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Remember: Everyone’s capsule wardrobe will be unique to them, so there’s no hard and fast rules to what one has to be comprised of. When you’re curating yours, it’s important to be cognizant of what styles and colour palettes you naturally gravitate more towards, and build it off of that! Don’t force yourself to wear colours or designs simply because you notice your closet lacking in them (because there’s probably a reason for that:You don’t wear them).
As important as it is to build your capsule wardrobe on a solid foundation of neutrals, it’s also important to accent them with colours! We know, though, that committing to a colour in a capsule wardrobe can be a bit daunting, so we decided to make a palette guide to give you confidence to add the colours you love with the neutrals you already own.
Throughout this post we’ll be discussing tones and hues and where they fall on the colour wheel (for reference, one can be found here). Complimentary colours fall on the opposite side of one another on the colour wheel; these often pair very well together. Colours that fall on the same side of the colour wheel as one another are similar tones to one another and can be paired together for a more monochrome look.
Colours: For blues, select neighbouring tints and shades on the colour wheel to pair it with, like light blue and dark blue. Or try pairing black and white (Yes, you can definitely pair black with navy.) Try pairing a black and navy combo with various tones of khaki and beige for a balanced look. For example, shades of beige and khaki are located across blue on a colour wheel and will pair nicely because it adds warmth and balance.
Styles: Pants and shorts in khaki or denim are a great neutral to pair with shades of blue. Staples like a denim jacket or beige belted trench coat also pair effortlessly with pastel blue as they pick up on the natural lightness that’s present in all in every shade. Add a black shoe or dark brown leather for some contrast or white sandals/sneakers for a more summery look.
Textures: Denim, leather, khaki, wool.
Colours: For pink, try pairing it with warm, similar tones of pale pink, blush pink, and an orange shade similar to a burnt sienna (all of which fall on the same side of the colour wheel) for a harmonious look. Pinks also pair beautifully with light tones in the white and cream family, and darker, moodier tones like navy that balance each other because these colours sit across each other on a colour wheel.
Styles: Trousers and straight-leg pants in denim are a great pairing for pale and blush pinks. You can also pair pink with other pink tones for a monochrome look, like a tailored suede jacket or trench coat. Add white and brown leather shoes for a summery look.
Textures: Suede, denim, leather, tencel.
Colours: For green, we paired it with shades on the same side of the colour wheel like light blue, olive green, and navy. This pale shade of green pairs really well with khaki, which comes in various shades of beige and earthy greens. Neutral white and cream tones also pair well with it and create an airy, spring look.
Styles: Wide and straight-leg pants (and everything in-between!) in khaki and denim work really well with this colour. Try pairing it with a long denim skirt for a fun monochrome look. Light sandals and shoes in white and brown leather add warmth to the outfits as well.
Textures: Khaki, canvas, leather, denim, cashmere.
Colours: Purples lie directly across from yellow on the colour wheel, which, unless your closet is entirely comprised of bright colours, seemed a bit too bright for us. Instead, we opted to pair purples with their close companions, light and deep purple for a monochromatic look. Neutral tones like grey, white and black made with more natural fibres would pair well as well.
Styles: Pants, blazers and skirts with clean tailored straight lines and long, structured knit cardigans. For shoes, stick to no-fuss, timeless designs like open-toe mules and ankle or mid-ankle boots. Although we wouldn’t pair this shade with your typical blue or washed denim, it does look great with a dark wash or black denim.
Textures: Wool, tweed, linen, leather, denim.
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