There are many recommendations from various stylists and fashion designers, but they often contradict each other.
Therefore, we have chosen not to add confusion to an already complex topic like style and refined taste, limiting ourselves to the basics of color theory.
However, even these rules are enough to dress elegantly, as according to the well-known "Pareto principle," possessing 20% of the information can achieve 80% of the results. From there, you can even approach excellence :)
White, black, and gray in various shades can be paired with each other, with other colors, or used alone.
In particular, gray can be added to reduce the overall brightness of a look when using vivid elements in clothing.
As for gray, white, and black, they are colorless or achromatic tones, making them very versatile. The only suggestion is that black and white pair well with bright colors, while gray works better with more subdued tones.
Fortunately, besides the dull achromatic gradations, our eyes can distinguish thousands of shades, making our lives much more interesting and allowing each person to create a unique look.
All the combinations presented here were created following this color wheel:
The color combination scheme is a figure (or a line) whose angles (or ends) indicate specific colors.
Next to the examples below, you can see how this scheme is displayed on Itten's color wheel - in black and white (!!), as it is a representation of one of the 12 possible schemes and not a predetermined combination).
A single color with varying saturations - a safe choice.
Analogous (or adjacent) combinations: tones next to each other on Itten's chromatic circle form an analogous or related scale:
Pastel shades are colors in which the main color is mixed with a large amount of white. All combinations with them do not create contrasting juxtapositions, so you can experiment freely with them, unlike bright colors. The lower the saturation and brightness, the easier it is to create harmonious combinations with other shades. This delicate palette adds subtlety and femininity.
When working with bright colors, it's important to pay particular attention. They draw general attention and can create a bold and unconventional image. However, if overdone or a mistake is made, the effect can be the opposite: tasteless, garish clothing that may look like a clown's outfit that hurts the eyes.
Without knowledge of color theory rules, it's difficult to achieve good results. Here are some of the main rules:
A complementary combination involves two colors diametrically opposed on Itten's color wheel. It is preferable (though not mandatory) that one color is more dominant than the other. In this case, the opposite color serves as an accent and can be used as an element in clothing, patterns, threads, or accessories such as shoes, hats, bags, scarves, gloves, or jewelry.
This occurs when you take adjacent colors from Itten's chromatic circle and add a completely opposite color as an accent. The number of similar shades may vary. Essentially, it's the same complementary combination but with the addition of similar components to add variety to the ensemble.
Three vibrant colors form a triad. On Itten's color wheel, this corresponds to an equilateral or isosceles triangle. An approximately equal distribution of these colors is characteristic of 1970s fashion, but it is not mandatory, as the cut and other factors also play an important role.
Again, it's advisable to take one color as the dominant, while the other two can be used to complement and accentuate the outfit.
More modern examples:
The tetrad - a lively and bold combination, creates a very provocative image. It is very easy to make mistakes when choosing these combinations. Here, rules give way somewhat to instinct and personal taste. There's even a section in clothing design called "color blocking" where designers and stylists experiment with the most surprising combinations.
When talking about four or more tones in clothing, it usually refers to garments with a multicolored pattern. Naturally, brightly colored clothing won't look good if it mixes the entire rainbow spectrum indiscriminately.
In the collections of the world's top brands, when multicolored fabric is used, the tones are always carefully balanced (unless they are bold experiments designed to astonish the audience).
All colors are grouped into sets of similar tones, and these tone groups are assigned according to one of two main schemes. The most vibrant and bold combinations are achieved when tones positioned at the corners of a square or rectangle on the color wheel are used. These are two types of complementary combinations: the tetrahedron and the square.
The complementary pair is already contrasting by itself, but in this case, the effect of the contrast is doubled, creating a wide scope for imagination and experiments on which tone to choose as the main one and which ones as secondary or accent.
It should be noted that this article does not consider a very important aspect when choosing clothing colors, namely a person’s natural chromatic characteristics.
This article presents visual examples of the use of Itten color wheel combinations in clothing. But each of these schemes offers at least 12 combination options (excluding shades). If we take into account the chromatic characteristics of the person for whom the clothing colors are selected, out of these 12 combinations (from any scheme), we should choose only those that match their characteristics in terms of temperature and contrast.
Color analysis is a discipline that deals with determining a person's chromatic characteristics.
This is a separate and broad topic that requires specific analysis. On our website, you can find a lot of information about it, as well as determine your own color type through a dedicated online service.
Additionally, in our catalog, there are color samples suitable for every phototype.
These have been the main rules of chromatics in clothing, which will help you make accurate choices when buying new clothes or accessories for your wardrobe.
You can apply them in practice this way: observe which colors dominate your wardrobe, and then, by choosing one of the combinations mentioned above, you can easily determine what and in which color to look for in stores. Or, conversely: if you have a piece you like but don’t wear because you don’t know what to match it with, it’s simple—just follow the rules.
Of course, to create a stylish look, the knowledge of chromatics alone is not enough; you need to know which clothing models are in fashion for a particular season. There is also the psychology of color, which explains how a certain combination affects perception and, consequently, helps manage the impression your appearance makes on others. Moreover, there are different types of personal colors based on the tone of your skin, hair, and eyes. Naturally, each of us is unique and has our own color preferences.
And what about the concept of impeccable taste? Can it replace the knowledge of rules and nuances? Yes, it’s true. But it doesn’t appear out of nowhere. There is always theory at first, then practice, then more practice, and eventually, without even noticing, you won’t need to read anything anymore, you won’t need to peek anywhere—you’ll look at a piece of clothing and immediately see what works, what doesn’t, and what’s just wrong. That’s impeccable taste. Probably, this is what you should strive for.
We hope this article has been useful in practice when it comes to choosing clothing and/or accessories.
If you haven’t done so already, we recommend checking out a very useful practical tool that contains all the color combinations described here and more: the color wheel. It is very handy to use as a quick reference since it’s hard to remember all the combinations, but with this tool, you can hold it in your hand and open the windows with the combinations you need.
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