What Colors Go Well Together: The Secrets to Color Matching

Did you know that colors have the power to evoke strong emotions? It’s true—

is a real thing. Let’s dive into a hypothetical situation. Imagine you’re preparing to speak in front of a large audience. Now think about the message you’d like to convey to your listeners through your outfit choice. Wearing cool tones can elicit a sense of peace and tranquility, while warm hues can energize a crowd. It’s also important to take into consideration.

With that being said, color is a powerful tool for expressing your truest self. Wondering where to even begin? Keep reading for a no-fail starting point on what colors go well together

with the basics of color theory. 

“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” — Pablo Picasso

How to Read a Color Wheel

The key to mastering color theory, or the best color combinations, is to understand the color wheel for clothes. Let’s quickly get back to elementary basics. The graphic above illustrates the relationship between primary, secondary and tertiary colors. Primary colors include red, blue and yellow, while secondary hues are the combination of two primary shades. 

Do you recall mixing paint colors for the first time as a kid? Red and blue create violet, red and yellow make orange and blue and yellow produce green. Tertiary colors are a mixture of primary and secondary pigments. Easy, right? This handy guide relies on the rainbow of basic colors in order from cool to warm. Typically, the most flattering color combinations are directly across from each other, hence the term, . The science behind color theory goes into much greater depth, but nailing these principles is a solid jumping-off point.

The Color Wheel Basics for Clothing

Curious how the color wheel comes into play when styling clothing? Blue and orange may be an unexpected pairing, but they create the most contrast to one another. In women’s fashion, this rule may not always work for colors that typically go well together. While red and green are complementary colors, it may look like you’re . Either way, we’re here for the festive vibes. Harmonious colors are those grouped next to one another, such as blue and teal. They offer low contrast but work well together, creating an overall pleasing outfit. While there’s an infinite amount of delightful color couplings, let’s dive into a few of our favorites.

“All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites.” — Marc Chagall

What Colors Go Well Together: Start with Neutral Basics

Black, white, brown, beige and grey are core neutrals for women’s wardrobes. They work tirelessly to blend with literally any other shade under the sun. You can consider them your fuss-free foundation tones when deducing what colors go well together. They even pair well with those trickier statement shades, such as chartreuse. What’s not to love? Take a peek at how we leverage a handful of neutrals to create dynamic outfit duos. 

What Colors Go with Brown?

For easy,  outfitting, try pairing brown with black. We think camels with jet blacks look especially divine. If this duet is a bit blasé for your taste, amplify it with a pop of white or red. Aside from matching colors, you also want to have consistency with tones. If opting for a warm brown wool coat, choose a red blouse with yellow undertones instead of hints of blue. Another way to add sass and spunk to the mix is with leopard prints made of brown and black tones. After all, this feline pattern is a neutral and subtle way to walk on the wild side.

Stylist Tip: A general rule of thumb when building an outfit is to stick to three or fewer colors. FYI, white and black don’t count, so you can always lean into them. 

What Colors Go Well Together: Navy Blue and Who?

When wondering what colors go with navy blue, take a cue from the color wheel. Remember when we mentioned that orange and navy are prime examples of when opposites attract? They’re naturally nautical mates, especially when stripes slide into the mix. For a modern feel, experiment with color-blocking to make a statement. A navy a-line dress with bold orange strappy heels feels fresh and fun. 

On the flip side, this nearly neutral is a close cousin to black, meaning they’re in a similar color family. When you’re deciding what colors go well together, this twosome is a no-brainer. The one caveat being that deep and inky navy hues could create a mismatched look with true black. The trick is to ensure both colors are different tones. Add depth and dimension with textures and . Now, kick the “no navy and black” rule to the curb.