Neutral colors sometimes get a bad rap. Neutral decor? Boring. Neutral wardrobe. Yawn. Having worked with both for a number of years as an interior decorator and a self-proclaimed neutral clothing lover, I know that neutrals are anything but boring and ordinary if you know what to do with them.
So we’ll be taking a closer look at how to wear neutral colors, including how they are defined, some simple strategies to add interest and style to a neutral outfit, and some examples of how to put neutral outfits together. As women over 50 and over 60 we take a slightly different approach than our younger friends. And that’s okay. We want to dress for our body shape and our style personality, right?
How to Wear Neutral Colors: The Specifics
How are Neutral Colors Defined?
Technically, neutral means ‘without color’, but the neutrals we’re discussing here actually do have color, although for the most part it is subtle tones of white, beige, tan, brown, gray, taupe, and black.
You won’t find neutral colors on the color wheel, but that doesn’t stop them from offering a wonderful foundation to design in both our wardrobes and in our homes.
Neutral colors are created in two ways:
- They are achromatic (the absence of color) as in black, white, and gray
- They are a combination of a number of colors mixed together until there isn’t any distinguishable rainbow color left, as in brown, sand, beige, camel, etc.
Neutral colors won’t necessarily catch your eye, but they will blend well, and on our midlife bodies the right combination of neutral tones can give us a classy, classic, flattering look.
WARM NEUTRALS:
Shades of browns, tans, golds, beige, and black
COOL NEUTRALS:
Shades of white, cream, ivory, gray, and silver
Let’s dive deeper and consider some of the many (like…lots!) of shades that are derived from a few basic neutral colors:
- White: ivory, champagne, eggshell
- Cream: vanilla, nude, camel, caramel
- Beige: tan, sand, taupe, mocha, coffee, latte
- Khaki: olive, army, seaweed, deep khaki
- Gray: dove, steel, ash, stone
- Black: lead, charcoal
- Denim, Navy
Wearing Neutrals is an Iconic Look
Style and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn is a wonderful example of creating a wardrobe and a style that has been recreated by thousands of women over the last seventy years, and will probably continue to be copied for many more. What do you think of when the term, little black dress, is mentioned? Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany’s, of course!
Ms. Hepburn was flawless in her ability to take neutral colors – usually black, beige, and white – and create a stylish, timeless look. Of course, she was tall, slim, and stunning, but still, her approach to style and creating neutral outfit combinations is something we can apply to our own sense of style.
Coco Chanel, a pioneer in the design field is another icon to consider in our journey learning about styling outfits with neutral colors. Remember the little black dress mentioned above? Ms. Chanel originated that design in 1926 when it appeared as an illustration in American Vogue.
She was instrumental in the introduction of trousers for women as a fashion choice, choosing jersey fabric for her designs (which had been used primarily for men’s underwear), and wearing costume jewelry including faux pearls.
Does Skin Tone Matter When Choosing Neutral Style Outfits?
Yes, your skin tone does make a difference in the neutral colors you choose to wear. Refer to the color chart and definitions in the section above to understand how to select the shades of neutrals mentioned here.
- Cool Undertone Skin: you have cool skin undertones if the veins on the inside of your wrist appear more blue than green, if you look better in silver-toned jewelry than gold, if your skin burns easily and turns pink
- Warm Undertone Skin: you have warm skin undertones if the veins on the inside of your wrist appear more green than blue, if you look better in gold-toned jewelry than silver, if you tan fairly easily and don’t burn quickly.
For those with cool skin undertones, neutrals with tones in pink, blue, and peach work well.
If warm skin undertones describe you, choose gray, navy, and khaki neutrals.
Dark Skin? Silver, black, white, or dark brown neutrals will be good choices.
How about hair color? Our hair factors into our color choices when it comes to style and how to wear neutral colors.
- Brown, caramel, or golden hair tones will usually look better with shades of blue, olive, and mustard.
- Platinum, blonde, red, or gold hair tones usually wear jewel tone and pastel shade neutrals best.
