Fashion 101: How to Combine Colors: Neutrals (with a Pop)

Posted on | February 8, 2009 | 24 Comments

Module 2: Neutrals (with a Pop)

Neutrals — black, brown, gray, tan, and navy (okay, and white too) — are the staple of most wardrobes. And for good reason. They can easily mitigate more piercing color combinations, toning down an outfit and providing cohesion. They can also produce rich and textured outfits by themselves when layered and combined with just each other. With this module, we explore how ensembles comprised entirely of neutrals achieve a rich and interesting look, and how a simple pop of color brings an unexpected boost to an otherwise softer neutral palette.

Neutral Colors:

In painting, neutrals are made by mixing disparate colors together. Mixing red and green paint together will give you a brown, mixing red, yellow, and blue together will push you towards black, and so on. The fact that neutrals actually contain many colors is part of what allows them to look good next to any color.

Neutrals, originally uploaded by academichic.

Like Stacy and Clinton always say on What Not to Wear, “neutrals go with everything,” including each other. Injunctions against wearing black and brown or brown and gray or black and navy together simple aren’t true. When mixed together in a range of shades and textures, an all-neutral outfit can be minimal but sophisticated. Pairing two neutrals in different textures such as jersey and lace or silk and wool can create a clean look. A. is our resident expert on wearing multiple neutrals, dexterously mixing a variety of fabrics and shades.

Neutrals can provide a softer look on their own, or serve as a background for another color. When pairing one “pop” of color with an all neutral palette, the neutrals allow the brighter color to add a wow-factor.

Pop of Pink, originally uploaded by academichic.

S. and A. have both used pink to “pop” an otherwise neutral outfit, S. dressing it up for a date and A. punching up a teaching outfit. While neutrals dominate, the splash of color is what makes the outfit memorable.

Homework:

While an orange-and-black or yellow-and-black combination may be something to avoid because of holiday and wildlife connotations respectively, use other combinations and mix boldly. Pair yellow and gray together. Try out navy and purple. Give black and tan a chance. We’ll be playing with neutrals all week. If you do too, drop us a comment and let us know! And don’t forget to check back soon for Module 3.

If you missed Module 1, click for background on this project after the jump!

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 second 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.

Category: Color Combinations, Fashion 101, Mixing Patterns, Teaching Outfits, Weekend Wear
Tags: academia > academic fashion > graduate school > neutrals > professional > style > what to wear

Comments

24 Responses to “Fashion 101: How to Combine Colors: Neutrals (with a Pop)”

Neutrals with a Pop of Color : academichic
February 9th, 2009 @ 6:22 am

[...] week we’re trying our outfits comprised of neutrals or neutrals with a pop of color. Although I rarely wear all neutrals, I realized that I quite often will wear mostly neutrals and [...]
9 February 2009 - Neutral on Neutral : academichic
February 9th, 2009 @ 8:58 am

[...] making like Belgium and being neutral this week. I am much more of a “neutral with a pop” girl, so this outfit actually took [...]
10 January 2009 - Neutrals : academichic
February 10th, 2009 @ 5:45 am

[...] I said yesterday, I will really challenge myself with our neutrals module and not just wear them as a backdrop for a burst of color as I would otherwise. So today I am [...]
10 February 2009 - Purple Pop : academichic
February 10th, 2009 @ 7:44 am

[...] today, and I needed a look that says, “I graded fairly and I am not a pushover.” A neutral with a pop of color seemed to fit the bill. I’m taking a cue from A.’s striking pairing of purple and [...]
10 February 2009 : academichic
February 10th, 2009 @ 8:15 am

[...] their exams they will be silently grading my fashion efforts. Should I hand in an explanation about neutrals with a pop of color? -A. Category: Color Combinations, Dresses for Day, Teaching OutfitsTags: academic fashion > Add [...]
11 February 2009 - Neutrals : academichic
February 11th, 2009 @ 6:11 am

[...] I’d see the day where I put navy, brown, and black together for an outfit. Before this Fashion 101 Color Challenge, I would have been reluctant to combine these items for an ensemble, but I love the result. Can you [...]
11 February 2009 : academichic
February 11th, 2009 @ 9:30 am

[...] Flats – Banana Republic Endnotes: I love neutrals, I do. I think they make for very sophisticated professional looks, elegant night-out ensembles, [...]
12 February 2009 - Neutrals with/that Pop : academichic
February 12th, 2009 @ 5:58 am

[...] I really wasn’t trying to cheat the neutrals challenge, at least not for the indoor version of this look. The outdoor version, now that’s a whole [...]
13 February 2009 : academichic
February 13th, 2009 @ 6:44 am

[...] the week is winding down, so is my creativity level in combining neutrals, and I think this outfit reflects that. But it’s been a long [...]
13 February 2009 : academichic
February 14th, 2009 @ 7:40 am

[...] the camera) do seem an appropriate reflection of my day. Yesterday was our last official day of the neutrals color challenge – I went for a jersey dress, long cardigan, and my new red wedges. I began the day guest-lecturing [...]
CFP Deadline Extension : academichic
March 7th, 2009 @ 5:43 am

[...] new color scheme. If you are still hesitant about a triad or a split complimentary experiment with neutrals by adding a pop of color or test out a monochromatic look. Just snap a picture and send it our way. We can’t wait to [...]
13 February 2009 - With Coat : academichic
March 10th, 2009 @ 6:28 pm

[...] issue of Lucky Magazine, the editors were raving about orange-and-gray as an unexpected take on neutrals with a pop. While I clearly love gray and I have several orange pieces that I adore, I really have never [...]
Color Symposium: The Color Modules put into Practice by You : academichic
March 23rd, 2009 @ 6:54 pm

[...] but certainly not least, Courtney put together a fantastic “neutrals with a pop” look. She paired this lovely orangey-red with shades of black and brown as part of her [...]
16 March 2009 : academichic
May 10th, 2009 @ 8:39 am

[...] color scheme: neutrals (black, brown, tan) with shades of pink. I thought that the color combo of neutrals with one brighter hue would ensure that the mixed patterns (top and belt tie) and textures (silk and jersey) would still [...]
12 May 2009 - Take Me Seriously! : academichic
May 12th, 2009 @ 2:30 pm

[...] like I was wearing a suit, so avoided both my black pencil skirt and black pants. I love the way paring two neutrals instantly makes work wear more interesting. I added the ruffle-neck teal top because the high [...]
Kelly
June 29th, 2009 @ 10:30 am

Just found your site and I am addicted! :) Today, I wore my first neutral outfit with a pop of color! I think it looks amazing and I feel totally confident and stylish!
10 July 2009 : academichic
July 10th, 2009 @ 4:06 pm

[...] allow the skirt to shine as the centerpiece, I completed the look with a variety of neutrals. Now I’m well aware that many a fashion critic will argue that black and brown do not belong [...]
Reader Question: ‘Victorian’ Boots : academichic
January 23rd, 2010 @ 1:29 am

[...] far as color combinations and tights go, we’re pretty firm believers in the notion that neutrals go with everything, so experiment freely with your combinations. While brown tights might work well to create the [...]
4 January 2010 – Winter Escape : academichic
February 4th, 2010 @ 10:16 am

[...] forest at sunset made for a great backdrop, but it kind of makes it difficult to see the many neutrals I have layered here – cream, navy, charcoal, black and brown – but trust me they are [...]
outdoor wireless security cameras are here
March 24th, 2010 @ 12:00 pm

outdoor wireless security cameras are here…

Great job on version 2 Dan. Just purchased it from the itunes store and everything works great. Only feature I cannot find is how to change between celsius and farenheit for thermostats? I love the ability to dim lights, check event logs, view indoor/ …
21 June 2010 : academichic
June 21st, 2010 @ 7:15 pm

[...] first time I blogged this skirt, I wore it with a brown sweater. Go neutrals (and pseudo-neutrals). 30 January 2009 – 2, originally uploaded by [...]
2 August 2010 – Neutrals (with a pop) : academichic
August 2nd, 2010 @ 10:05 am

[...] a little refresher course with the newest member of our site, L. This week we’re focusing on Neutrals (with a pop). Since our last color course, I’ve come to embrace neutrals much more and so this [...]
2 August 2010 – Blue Suede Shoes : academichic
August 2nd, 2010 @ 5:15 pm

[...] be honest, doing a week of mixing neutrals or showcasing neutrals with a pop of color is not that great of a stretch. Next time I’ll regale you all with the story of my experience [...]
4 August 2010 – Kind of Neutral : academichic
August 4th, 2010 @ 7:47 am

[...] this week’s color module on neutrals I really wanted to push myself to combine neutrals in a new-to-me way. So, I steered away from my [...]