Fashion 101: How To Combine Colors: Complementary Colors and the Two-Thirds Rule
Posted on | February 2, 2009 | 35 Comments
Course Description:
It’s easy to fall into a rut and wear the same color combinations over and over again. A. and E. have put all of their art-historical training towards creating a useful color wheel of clothing, designed to inspire new color combinations in yours — and our — wardrobes. This is the first of several modules addressing different color combinations and providing examples from our own daily wear. Follow us as we navigate the color wheel and put color theory into practice.
The Color Wheel:
Color Wheel of Clothes, originally uploaded by academichic.
According to Wikipedia, a color wheel is:
an organization of color hues around a circle, showing relationships between colors
In this model, red, yellow, and blue are primary colors; orange, green, and violet are secondary colors; and red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet are intermediate colors. Color combinations can be built by using the color wheel to build particular color relationships or color schemes.
Module 1: Complementary Colors and the Two-Thirds Rule
Pairing complementary colors is something we found lacking in our daily wear. There are other color combinations, however, that show up frequently in our photo stream without us really understanding why those colors worked together. Today we want to explore how to successfully combine complementary colors and unpack the theory behind some of our go-to color schemes.
Complementary Colors:
These colors appear opposite each other on the color wheel. An example might be red and green:
Red and Green, originally uploaded by academichic.
Because they are complete opposites, complementary colors make each other seem more intense. To be frank, it can be difficult to wear complimentary colors together and simultaneously avoid looking like a page out of a coloring book. As we played with our color wheel, we found that we gravitated towards complementary color schemes that used intermediate colors, such as red-orange and blue-green:
Blue-Green & Red-Orange, originally uploaded by academichic.
We also liked how using a darker hue of a color’s complement created a more sophisticated palette:
Violet & Mustard, originally uploaded by academichic.
So, far E. has worn our lone complementary color outfit. But, hopefully that will change this week.
Two-Thirds:
We’ve realized that we gravitate towards color combinations that make up two-thirds of a triad. In technical terms, a triad is comprised of three hues equidistant from each other on the color wheel. If you were to draw and equilateral triangle in the middle of the color wheel, the points would touch a triad of colors such as red-yellow-blue or orange-green-purple. Triads can be tricky to wear simultaneously (though we’ll be trying to soon!), but we’ve found that picking just two colors from a triad often results in a terrific, eye-catching palette. Our mnemonic device sounds like a pizza topping special: “You pick two!”An example might be blue and yellow, a combination that S. and E. have worn a couple of times:
Blue & Yellows, originally uploaded by academichic.
Another example might be violet and green:
Violet & Green, originally uploaded by academichic.
But, as with the complementary color schemes, we found that we preferred to mix a bright hue with its darker, more subdued complement:
Violet & Olive, originally uploaded by academichic.
Or, like A. did while on vacation, mix a bright hue (yellow) with its lighter complement (pink).
Homework:
We are going to try these types of color combinations out this week. If you do too, drop us a comment and let us know! And don’t forget to check back soon for Module 2.
Tags: color > Color Combinations > complementary colors > fashion > outfit > style
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Appendix
Historical
Categorical
- Academichic Product Review
- Beltless
- Calls for Papers
- Color Combinations
- Conference Wear
- Dresses for Day
- Dresses for Evening
- Fashion 101
- Independent Study (DIY)
- Lab Friendly
- Layers Upon Layers
- Mixing Patterns
- Monthly Roundtable
- Night Without Grading
- Office Hours
- Our Best Flatware
- Pants Please
- Preggers
- Proportionally
- Q&A
- Reaching New Heights
- Research Casual
- Sabbatical
- Skirting the Issue
- Spotlight Series
- Style Workshop
- Taking Notes
- Teaching Outfits
- The Short of It
- Theoretical
- Uncategorized
- Vélocouture
- Visiting Lecturer
- Wardrobe Challenge
- Weekend Wear
Bibliography
Affiliations:
Contextual
Three feminist PhD candidates at a Midwest university, on a crusade against the ill-fitting polyester suit of academic yore.
Funding
Fellowships
Contact
Curriculum Vitae
Networking
Image Appendix
| www.flickr.com |
February 2nd, 2009 @ 10:13 am
[...] Earrings – Island Souvenir Endnotes: While the rest of this week will be all about trying to play with color combinations I thought today I would get one last neutrals fix. I love mixing neutrals and would consider this green a pseudo-neutral – making this a five neutral combo. They just work so well for layering. But, from today on, I promise to do my homework and try adding new color combinations to my wardrobe. [...]
February 2nd, 2009 @ 11:04 am
Great post! I’m impressed by your clothing colour wheel. :)
February 4th, 2009 @ 7:54 am
[...] to a too-short-for-teaching dress, and allow for endless color combinations. Today I am pairing two parts of a color triad. Tomorrow look for my attempt at complementary colors. [...]
February 5th, 2009 @ 5:39 am
[...] food words and, really, mustard on an eggplant sounds incredibly unappetizing. But, for our week of color combination experiments, I got past my phobia and wore it anyway. And liked [...]
February 5th, 2009 @ 5:42 am
I am so impressed with this color wheel! I will def be referring to this as i put outfits together! I’ve linked you on my blog, hope thats ok!
February 5th, 2009 @ 6:38 am
[...] is outfit two of the Complimentary Color Challenge, a.k.a. Module 1 of How to Combine Colors. This outfit was largely inspired by A.’s outfit yesterday,in which she also layers a [...]
February 5th, 2009 @ 8:05 am
Thanks Danielle! We love your style and are honored to be included in your list of inspirations!
February 5th, 2009 @ 8:06 am
[...] am going for complementary colors today. This is a hard assignment for me because I tend to gravitate towards the cool side of the [...]
February 6th, 2009 @ 5:31 am
[...] this week’s Module 1 of How to Combine Colors, we’re tackling complimentary colors on the color wheel, which are combinations I don’t [...]
February 6th, 2009 @ 8:56 am
[...] The purple-and-orange combination fit this week’s color challenge as they comprise two-thirds of a triad. [...]
February 6th, 2009 @ 3:32 pm
This is extremely useful! I am very unadventurous when it comes to colors — but just looking at the way you’ve set them up here and your outfits is making me want to go try out some new combinations! I probably won’t ever achieve your level of “chic” but even a little more “color courage” would probably be a good thing in my case. Oops there I go being >negative< again–it’s a bad habit…;-)
February 6th, 2009 @ 6:28 pm
Thanks, Cathie, we’re glad we can inspire while having fun with new color combos ourselves. We’re going to keep trying out new color combinations following the “rules” of color theory, so hopefully they’ll keep inspiring you to try new things with your wardrobe too. Keep us posted on how that’s going!
February 8th, 2009 @ 7:16 am
[...] green, yet another complimentary color combination, also seems like an appropriate way to finish up this weeks color homework and say good bye to the bright colors. Starting Monday we will be back in my comfort zone — [...]
February 8th, 2009 @ 7:52 am
[...] decor, and ignoring all work responsibilities. This is my last nod to this week’s challenge of mixing complementary colors from the color wheel. This one’s a bit of a cheat, since the cardigan is already doing the [...]
February 22nd, 2009 @ 4:59 pm
[...] are a bit more complicated – they are a variation of the complementary color scheme covered in Module 1. In the split version you pair one color with the two colors adjacent to its complementary. [...]
March 3rd, 2009 @ 1:44 am
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March 8th, 2009 @ 7:27 am
[...] harks back to our first color module, in which we explored the two-thirds rule (wearing two-thirds of a triad) – a combination that tends to appeal to all three of [...]
March 10th, 2009 @ 6:41 pm
[...] is the first outfit adhering to this week’s color challenge, a.k.a. Module 1 of the Fashion 101 on How to Combine Colors. Since Module 1 is all about expending our color horizons and creating color combinations usually [...]
March 10th, 2009 @ 6:41 pm
[...] have our color wheel to thank for today’s outfit, an example of the two-thirds color scheme. I’ve never [...]
March 14th, 2009 @ 5:37 am
[...] On a color scheme. Some advice columns suggest that you pack around a particular color scheme, thus ensuring that everything in your suitcase will “go” with everything else. As you can tell from the hodge-podge of colors on the bed, I don’t totally buy that advice. I would grow weary of an all blue weekend. Instead, I have a mix of warm colors (a yellow sweater, red necklace, orange necklace, and warm cognac leather) and cool colors (a purple shirt, purple tights, and a blue scarf) that can play off each other in numerous ways, thanks to my trusty color wheel. [...]
March 24th, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
[...] dressed for the first two days of our hectic week. I think we all have been grateful for our color and pattern modules, which have provided a framework for spending even a few harried moments [...]
May 10th, 2009 @ 7:43 am
[...] went for such a color mix because the orange of the dress is so bright and bold, that a more complimentary color in the accessories would threaten to compete with it. An analogous color combo creates a softer, [...]
May 10th, 2009 @ 7:51 am
[...] paired with blue-green, and yellow-orange make a triad. I threw on this turquoise necklace and had 2/3 of a triad (although one might argue the amber-brown in the necklace has yellow-orange undertones). The [...]
May 10th, 2009 @ 8:35 am
[...] of yellow thrown in. From there, I added the purple cardi and beads, since yellow and purple are complementary colors, and play off each other nicely. This pattern mixing is not so scary after all… S. [...]
June 24th, 2009 @ 9:03 am
[...] think I could use some daily inspiration for this. Perhaps it is time for a summer edition of our Fashion 101 on color. What do you [...]
July 12th, 2009 @ 7:15 am
[...] we first explored the color wheel and experimented with various color combinations, we found it to be extremely helpful in lending us [...]
July 21st, 2009 @ 8:47 pm
[...] colors and breathable cotton. This blue and orange skirt is also the perfect item to preface our Complimentary Colors Review to come next week! But while I’ll save the discussion on color for then, I’d [...]
August 16th, 2009 @ 2:30 pm
[...] session using our summer wardrobes. We have recently reexamined Neutrals and Neutrals with a Pop, Complementary Colors and the Two-Thirds Rule, Triads and Analogous Colors, and are now left to go over Monochrome and Split Complementary Color [...]
August 23rd, 2009 @ 6:23 pm
[...] Add Color: You can stick with a great pair of black heels and a either add a pop of color in your clutch or your belt. Or if you are feeling a little more daring, try black wedges with a yellow clutch and red belt for two-thirds of the red-yellow-blue triad. [...]
September 15th, 2009 @ 12:11 pm
[...] to change the look of a remixed item. Yesterday I paired blue-green and red-orange for a casual complimentary color scheme, but in the end it was my layered neckline that I liked best about the [...]
September 17th, 2009 @ 12:07 pm
[...] quickly, when don’t have time to try stuff on, swap out one cami for another, or ponder the color wheel, I often go for an ensemble I have worn before. This morning, for some reason, I thought of this [...]
November 19th, 2009 @ 10:57 pm
i am a straight guy whose closet is full of neutrals and frankly i am sick of it so i was trying to update it and this website is the best help i found yet. the two sources i found useless were the “men’s clothes guides”, they expect me to wear suits all the time, no way. i am a creative person, my wardrobe needs to reflect this. also the “season color guides”, either i don’t understand it or my skin tone doesn’t fall into their theory. so once again thank you for the fashion 101 and the “clothes color wheel”!
December 15th, 2009 @ 6:10 am
i like u combination…..thanx
December 27th, 2009 @ 7:55 am
I’ve always worn opposite colors, but its nice to see that I’m doing it right! I love the way you guys put this color wheel together and showed the two-thirds rule!
January 28th, 2010 @ 6:39 pm
thanks for the tips. you have a good taste of colors.