How Tuesday: How to Color Coordinate Part I

Ok, so not so much about coordinating colors as about matching colors, but it was a catchy title :)

I love to mix patterns, prints, textures and colors. I love to layer, to pile it all on. I'll have a tank, a tee, a vest, and a belt on all in one day and not blink an eye. I thought as Part I, I'd share the color combinations I never make, because they remind me of something else...

The steps (mostly mental steps):

1. Avoid dressing like a bumblebee. This means no yellow and black. Lately, with yellow populating my closet more, this almost happens! I'll throw on a yellow tank and a black and white striped cardigan and black pants and voila! The walking bumble bee. No thanks...

2. Avoid dressing like a watermelon. I had this great pair of JCrew green chinos. The same day I bought (on sale) a bright pinky-melon colored henley. I put them on together, went out into the world, and got "oh cute! It's like watermelon colors!" Hmmm...I'm pretty sure you never want to be compared to a watermelon.

3. Avoid dressing like the American flag unless it is July 4th. I'm all about pride for your country, but keep it on the holiday. Red, navy, white...pairing just those together makes for an old LL Bean catalog or a parade outfit. I do wear navy and white stripes a lot, but I make sure to pair them with grey or khaki instead of adding any red. (Truth be told I have very little red in my entire closet!)

4. Avoid looking like an Easter egg. This one is sometimes difficult to spot before it's too late. It's Spring, you want to wear all the pastels in your closet and then BOOM! You have on 3 different pastels and you might as well be a zig-zag patterned Easter egg.

5. Avoid dressing like a pumpkin. Honestly what have we learned? Avoid dressing like a holiday when it is not that holiday! I think that's a simple rule to hold onto. In this case, orange and black together often create the Halloween effect, which can lead to you being compared to a pumpkin (another round object you should avoid being compared to).

Next we'll talk about some favorite color combinations (ahem, Julie, orange and grey??), how to wear them, and how to create them yourself.