Color blocking may not be a new trend, but it’s going strong on the fashion front, carrying over from summer to fall. Take a look at the Fall runways—from Chloe’s ready to wear looks to a more dramatized color block ensemble on the Gucci and Jill Stuart runways.
Color blocking is essentially highly saturated, bold colored pieces that are mixed and matched to create a colorful, but modern and sometimes retro look. Think mosaic, not patterns. Fashion forward stars like Rihanna and Olivia Palermo love this trend.
It’s easy to color block your closet. Lay out all your solid separates—go for bright tops, colored jeans and skirts, one-colored simple waist belts and scarves. When putting your outfit together try using a color wheel for a fluid color scheme and don’t wear more than three or four colors at once. You can also break up your color blocking with neutral shades like black and nude.
Here are three types of color harmonies for guidance:
Complimentary: Two opposite colors on the wheel. For example: orange and blue, when used in high saturation this combo is going to really stick out.
Analogous: Three colors in a row on the wheel. For example: red, fuschia, and purple. This combination creates a more calm mood, but still dramatic look.
Triad: Three colors that are evenly spaced on the wheel. For example: purple, light orange, and green. No matter what shade each color is they create a vibrant look together.
But these are just guidelines. In fashion, there really aren’t that many rules. Just remember that with color blocking you want to wear bold solid colors that create distinct lines between one another for a funky, unique look.
