Yellow is the most luminous of the colours on the spectrum—you might even call it the show-off of the colour wheel. Whether you’re lemon-loving or saffron-shy, here’s how you can shine in the happiest of all the hues.

Wear a little...
Start with an accessory, such as a pair of pumps or a purse. Once you become more comfortable with the vivid colour, upgrade to an item of clothing with a sunshine-tinged print (try polka-dots or stripes) or fabric (think tweed or herringbone) that mixes yellow with a neutral. If you’re feeling more daring, wear a lemon-yellow jumper with a neutral vest or blazer to help break up the intensity of the hue.








Vest, $50, winners.ca. Sweater, $29, and pants, $44, joefresh.com. Hat, bananarepublic.ca. Necklace, katherinekarambelas.com. Shoes, aldoshoes.com.

Wear a lot...
If you’re not ready to don a full-on canary frock, try a Day-Glo pencil skirt tempered with a charcoal-grey topper. Grey is a lot less harsh than black, but don’t discount black; it still has its place with yellow. In this ensemble, a pair of sleek ebony booties work beautifully to ground the look. Still unsure? Strong colours come in a wide spectrum of hues, so choose a dress in a softer shade.




Sweater, $228, pinktartan.com. Skirt, $201, jcrew.com. Earrings, hm.com/ca. Bag, coach.com. Booties, bananarepublic.ca.

Power Couples
When it comes to teaming yellow, look for shades of grey, denim and navy. For a bolder contrast, experiment with cobalt, coral and magenta.









Read more:
How to wear red
How to make green work for you
7 red fashion picks to jump-start your wardrobe

This article originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of Canadian Living Magazine.