How to match clothes using color wheel

Bright color clothes are flying off the store racks this season. Do not stick to the safe whites and blacks while feeling intimidated by colorful clothes – use color wheel to figure out the basic rules of combining colors. Color wheel, or color circle, has been used for matching colors by artists and interior designers for centuries. If you find it difficult to match your clothes, use these simple rules to create outfits for a pleasing effect or a wow compliment!

Neutral colors

Black, brown and white are considered neutral colors and go well with any other colors. Buy your shoes and purses in these colors to match any outfits.

Complimentary colors

Complimentary colors are found on the opposite sides of the color wheel. As a rule of thumb, use one of the complimentary colors as a base, and another as an accent. For example, wear a royal blue dress with a yellow scarf or a gold bracelet. Use complimentary colors if you want one of them to stand out. When matching clothes in complimentary colors, limit the number of colors to two.

Analogous colors

Analogous colors are located next to each other on the color wheel within a 90 degree segment. They belong to a similar palette and create a harmonious pleasing effect. Select no more than 3 analogous colors in your outfit. Chose one color for a base outfit, the second one to support, and the third one as an accent. For example, select a dark green dress, a lime green jacket and yellow shoes and a bag.
For a more dramatic effect, you can also use two analogous colors and one complimentary color as an accent (for example, wear a yellow and orange dress with purple shoes).

Warm and cool colors

Half of the colors on the color wheel are warm (red to lime green), and the other half are considered cool (purple to dark green).  Clothes in warm colors are more noticeable and are associated with comfort and energy.  Cool color clothes give a calm, soothing impression.

Once you understand these simple color matching concepts, you will notice that the color wheel principles are applied all around you, from fashion magazines to the clothing stores!