If you’ve had your colours analyzed, you know how exciting it is to discover which shades make you glow. But what happens when you fall in love with a colour that’s not in your palette?
Perhaps you’ve found a vibrant red dress or a cozy mustard sweater that calls to you, but it’s not your "best" shade according to your personal colour analysis. Don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to incorporate those tempting off-palette colours into your wardrobe without sacrificing your overall look.
Let’s dive into how you can make them work with your style.
1. Anchor Off-Palette Colors with Neutrals or Your Best Shades
One of the simplest ways to wear colours outside your palette is to mix them with neutrals or shades that are within your palette. This helps soften the impact of a color that might not be as flattering on its own.
For example:
If warm mustard yellow isn’t your best, but you love it, try pairing it with a jacket or pants in a neutral colour like soft grey, navy, or beige, which may suit your palette better.
If you’re drawn to a bright orange that’s too warm for your undertone, wear it as a statement piece—a bag, shoes, or accessories—while keeping the rest of your outfit within your harmonious shades.
2. Keep Off-Palette Colours Away from Your Face
Our faces are the first thing people notice, so it’s essential to keep your most flattering colours close to it. If you want to wear an off-palette colour, choose to wear it on your lower half.
For example:
If you love a pair of bright cobalt blue pants but it’s not your best color, balance it with a top in one of your ideal shades.
On the other hand, a dress or top that’s an off-palette colour can be layered with a scarf, jacket, or cardigan in a flattering hue to balance things out.
3. Repeat Your Natural Contrast
This tip can work wonders in making off-palette colours blend seamlessly into your look. Your natural contrast is the level of contrast between your skin, hair, and eyes. If you have high contrast (like dark hair and fair skin), repeating that contrast in your outfit helps create harmony. If your contrast is low (soft blonde hair and light skin), a softer, more tonal outfit will look more cohesive.
For example:
If you have high contrast, you might pair that off-palette bright top with sharply contrasting pants or accessories to mirror the natural contrast of your complexion.
If you have low contrast, balance the look with other softer tones, making sure the overall outfit reflects that gentle balance.
The same applies to your make-up. Repeating your natural contrast and using make-up shades in harmony with your colour palette can help you balance out the top that is off-palette.
Keep it simple, if you have a low contrast, repeat that in your make-up (for example Margot Robbie using light and cool shades). If you have high contrast, repeat that in your make-up (Anne Hathaway below as an example, repeating her high contrast with a darker and bright lipstick).
4. Pay Attention to Garment Cuts
A turtle neck or high-neck top can draw attention to your face, so if it’s not in your palette, it may amplify any unflattering tones (a.k.a avoid that).
The right cut helps divert attention from the off-palette colour and toward the parts of your body you’d like to highlight. If you are using an off-colour, opt to use V cuts and cuts that are not too close to your face.
This is specially useful for black and white shirts, considering these colours are not present in every palette, but they are present in every wardrobe.
5. Use Jewelry to Influence the Colour Balance
Jewelry can be your best friend when working with off-palette colours! Your choice of metals and gemstones plays a role in how the entire outfit is perceived.
Metal Colors: Warm metals like gold and rose gold complement warmer skin tones, while cooler metals like silver or white gold suit cooler undertones. If your outfit has a colour that’s not quite right, wearing jewelry in the right metal can help balance out your overall look.
Statement Jewelry: Large statement necklaces, earrings, or rings in your best colors can also draw attention to your face, helping to redirect focus from any less flattering colours in your outfit. Jewelry can act as a barrier between your face and the off-palette shade, ensuring the color doesn’t clash with your natural features.
6. Patterns and Prints: The Sneaky Way to Use Off-Palette Colors
Another way to bring off-palette colors into your wardrobe is by wearing them in prints or patterns. When a color is diluted with other shades in a pattern, its effect is less intense and can often harmonize with your overall look.
For instance:
A floral dress with shades of bright orange (not your best color) can still look amazing if the pattern also includes complementary colours from your palette, like soft pinks or neutrals.
**Important**
If a pattern contains a little bit of colour from a different palette you will probably be able to pull it off. If that disharmonious colour takes most of the pattern, you better steer away from it.
For example below, picture one has only autumn colours. Picture 2 has some white (the tail) but that is just a detail considering the whole pattern. Picture 3 has the entire background in a disharmonious colour, so you better avoid that pattern.
Final Thoughts: Balance is Key
Incorporating colours outside your colour palette doesn’t mean you’re breaking any "rules"—it’s about balance and making sure you feel confident and comfortable.
Whether it's through mixing in your best shades, choosing the right cuts, or using jewelry to enhance your look, there are plenty of ways to experiment with colours you love, even if they’re not your most flattering.
Your style is personal and unique, and at the end of the day, what matters most is how you feel in your clothes. Now, go ahead and have fun with your wardrobe, knowing you have the tools to make even those off-palette colours work for you!
Yours in style,
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