Using the colour wheel to create inspired outfits

The colour wheel is an organised way of showing the relationship of the 12 main colours, along with the tints (white added), tones (grey added) and shades (black added) of each one.

It is an essential tool for artists, designers and anyone who works with colour, and we can use it as a go-to reference for creating interesting and inspired colour combinations in our outfits. Here are 3 popular colour schemes and some visual examples:

Analogous

This scheme combines 3 colours that run next to each other on the colour wheel - for example: green, blue-green, and blue. It looks very pleasing and balanced to the human eye and therefore is a simple and easy combination to use.

Complementary

This uses colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, which makes a striking pairing as each colour enhances the other due to the colour contrast. You don't only have to use colours of the same intensity though - experiment with using a softer version of one colour and a bright version of the other, or a deep version of one and a light of the other.

Monochromatic

Many people think monochromatic only equals shades of black, white and grey, but it actually just means using different tints, tones and shades of one colour together. The result is a very harmonious and elegant look, which you can do effectively with just two shades or you can really go for it and add multiple tones of the same colour to your outfit.

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A note about neutrals: if you don't want your outfit to only be made of colours, you can use your neutrals to ground it. Or consider using one of your neutrals as part of the scheme - for example: aubergine (red-purple), navy (blue), rose beige (red-orange), etc.

An exercise to get started: why not go through your wardrobe and see if you can try creating one of these colour schemes with what you already own? You might unlock some new ways wearing things!