The Power of Color: Complementary Colors in Fashion

We are creatures of habit. I, for one, love schedules and structure but get bored easily with routine. Sounds crazy, but it took me a while to understand my last statement myself. Example: I love to get up at the same time everyday (schedule) but I don’t like working on the same task for more that 2 hours (routine). Variety is the spice of life, in all aspects of life.

In working with my clients, I find they tend to fall into habit/routine when it comes to color choices. Most times it’s because it is easier to follow routine than put the energy into trying something new. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Once I start talking about color pairs and possibilities, my clients start to see there are more options than just add a neutral like black or white.

Color is powerful. It has existed since the beginning of time and we encounter color everyday in the natural world. Color has been theorized and studied by a variety of people from artists to scientists to determine things like: how it is made; how colors affect one another; how colors affect people emotionally and physiologically; how colors can be combined to achieve specific results; and what color combinations make pleasing color harmonies or schemes.

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Here are a few color basics that can help you start to introduce color into you closet today!

Get a free color wheel here

1. The 3 Primary colors are red, yellow and blue and can be found equidistant on the color wheel.

2. The 3 Secondary colors are placed between the primaries and are a result of mixing any two of the primary colors:

   Red + Yellow = Orange

   Yellow + Blue = Green

   Blue + Red = Violet (purple)

3. Mixing a primary and secondary will result in a Tertiary color:

   Example: Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange Note: The primary color name is listed first. These colors are located between a primary and secondary color on the color wheel.

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Color Schemes

Below are outfit examples of 4 different color schemes and how to achieve them using the color wheel.

Note: the color wheel is a great tool to use to understand color and how colors work together BUT does not need to be used literally. Have fun with it!

Direct Complementary Color Scheme

To achieve a direct complementary color scheme choose a primary color on the color wheel. This color’s complement will be located directly across from the primary color on the color wheel.

Here this outfit is using red (primary) and it’s complement is green. This look is balanced as equal amounts of both colors are being used.

Split Complementary Color Scheme

A split complementary color scheme is achieved by choosing a primary color on the color wheel. Next, find the complementary color (directly across from the primary) but use the colors to the left and right of the direct complement to the primary color.

This outfit is using blue as the primary color. The split complementary colors are red-orange and yellow-orange.

Analogous Color Scheme

An analogous color scheme is best determined as using 4 to 5 colors that are located next to one another on the color wheel. Typically a primary color and then all of the colors between (sometimes including) the next primary color.

This outfit example is using mostly colors found between yellow and blue (yellow greens and blue greens) on the color wheel. There are some red tones that compliment this overall analogous color scheme.

Monochromatic Color Scheme

A monochromatic color scheme is based on one color using light, medium and dark values of a color.

This outfit is primarily using a variety of light and dark values of yellow-orange.

Having some color basics in your back pocket can bring some new life to items you already have in your existing wardrobe. Who doesn’t love getting more bang for their buck?

Stay fabulous,

Jen