color theory + dressing

photos by maria lloyd photography – who clearly does a great job putting up with my chatting, judging by the pic above!

they say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but i’ll argue that jewel tones are a close second. [and for the record, i think dogs are a girl’s bff, but that’s just me] i have always been a typical ‘black/white/grey/navy’ person, and to be totally honest, until i started to do all of the exercises to come up with my brand board for this blog, i didn’t realize how much i truly appreciated color. i’ve since decided to embrace it, and while grey is still definitely my favorite color, i’m becoming a bigger and bigger fan of jewel tones and wearing color in general. i’ve always been super curious and fascinated by how clothes translate into your personal brand, and i’ve rounded up some of the research on what your color of choice says about you:

red: maybe it’s because i’m an aries and get the whole ‘fiery ram’ thing all the time, or maybe because it really just is super obvious, but wearing red is a bold statement. it draws attention. it might be subconsciously [OK CONSCIOUSLY] because i work at target, but i have been incorporating a lot more red into my wardrobe in the last few years.
pink: while leaning traditionally feminine, pink is making it’s way into men’s closets everywhere. heck, i have my camo-croc wearing better-half wearing shirts with pink incorporated. if he’s wearing it, that means it’s as mainstream as mainstream gets. according to this article, pink on guys means sophistication. i 100% agree. real men [and women] wear pink.
purple: purple = royal, i think we are all familiar with this, but it also conveys sophistication and ‘richness’, both externally and internally. it gives off the feeling of a ‘rich life.’ i overdid purple right around 2001, so i’m slowly letting lilac back in my life.
black: black is sophisticated. you can’t go wrong with wearing black. unless you’re me, and you can’t find your lint-roller, and your very loving, very blonde dog said a proper goodbye on your way out the door. love you too, buddy.
green: green signifies both nature and money. depending on the hue, it also gives off feelings of healing and rejuvenation. green is my new favorite color this year when it comes to clothes, and you’ll see it show up in both cool tones and in the muted, mossy, hunter greens that i have on tap for this fall. bring on the green!
brown: brown shows dependability. i personally LOVE anything camel colored, so i’m fully about that. my camel colored j.crew blazer is my go-to anytime i have an important meeting or have to give a presentation.
white: this is not backed up with any research, but IMO, if you’re wearing white you are brave. i fear wearing anything white or in the white family because it’s pretty much a guarantee that i’ll spill coffee/guacamole/colored sparkling water/anything that has any pigment on it at some point throughout the day. if you ask the experts, they say that wearing white shows a ‘clean slate’ and starting things anew. for the sake of not buying all the tide pens money can buy, i don’t wear a ton of white.
blue: blue gives off confidence and loyalty. i personally LOVE blue, and since it comes in a wide array of tones, i think anyone can pull it off.

i have a few starting points for wearing color – jewel tones specifically – that i’ve put together in case you feel inspired to add some royal to your wardrobe:

1. if wearing color intimidates you, pick ONE color, and make a statement. with this dress, i chose to let the emerald green be the leading color in my outfit, and accented it with black. the gold jewelry is dainty, and doesn’t overpower the outfit.
2. colorblock! if you are worried about being one solid color, colorblock it. wear a bold colored top and a bold colored bottom. this pin is my inspo.
3. let your accessories make a statement. if you are still a little partial to your grey/white/black/navy, let your accessories, like a scarf, statement necklace, or bag make your color statement for you. bonus: if you decide it’s not the look you are going for, it’s easy enough to discard.

while i don’t think i’ll ever give up my grey ways, adding color into my wardrobe has really given me more options, and more excitement as i get dressed in the morning. i’m more thoughtful into what message i’m sending, which i think sets the tone for my day [no pun intended!]

what are you – tried and true neutrals or colors all the way? i’d love to hear! comment here or on my most recent insta. as always, thanks for taking the time to read. i appreciate you!