Fashion 101: How to Combine Colors: Triads and Analogous Colors

Posted on | February 15, 2009 | 30 Comments

Module 3: Triads and Analogous Colors

After a week of soft yet rich neutrals, we’re ready to bring a little more color into our wardrobes. Week 3 of our Fashion 101 on Colors has a two-fold focus: triads and analogous colors. While the latter is a phenomenon found frequently in our ensembles, the prior will perhaps present the most difficult challenge yet.

Triads:

Triads are hues that are equidistant on the color wheel. They can create a colorful and bold mix, but can also threaten to compete with each other for attention. Examples include blue, red, and yellow or orange, green, and purple. Of course, creating a triad with fully saturated, bright hues is often a formula for looking like a German Expressionist painting. Triads comprised of tertiary or intermediate colors, however, can be more subtle but still interesting. Examples would include: blue-violet, yellow-green, and red-orange or red-violet, yellow-orange, and blue-green.

Triads, originally uploaded by academichic.

Thus far, only S. has worn what qualifies as the closest to a triad outfit, by combining purple, green, and red-orange. Clearly, we are going to have to push our color-mixing tendencies this week to dabble in triad territory.

Analogous colors:

Unlike complementary colors or triads, analogous colors are not found far apart from each other on the color wheel. These colors are neighbors and play subtly off each other. While a blue and green scheme may seem like a natural choice, other analogous combinations — such as red and orange — may not be as obvious. If we include the tertiary or intermediate hues in the color wheel, an analogous scheme could also pair violet with red-violet or yellow with yellow-orange. Too close for comfort? We’ll find out.

Red and Orange, originally uploaded by academichic.

Analogous Colors – Blue, Blue-Green, and Green, originally uploaded by academichic.

A. and E. tend to wear analogous colors in the cool blue-green families, while S. gravitates to the warm families of red and violet.

Homework:

For this week’s challenge, we are all excited to tackle the triad color scheme and see if we can translate it into compelling outfits. We will also dedicate outfits to analogous combinations, hoping to produce pairings not usually second-nature to us. If you do too, drop us a comment and let us know! And don’t forget to check back soon for Module 4.

If you missed Modules 1 or 2, 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.

Comments

30 Responses to “Fashion 101: How to Combine Colors: Triads and Analogous Colors”

Sal
February 16th, 2009 @ 5:57 am

Can’t wait to see what you ladies do with this … and really fascinated by this project overall. I push people to utilize color more in their outfit selections, but with no real sense of color theory. I’m learning a ton!
16 February 2009 - Triad Love: Blue, Yellow, Red : academichic
February 16th, 2009 @ 9:38 am

[...] E., I felt a little experimental trying to create a triadic outfit for this week’s Fashion 101 module. I kept pulling our different red, yellow, and blue pieces out of my closet but all the [...]
17 February 2009 : academichic
February 17th, 2009 @ 7:04 am

[...] – UMMA Gift Shop Endnotes: Today is my first attempt at this weeks homework — triadic color combinations. Much like E. yesterday, I have paired purple, green(ish), and orange. The green and purple [...]
17 February 2009 - Close for Comfort : academichic
February 17th, 2009 @ 7:28 am

[...] yellow, and this rich saffron yellow-orange. I did not, however, realize until this week’s analogous color lesson, that I love yellow and yellow-orange together. I guess I’m a slow [...]
18 January 2009 - Blue and Green-Take II : academichic
February 18th, 2009 @ 6:41 am

[...] – Narrative Transvestism, Madeleine Kahn Endnotes: Another take on the blue and green analogous color combo – only this time I’m wearing intermediate colors such as blue-green and yellow-green. This [...]
18 February 2009 : academichic
February 18th, 2009 @ 7:09 am

[...] may be accused of cheating a wee bit on this week’s color combination challenge since I’m letting this print do the color combining for me. While this may not be as gutsy [...]
18 February 2009 : academichic
February 18th, 2009 @ 7:15 am

[...] – gift from E. Endnotes: This mostly purple outfit is my first attempt at our analogous colors challenge. I’m worried it might be closer to monochromatic than analogous, but I wanted to feature my [...]
19 February 2009 : academichic
February 19th, 2009 @ 7:53 am

[...] superman tee-shits, costumes, action figures, limited edition prints, an awesome watch, etc! This triad of red, blue, and yellow are not a color combination I have worn outside of my superman tees and I have to admit I feel a [...]
19 February 2009 - Yellow and Green : academichic
February 19th, 2009 @ 1:27 pm

[...] of reading, getting creatively dressed this morning was low on the priority list. And this is where Fashion 101 saved the day. I started with the basics of a tee, jeans, and boots, but instead of picking a [...]
20 February 2009 - Triad with dog : academichic
February 20th, 2009 @ 2:55 pm

[...] know this is cheating out Fashion 101 module, but it’s Friday and I’ve been cooped up indoors studying most of the day. So [...]
21 February 2009 - Shades of Loveliness : academichic
February 21st, 2009 @ 10:34 am

[...] – Camp: Queer Aesthetics and the Performing Subject, Fabio Cleto Endnotes: I had planed to try an analogous outfit made of warm colors but couldn’t resist my comfort zone today. These blues are [...]
19 February 2009 - Red and Purple : academichic
March 10th, 2009 @ 12:33 pm

[...] wonderful red and purple outfit and knew it was time to return to an old favorite. I love this analogous color combo – it feels rich and warm and familiar to me. I also drew my inspiration from E., who has a similar [...]
17 February 2009 - Analogous Colors : academichic
March 10th, 2009 @ 6:25 pm

[...] I’m wearing an analogous outfit of the blue and green variety. This is rare for me, as I tend to gravitate towards the warm color [...]
Amy
March 16th, 2009 @ 8:14 pm

Here’s my go at Analogous colors. I never would’ve put this together without that color wheel and this tutorial. Thanks ladies, this is awesome! I hope you keep it up!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8074025@N06/3361401618/
19 March 2009 : academichic
March 19th, 2009 @ 1:02 pm

[...] also realized that I have unintentionally created a triadic color scheme as well, which explains why the shoes, belt, and cardi all play so well off each other. To really [...]
30 March 2009 : academichic
March 30th, 2009 @ 7:56 am

[...] checked the color wheel and saw that red-violet 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 [...]
4 April 2009 - Two Dresses Are Better than One : academichic
April 4th, 2009 @ 5:59 am

[...] result. What do you think? I pulled out my yellow pumps to go with the orange and grey, creating an analogous color combination. The last time I wore this dress, I created a different analogous color combo (orange and maroon), [...]
16 April 2009 : academichic
April 16th, 2009 @ 12:06 pm

[...] This may seem like a strange feature to appreciate and certainly would be more fitting to one of our color modules than the proportion modules; but, reading everyone’s lists, I was reminded that my list should [...]
24 March 2009 : academichic
May 10th, 2009 @ 8:05 am

[...] our closets but reaching for items and colors that make otherwise simple outfits more interesting. Ta da! It’s a triad. I mean, we’re academics, after all, and we love us some [...]
5 March 2009 : academichic
May 10th, 2009 @ 9:26 am

[...] have included some accessories I wouldn’t have considered before. I am wearing a swath of analogous colors – blue-green, green, yellow-green, yellow (in color-wheel order). A Greensish, originally uploaded [...]
16 May 2009 : academichic
May 16th, 2009 @ 9:44 am

[...] add to the Safari-ish feel. Although, what I’m more excited about is that I’m wearing a triad (a rare but always fun color combo!). [...]
09 July 2009 - Prep : academichic
July 9th, 2009 @ 8:06 am

[...] more J.Crew items, like this red-orange button down, creating an analogous color combination with the yellow-orange shorts. And to tone down the bold color of the top, I added a fitted jacket [...]
27 July 2009 : academichic
July 27th, 2009 @ 12:40 pm

[...] at reviewing the two thirds rule, I have chose red and blue, two thirds of the red-yellow-blue triad. While I have worn Crayola red and blue together, like E. I prefer slight variations on the [...]
What’s the name of the game? « To much information
August 16th, 2009 @ 5:33 pm

[...] I tried to make an outfit with analogous colors like the ladies at academichic have been doing for the past week.In my defense I must say that the shorts are green, not brown or [...]
Fashion 101: Color Review Session 4 : academichic
August 16th, 2009 @ 5:41 pm

[...] 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 [...]
Award Time « To much information
August 26th, 2009 @ 5:21 pm

[...] academichic [...]
CFP: Color Modules Done by You! : academichic
September 10th, 2009 @ 9:42 am

[...] Now we’re looking for examples inspired by our second portion of the review, which covered Triads and Analogous Colors and Split Complementaries and Monochrome color [...]
9 November 2009 : academichic
November 9th, 2009 @ 2:45 pm

[...] me. So, I amped up the color palette and went a little layering crazy and ended up with this cozy analogous spectrum of greens and blues, accented by what better than caramel [...]
15 November 2009 – How do I wear thee, let me count the ways… : academichic
November 14th, 2009 @ 3:48 pm

[...] over another dress, for a more casual look over a button-down shirt, as a way to tone down a triad over a skirt and tee combo, and today, over this bright pink cowl neck top for a dressy-casual [...]
23 November 2009 – Birthday Fun : academichic
November 24th, 2009 @ 1:07 pm

[...] I paired it with gray for a monochromatic effect, but this time, I wanted to punch it up with an analogous pairing of a pink shirt and red belt. I think this color combo was definitely more festive and [...]