Colour. Clash or splash?

Colour.  (Or for our friends across the pond - Color).  Such a minefield of potential still mistakes, but also a goldmine for simple style.  It should be so simple - selecting something to suit your own colouring - yet it is so frequently done wrongly!  

Lesson 1:  The Colour Wheel

The Colour Wheel is something that if you've never seem before can be quite difficult to explain, so  I've borrowed an image from the nice course on colour at www.realcolorwheel.com to help illustrate this bit!

Binary Opposite (flashing!) colours -  "Binary opposites" are opposed to each other on the wheel.  For instance bright yellow and dark blue - rich orange and light blue.  These colours are serious impact colours, and will "flash" when placed next to each other in a very eye-catching way.  Used to great effect in lots of fashionable looks.

Tonal colours - these are focused around a single segment (say number 9) and all the light and dark versions of this colour.  You can create a look based around all the colours in the segment - e.g. red, dark red and mahogany - to give a strong look.

Complementary colours - colours which work well together are with in the same small region of segments, but with a small separation (e.g. pink 14 and blue 19 would look good together).  Coordinating pieces within colour regions is a simple and safe way to create and interesting look, but should be done in moderation, as you will risk the dreaded clashing colours!  Right next to each other (e.g. 1 yellow and 36 green) works but won't make as much of an impact as a few shades away.

Clashing colours - so what is a "clashing" colour?  Try 36 green and 13 pink.  Or 13 pink and 25 blue.  Clashing colours are roughly separated by thirds on the wheel, although personal preference is of course allowed in judging combinations of colours!  They're good for catching the eye of onlookers... although watch out you don't overdo it.  Clashing are bold statements, if you're trying to dress to impress then give it a go.  Yes blondes... wearing scarlet is exactly this!  Clashing is usually around a quarter of a circle each way from the base colour.

So - the big question - what does this all mean to me?  Well, it's not just your clothes that rock the colour wheel - it's you hair, eye and skin colour too.  You're looking to wear colours which match, oppose or are complementary to your own colouring.  There's a good reason why pale, ginger-haired girls look great with bright green clothing, why blondes really suit bright blues and why tanned or dark-skinned brunettes look great in yellow.

Colour is about experimentation, but start simple - work the binary opposites for a classic and timeless look.  Go seasonal with you complementary colours where you can - and rock the tonal look by closely matching shades to your hair colour!  Remember - finding colours that suit your colouring as well as the rest of your outfit is all about creating your real style.