colour of attire for kings and emperors. To be going through a ‘purple patch’ is to to have things be going very well for you. Variants of purple can also be associated with higher levels of consciousness. Worn with black, purple can be more sinister and authoritative, rather than regal. Worn with white, the purple will seem lighter and inspirational, but will still dominate the look. Purple is best worn with less contrast, so with softer neutrals rather than stark white or black. Denim jeans look great with purple and also a neutral grey, taupe, or beige. The light neutrals are in fashion this season, so you will find plenty to dress it with. This over-knee boot is a hot accessory this season, from Jeffrey Campbell.

How to Economize with Colour

Sarah — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:15:07 +0000

You may not be running out to buy your autumn wardrobe, but instead looking to economize this season. There is a simple way of achieving this, and this autumn’s colour fashion palette will give you ample opportunity. Rather than buying a hodgepodge of colours to fill up your wardrobe, instead pick a few neutrals – those staple pieces that are versatile and timeless, and add 2-3 colour choices to your wardrobe. Opt for an outfit in Nomad (deep beige) or Iron (dark grey brown) or if you have cooler skin tones – Taupe and Charcoal, and then complement with a few different colours. Building a capsule wardrobe always starts with a skirt and trouser in a neutral, setting the foundations for maximum usage from a minimum number of pieces. Consider your favourite jean, a skirt and another trouser in your neutral as your capsule pieces, then pick a jacket and some tops in different colours to swap around creating different outfits. Add a boot, a heel, and a flat, and with 10 simple new pieces, you have many different options. With neutrals, you may need to up the quality, especially for the lighter shades, but Target, Urban, Gap, etc…will fill up your wardrobe with ample colour choices to keep your investments within budget.

Taupe

Sarah — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:23:25 +0000

Taupe, also referred to as mole, is a light grey-brown, is cool in temperature, is a tint (white added), and is clear rather than muted, even though it has the grey in it. Taupe is a neutral – a base colour, and is a good alternative to steel grey or blue grey, and especially black. Although a neutral, the psychology of taupe – more earthy, practical, and casual – means that it is not as authoritative as extreme neutrals such as white or black, and complements other colours well as it creates less of a contrast. This is because the brown base deepens its luminosity making it more complementary, as it lessens the psychological impact of the darker strong colours, such as damson. The brown means that it works well with other cooler shades that have some yellow – e.g. chinese blue, damson, and cool violet, and it’s a great complement to one of this season’s favourite colours – purple. It is the equivalent to beige for warmer skin tones. Taupe is perfect for lighter accessories, as it doesn’t taint as quickly, and so is harder wearing in smooth textures such as suede, providing the same versatility as a metallic.