If you thought clashing colours was a faux-pas, it was probably before Céline clashed lime green with wine red or Balenciaga made a case for fluro orange coupled with sky blue. The sartorially superb have spoken and the colour blocking trend is back in a big way.
This season, it’s all about multi-hued dresses, mashing up bright accessories with colourful separates or letting bold accessories in striking colours do the talking. Here, experts dish on how to wear the trend without looking like a circus reject.
Everyone has the notion that complementary colours or rather the opposite colours on the colour wheel are to be colour blocked together. “But the rules have changed,” says Bengaluru-based fashion blogger, Farah Magi. “There’s a massive scope for colour blocking within the same colour family too – like pink and red, olive green and mustard yellow, for instance,” she says.
Think super model Gigi Hadid in pink pants, blue pointy-toes and an orange sling. Daring enough? While you might guess that the trend is for the fashion forward, fashion is now making accommodations for those who want to dip their toe in it. “This is where pastel colours come in. Pastel colour blocking is huge for the summer as it is an easy colour palette,” notes Farah, who is also crushing on combinations like lavender and red and mustard yellow and violet. “A light grey with pista green or a powder blue may just add the 2017 spring touch to your wardrobe,” agrees celebrity stylist and designer Shachina Heggar. “But be careful to know the right combinations for your body type, lest you look OTT. If petite, go for softer colours like pink and powder blue, yellow and brown or tan and maroon. Opt for brighter, bolder colours when you have the height to pull it off – a shorter person wearing a red top and blue bottoms is way too much to handle,” she adds.
If you’re love for neutrals surpasses all else and you want to add a touch of vibrancy, “You can wear a neutral beige ensemble and block it either with a hot pink or a bright orange to add glamour to the garment. You can also block a completely black outfit with either a bright yellow bag or just one piece of accessory in a bright, solid colour. You can use a hat or an accessory, a handbag or a smart pair of shoes as elements of colour blocking too,” suggests Bengaluru-based fashion designer Namrata G, adding that this trend does not come under the mix and match theory. “Colour blocking requires the use of style and intellect,” she says.
