18 August 2009 – Split Complementaries

Posted on | August 18, 2009 | 9 Comments

18 August 2009 – Split Complementaries, originally uploaded by academichic.

Endnotes:

I started this week’s color review with a more easily crafted monochromatic look yesterday, but decided to go for the challenge and attempt a split complimentary color combo today. Split complimentary color mixes take a bit of thought (at least for me they do) but tend to be well worth the time spent staring at your closet interior. The result seems to be bold yet soft, if that’s possible. It’s bold because the complimentary colors play off each other and make the other color look intense. But at the same time, using the adjacent colors to a true compliment softens the effect and creates a nice, harmonious color mix. In this case, the two complimentaries at play are red and green. But instead of wearing true green with red, I am wearing the two colors adjacent to it on the color wheel: blue-green and yellow-green with my pop of true red:

Fashion 101: Color Review Session 4

Posted on | August 16, 2009 | 10 Comments

When we first explored the color wheel and experimented with various color combinations, we found it to be extremely helpful in lending us new eyes with which to see our wardrobes. This was so useful the first time around, that we decided to revisit the color modules and to challenge ourselves to a review 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 Combinations.

To read more about this color mix lesson, click here…

(more…)

13 August 2009 – Carpe (your wardrobe) Diem!

Posted on | August 13, 2009 | 6 Comments

With Purse, originally uploaded by academichic.

Endnotes:

Today’s analogous combination is green and yellow. The inspiration for this look came from the skirt, which already does the analogous mixing for me. Its soft interweave of blues, greens, and yellows more than proves that colors neighboring each other on the color wheel create subtle yet harmonious mixes.

I purchased this skirt for my MA graduation and have since worn it for a handful of special occasions, such as celebrating A’s completion of her Comps or a visit to the Memphis Opera with T. a few years back. For the most part, it sits all lonesome in my closet not seeing much of the outside world. That’s because I’ve subconsciously dubbed this skirt a special occasion item, thus relegating it to a life of hermitic preservation. But I think it’s a shame that those items we love most, are often the ones we wear the least, reverentially ‘saving’ them for that special occasion or event that warrants their exposure to the world.

The lovely Sal of Already Pretty had a wonderful recent post urging readers to essentially live in the moment and start enjoy the bodies they have today. Rather than mourning a past ‘perfect’ body or holding out for a better body yet to be attained, she argues that we should embrace the one we’re living in now. With slightly less gravitas, I urge you to enjoy the clothes you love today, saving less of your favorite items for an event still to come or as a memento of a special occasion gone.  Why not enjoy those beloved garments on a more regular basis?  S.

11 August 2009

Posted on | August 11, 2009 | 12 Comments

11 August 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Endnotes:

For this week’s color review, we’re experimenting with triads (as E. did today) and analogous colors. When it comes to analogous pairings, A. is the queen of greens and blues. I’m usually more drawn to the warmer color combos, like purple and red or red and orange. Today I’m meeting A. half way and combining purple with blue – a neither cool nor warm color mix that creates a beautifully balanced result.

As for the shoes, I’m going to join E. in raving about my new pointy flats although they’re no superb yellow snakeskin like hers but still pretty cool in their own rights. I had been wanting to add another patterned flat to my collection since I practically lived in my black and white damask ones this spring. I was also repeatedly inspired by E’s use of her patterned flats to spruce up many an outfit during her pregnancy when she felt like her shrinking wardrobe was becoming an increasing style challenge. Her patterned flats were not only comfortable but also gave her looks that pop of visual interest that she could not always count on from her clothes. Well, lesson learned: patterned flats is where it’s at.

And on a technical ‘cycle chic’ side note: I discovered today that it’s not very easy to hop on a bike when wearing a pencil skirt. Pencil skirts do not exactly allow for much hopping or peddling. This one allowed for more movement once I undid the bottom button, but I think in the future I may have to avoid narrow cut skirts for my bike commute. Fellow bike commuters, any tips or thoughts? S.

10 August 2009

Posted on | August 10, 2009 | 9 Comments

10 August 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Endnotes:

This week we’re reviewing Triads and Analogous Colors. Before we began these color challenges, I had never even heard of a triad (I’m no Art Historian like A. and E.) and would have been hard-pressed to tell you which colors form a triangle on the color wheel. But since constructing our color wheel of clothing I can not only point to a triad but I’ve also come to have a favorite triad: purple, green, and orange.

I know I’m cheating just a bit today by using a turquoise top to count for the green but I’ve been really dying to wear this pretty lace-embellished top again. I’ve worn this particular triad ‘straight out of the crayon box’  here, and near-triads like today’s outfit here and here. It does seem like it’s easier to create near-triads, where one color is just a darker or lighter hue than its undiluted version. Or with a color that’s slightly to the left or right of the actual triadic one, like today’s blue-green of my top. It seems to mitigate or soften the otherwise very bold color mix. But even so, I’ll be anything but a wall flower wearing this bright and punchy color combo today! S.

Fashion 101: Color Review Session 3

Posted on | August 9, 2009 | 8 Comments

When we first explored the color wheel and experimented with various color combinations, we found it to be extremely helpful in lending us new eyes with which to see our wardrobes. This was so useful the first time around, that we decided to revisit the color modules and to challenge ourselves to a review session using our summer wardrobes. In our first review session we reexamined Neutrals and Neutrals with a Pop, and for the second review session, we tackled Complementary Colors and the Two-Thirds Rule.

This week we will review Triads and Analogous Colors. To read more about this color mix lesson, click here…

(more…)

30 July 2009

Posted on | July 30, 2009 | 5 Comments

30 July 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Purple cardi – H&M, remixed
• Black jersey top – thrifted, remixed
• Green tote – Kenneth Cole Reaction, remixed
• Khaki shorts – Old Navy
• Green loafers – Anne Klein, remixed

Endnotes:

This week we’re exploring Complimentary Colors and the Two-Thirds Rule. One of my favorite two-thirds of a triad is purple and green (of the orange-purple-green triad). I wear it in many incarnations, be it in small doses or large color blocks:

27 July 2009

Posted on | July 27, 2009 | 6 Comments

27 July 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Teal dress – BR Outlet, remixed
• Red-orange top – Zara, remixed
• Purple beads – F21, remixed
• Purple clutch – Nine West. remixed
• Gray wedges – Report, remixed

Endnotes:

For this week’s review of Complimentary Colors and the Two-Thirds Rule, I chose red and green (complimentaries) as a starting point. Red and green smacks of Christmas decor and winter holidays, so it’s always a struggle to pair these two and not look like an elf heading to the North Pole. As both A. and E. mentioned today, it’s often easier to choose slight variations of the crayon box colors to still get a bold and bright effect without any of the sports or holiday color connotations. So I opted for red-orange and blue-green instead of straight up red and green.

I then fished around for the perfect accessories to finish the look and was struck by how warm and rich of a color palette the purple beads and clutch created. I think this is due to it being a near triad (triad: purple, green, and orange), and thus coming close to the pinnacle of bold and rich color combinations. Gray wedges finish the look without competing with this already intense color combo. Quite the change after a week of neutrals! S.

Fashion 101: Color Review Session 1

Posted on | July 12, 2009 | 15 Comments

When we first explored the color wheel and experimented with various color combinations, we found it to be extremely helpful in lending us new eyes with which to see our wardrobes. This was so useful the first time around, that we decided to revisit the color modules and to challenge ourselves to a review session using our summer wardrobes. (Since E. recently gave birth to baby e., she’ll be excused from the review session unless she decides to join in from time to time.)

This coming week, we will review Neutrals and Neutrals with a Pop. To read more about this color mix lesson, click here…

(more…)

Fashion 101: How To Combine Colors: Monochrome and Split Complementaries

Posted on | February 22, 2009 | 27 Comments

Module 4: Monochrome and Split Complementaries

We enjoyed playing with multi-colored ensembles so much last week we decided to give it another go…but we’ll also try out more subdued monochromatic looks. Week 4 of our Fashion 101 on Colors again explores two different color schemes: split complementaries and monochromatic colors. There are not many examples of either of these schemes in our archive of outfits, and the split complementaries will likely be a challenge on par with triads. It even sounds a little bit complicated.

Monochromatic:

Monochromatic color schemes use multiple shades of the same tone. Rather than dressing head-to-toe in a single tone of blue, for example, you can mix a pure hue with lighter and darker tints. This simple combination can be quite subtle and sophisticatedly understated. But, because shades of the same color can risk looking rather boring, this is also a good opportunity to play with pattern and texture.

Monochrome, originally uploaded by academichic.

E. and A. both sported black and grey for monochromatic looks but not with out a pop of color in at least their accessories.

Split Complementaries:

Split complementary color schemes 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. Examples include yellow with blue-violet and red-violet (adjacent to purple) and (dark) blue with red-orange and yellow-orange (adjacent to orange). The best way to figure out a split complementary scheme is probably to pull out the old color wheel, draw a line straight across to determine a complementary pair, and then look to to the immediate right and left of the complement.

Split Complementaries, originally uploaded by academichic.

Only S. has worn a split complementary when she wore salmon (orange-red) with blue and green (adjacent to blue-green).

Contextual

A consortium of feminist academics, in the Midwest and Northeast, on a crusade against the ill-fitting polyester suit of academic yore.

Funding

Fellowships

Contact

Curriculum Vitae

Networking

Image Appendix

Subscribe to our feed

Search

Admin

• Log in
• Wordpress
• XHTML