The Best and Worst Color Combinations
Sometimes, putting together the perfect outfit isn't just matching shirts and bottoms with a nice coat; it's also about the colors you choose. Though it might help, you don't necessarily need to be a designer or a color wheel expert to find what works. A good rule of thumb is to never pair fully saturated colors together but to find a balance that fits. With that said, here are 10 color pairings that look great together and 10 that don't.
1. Purple and Pink
For this pairing to work cohesively, pick out pastel shades, like lilac and cream pink. Since these colors are both light in scale but different enough to pop, they look great as the base for any outfit. Feel free to mix and match clothes and accessories; it doesn't just have to be purple shirts and pink bottoms.
2. Black and Yellow
We know—this combination could make you look like a bumblebee, but there's a reason why this pairing works. Think of companies or even sports teams that utilize these colors; the contrast of yellow against black makes it stand out, doesn't it? Plus, the yellow adds a bit of fun to any outfit.
3. Red, Brown, and White
You'll often see others recommending against wearing red and brown, but adding white helps bring everything together. If you prefer to stick to similar shades or if you're ever stumped on which colors to match, you could always stick to a monochrome palette.
4. Blue, Orange, and Yellow
Blue and orange are complementary colors, so you can choose to forgo yellow if you'd like. But pairing dark blue with orange-red and yellow-orange evokes a sense of warmth with a hint of youthfulness. This combination is also great for autumn.
5. Black and White
The classic. Black and white always works well, whether it's a dark coat over an ivory sweater or an all-black outfit with white shoes and accessories. The trick to making this pairing not come off too harsh in their contrast is to keep it simple in what you pair together.
6. Brown and Beige
If you want to spice up the red and brown combination mentioned earlier, add beige to your outfit to give it some depth. Or, if you'd rather keep it minimalistic, pair brown and beige together. The creaminess of beige goes well with darker tones like chestnut brown to create a warm balance.
7. Green and Pink
For this combination to work, mute the shades of either green or pink to not have too much of a clash. An example would be pairing dark olive green with soft terracotta. The pink gives a nice pop of color against the green, evoking a calm, nature feel.
8. Red, Beige, and Teal
Beige and teal both lean almost pastel, so adding a richer tone like burgundy or maroon brings this combination to life. Keep in mind to choose a shade of teal that's not too vibrant but muted enough so that it blends well with the rest of the colors.
9. Blue and Pink
Despite the societal belief that boys should wear blue and girls should wear pink, who says they can't be paired together? In fact, blue and pink go well no matter how dark or light. Feel free to play around: pair royal blue with peach or, if you like pastels, pair baby blue with blush pink.
10. Purple and Yellow
Purple and yellow is another complementary pairing that gives ultimate spring vibes. You can choose to have a more striking yellow against a softer lilac or a deeper purple with a paler gold. Avoid full saturation of both, or you risk the colors clashing too much.
Now that we've covered the color combinations that always work well, let's jump into the 10 color pairings that don't look so great together.
1. Red and Green
Unless you want to look like the Grinch in Santa's suit, don't dress up in reds and greens. Though these colors are considered complementary on the wheel, they only work together when not in full saturation. Olive greens and salmon pinks are fine, but cherry red and shamrock green? Pass.
2. Neons
We didn't specify because neon anything usually doesn't work great together. That's not to say neons on their own aren't great; a neon green shirt with a neutral palette, like white pants or a beige cardigan, might be fine. But neon yellow, pink, and green at the same time will come off more tacky than cohesive.
3. Black and Navy
Black and navy are both naturally dark, which will make this combination look murky, muddy, and odd. If you're going for a monochrome palette, match shades of gray or shades of blue together instead. Or, if you like pairing black with blue, pick a muted shade of blue that allows it to pop.
4. Red and Purple
Just like black and navy, red and purple are rather strong colors that don't tend to work well in full saturation. To make an outfit based on these colors, pick lighter shades of both, like lilac and pastel pink. Otherwise, you'll end up with an unpleasant contrast.
5. Green and Purple
Green and purple are another unlikely pairing. Paired together in full saturation, they're both too strong on the eyes and make for an odd outfit choice. But since these colors have a spilt complementary with yellow on the wheel (in particular, purple, yellow-green, and yellow-orange), all is not lost. Just make sure to be wise in picking the right shade.
6. Silver and Gold
Two metallics don't make a right, unfortunately. While silver and gold look great on their own, together they often end up clashing. The solution? Find the right balance. Instead of wearing a silver blazer over a sparkly gold top, pick one metallic to be the main and the other to be the accent color you accessorize with.
7. Gray and Green
Gray, unless matched against a shade that makes it stand out, looks drab with many colors. Green is a prime example. To make this combination work, match lighter variations of gray with forest or olive greens to make the pairing less harsh on the eyes.
8. Blue and Red
We said blue and pink work well together, but what about blue and red? At full saturation, we wouldn't recommend it. The contrast between these two rich colors can lean too strong and unpleasant without a buffer to soften the overall appearance. So, to make it work, add white to the combination to break apart the deeper tones.
9. Brown and Gray
Again, gray can look drab with other colors, and pairing it with brown makes it look muddier. To avoid these two colors clashing or blending into a murky mess, choose lighter shades of gray to pair with richer, cool-toned browns.
10. Pink and Yellow
This is the kind of pairing that's so odd, it's almost a head-scratcher. Bright yellows and peachy pinks look fine on their own, but together they seem to disagree. For this combination to work, tone down the yellow and pink in your outfit so they don't clash as much.
