Yellow is a fab summer colour: it’s light, it’s bright, it’s fun and it’s also featured in a range of major resort collections set to catapult onto the fashion scene in 2012. Unfortunately, however, it isn’t the easiest of shades to pull off. If you’re keen to stay seasonal and on trend, but you’re anxious you might not get the look quite right, you’re fears are not unfounded. To help you navigate the minefield of do’s and don’ts that accompany this colour, I’ve done some research and put together a series of guidelines that should keep you in the clear: here’s my list of 7 ways to wear yellow.
Sadly, not all of us can wear the brightest of the bright yellows out there. These vivid tones really only work if you have a darker complexion and hair to match. If you are paler, and especially if your skin tends to be a little pinkish, steer clear of the sunny, lemony yellows and opt for a different variation: go for something closer to ochre or, alternatively, a shade on the pastel spectrum.
If you are a little paler in complexion, yellow is bound to drain the colour from your face so that your skin looks even lighter than it is. The only time you will be able to get away with a lot of it in a very bright shade is if you’ve just come back from several weeks in tropical paradise and you’re in total bronzed goddess mode. Vibrant yellows look fantastic against golden skin; capitalise on your tan by breaking out your most vivid frocks.
As we’ve established, yellow is not easy to wear. If you feel that you can’t get away with too much of it at once, go for a busier yellow print instead of blocks of solid colour. This will help to diffuse the effect of the uber-vibrant shade, and will also help to slim down problem areas that might be exaggerated by the bright shade.
Yellow is a fantastic colour to take to the beach: it’s bright, fresh and super-summery. If you’re not keen to go the whole hog and buy a sunny bikini, or if you think your paler skin won’t be able to pull it off, go for a gorgeous, sheer yellow sarong instead. Remember, you don’t need to do vivid lemon to be wearing yellow: you might consider creamier shades of gold, for example, or a bold, rustic mustard.
If you’re keen to tone down the vibrancy of your yellow – if you want to make less of a statement – choose your fabric carefully. Avoid anything shiny or synthetic: instead, go for linens, organic cottons and even silks: natural textiles will help to keep your look classy and elegant.
Instead of going all out and dressing in yellow from head to toe, consider incorporating it into your look in subtle touches here and there. Wear yellow sandals, for example, or a yellow handbag. If you struggle to make the colour work for you, this is arguably the easiest and most effective way to stay on trend.
All bright colours need to worn with a bit of attitude. Don’t play the shrinking violet in your vivacious ensemble: step up the confidence so that it matches the vibrant tone.
Yellow is not the easiest of colours to pull off. If you’re keen to give it a go, but you’re not sure whether you can do it, it’s a good idea to take a moment to consider your strategy. These 7 tips to wear yellow well should get you on the right track to begin with: do you have any suggestions of comments to add?
Top Photo Credit: pinksugarface