Cobalt blue shirt, Arket (now sold out); burnt orange Rivelli trousers, £225, the Fold; velvet Venetian slippers, £315, Le Monde Beryl; 18ct gold chain Axiom necklace, £179, and 18ct gold chain Aegis necklace, £165, both Missoma. Blazer, £59.99, zara.com; Ganni cords, £209, endclothing.com; Loafers, £80, boden.co.uk
Brilliant shades outshine pastels – just ask the Queen, whose love of a vibrant outfit is the subject of a Swatch watch launched to commemorate the platinum jubilee. At the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, Tilda Swinton – another style queen – showed that blending strong colours makes a bold statement in a pink Haider Ackermann cropped tuxedo jacket and long orange skirt.
While I love such boldness on other women, in the past I have swerved shouty colours like a vampire avoiding garlic. This is quite a common reaction, according to Jo Hooper, founder of NRBY clothing. “Many of our customers start by saying, ‘Oh no, that’s too bright for me’, but change their minds once they try on an item and see the immediate uplifting effect it has, not only on their look, but also their mood,” she says. “It feels like a positive step in terms of facing the day: like putting on a pretty dress when the sun emerges.” Turns out, the braver the brand is with colour, the more the customer responds.
Colour-blocking is more straightforward than wearing pattern or print. Try combining pink and red or blue and green. Choose clean lines: tailored coats and jackets, neat trousers, simple shirts, pencil or A-Line skirts or a shift dress. If you’re ever in any doubt, outstanding brights sit nicely next to under-the-radar neutrals. These glorious orange trousers from the Fold would look equally striking with a navy blazer or white shirt (or both). The blue shirt from Arket would complement white jeans. You’ll soon wake up to life in full colour – and that is sure to get the royal seal of approval.
Three older and bolder tips
From the ground up
Start with bold trousers or colourful shoes – I always find it easier to go brighter on the bottom half. For best effect, keep your pieces print free, pared back and simple to ensure your outfit looks polished and well thought out.
Seeing red
If you’re feeling colour shy, red is the perfect bright for beginners and it’s perennially chic. It looks great clashed with pinks or used to revivify neutrals such as camel, navy and grey.
Tonally does it
Not sure where to start? Try mixing and matching different tones of the same colour family. If you love blues, upgrade to cobalt; if it’s greens, then it has to be “Wordle”. It’s a great way to play around with shades you haven’t tried before.
