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Styling tips: How to wear bright colours

Canadian Living
Style

Styling tips: How to wear bright colours

We’re all guilty of it—sticking to one trusty colour and buying every fashion item in that hue, convinced it’s the only colour that suits us. Why stray from what works, right? Wrong. There’s a whole rainbow spectrum out there just waiting to be explored. Because sometimes you just need to call in the pros, we enlisted fashion expert and celebrity stylist Alexis Honce, who has dressed the likes of Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, to help us put together a guide for dressing your best and brightest. “If you want to look current and trendy, colour is the way to do it,” says Honce. Take a look at your wardrobe. It's probably free of colours such as orange, yellow, purple and neons. Women tend to stray from these colours, fearful of how vibrant they are and accustomed to their usual colour palette. To choose a shade that works for your skin, the most important factor to consider is age, not skin tone. "Brighter colours really pull out the imperfections in your skin." Honce notes. "The deeper the colour, the softer with your skin.” The rule of thumb is that as you age, the colours in your wardrobe should deepen. That said, if you already love bright colours and feel comfortable wearing them, go with what you love. To add some variety to the sea of black and navy consuming your closet, chew over these style tips: How to wear orange  orange1 20s and 30s - tangerine, bright amber 40s - pumpkin, persimmon 50s+ - burnt/rust orange Looks best when paired with: greys, tan When selecting colours to complement the base colour of your outfit, imagine how you would look when filtered in black and white. An element of contrast is always key. How to wear yellow yellow1 20s and 30s - canary yellow, chartreuse 40s - saffron, mustard yellow 50s+ - goldenrod, deep gold Looks best when paired with: blues, pink. "I would stay away from dark browns and blacks as it gives it a retro vibe, which dates your look,” says Honce. How to wear purple purple1 20s and 30s - bright violet, fuchsia 40s - red-violet, mulberry 50s+ - indigo, deep beet purple Looks best when paired with: rich navy, grey How to wear neons As you age, you can go from wearing neon colours from head to toe, complemented with white, to making a statement with pops of neon in an accessory, or a skirt or pants. “That way, the neon colour isn't against your skin tone. You have a nice colour up top that you’re used to, and you try to brighten the lower half of your body.” How to wear neutrals Still adamant about keeping neutrals as your default colour palette? To avoid choosing clothing that looks like you’re literally in the nude, try tones of beige and grey that contrast with your skin tone and hair colour. For example, if you have fair skin and blonde hair, deeper shades of tan and grey will work, while darker complexions with darker hair can go for light tan or soft grey. For more styling tips, visit our Style Desk blog.  

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Styling tips: How to wear bright colours

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