You have probably heard many times that you should wear neutral colors when going to a job interview, when you have an important meeting at work, and in similar situations.
This is definitely true – neutral colors are the best choice for said situations, but what exactly are there and how to wear them? Find out all about it in this article.
What Are Neutral Colors?
Neutral colors are those colors that are not represented in the color wheel. The most common neutral colors are white and black, and while we call them colors, they are technically not that.
White is a combination of all the colors of the rainbow, and black is an absence of color. Furthermore, there is gray – which is between white and black so it has many shades, and when it comes to fashion, brown, beige, navy, olive green, and khaki are all considered neutral colors, including their different shades.
Capsule Wardrobe
One of the best usages of neutral colors is making a capsule wardrobe using them. In case you don’t know, a capsule wardrobe is a number of garments put together in one place that you can easily combine with one another, so they should be of the same style and colors that are compatible.
This is why garments that are neutrally colored make a great choice for a capsule wardrobe – most of them go well with one another, and they are usually plain and simple.
The number of items that you put in a capsule wardrobe is up to you really – it can be five pieces of clothing, or a hundred if you have enough clothes and space for them. The point is to turn to your capsule wardrobe when you are not sure what to wear or if you don’t have enough time to put together an outfit.
How To Wear Neutral Colors?
Neutral colors are considered good for formal situations because they give off a calm, professional vibe, unlike some bright colors, like orange, yellow, or green.
Of course, they are not only good for formal situations – neutral colors can be worn for any occasion, and they are very easy to combine. Let’s see how to best wear them.
How To Wear White
White was, until quite recently, considered a boring color in fashion. Needless to say, this statement is far from true. There are so many amazing things that you can do with your outfit using this color, and even only this color if you add a few accessories.
The only downside I can think of is a high possibility of stains – it’s not suitable for sitting in a park or eating because even the tiniest stain can be visible if it is on a white garment.
A white dress is a classic that is great for warm weather. You can wear it with sneakers, sandals, heels, or flip-flops. It can belong or short and is suitable for almost any occasion depending on the style – a dinner, pool party, a walk, a date, and so on.
It can be worn without any accessories, but this outfit is even more beautiful if you put on a bright-colored headband or red lipstick. If the dress is plain and loose, consider adding a belt that would match your shoes.
The same goes for an all-white outfit, like white pants and a white shirt.
White garments can be combined with literally any other color. Red, yellow, blue, violet, and so on – this is why having a few white pieces of clothes is essential for any wardrobe.
The only tricky color to combine with white is black. They are the opposites, so the combination of them is a bold choice. One of the ideas you can choose is to wear a white dress or a jumpsuit, put a black belt on your waist, and combine it with black sneakers or boots.
How To Wear Black
Black is, without a doubt, one of the most important colors in fashion. An all-black outfit is a must-have in every wardrobe – it can make you look professional, it can be mysterious, and it can be amazing for a night out. Black clothes are easy to maintain and they also go well with other colors.
Turning to black for more expensive pieces of clothing, like coats, jackets, and boots is a safe bet. While it can be difficult to combine clothes with vibrant colors, like red or green, black goes with pretty much anything.
Having a few pairs of black pants and shirts or sweaters of the same color means that you won’t ever have to worry about what to wear.
If something you planned on wearing falls through, if you get your clothes stained right before going out, or if you forgot to wash a garment you wanted to wear, you will always have that all-black combination that can make you look great all-year-round.
Adding accessories is an important part too – some gold or silver earrings, colored eyeshadow, or a colorful bag will give black pop of color, and you won’t go unnoticed no matter the occasion.
How To Wear Gray
Gray is a bit trickier color to combine than black and white. Unlike wearing only one of these two colors, wearing only gray may come off as plain. However, it’s not impossible to pull it off. Gray is an amazing color for a workspace environment – nothing more classy than a gray suit, right?
It looks very nice on top of giving off a very professional vibe. If you want to combine it with some other color in a formal environment, white is the perfect choice – put on gray pants or a skirt with a white shirt, and you are guaranteed to look amazing.
Furthermore, gray goes very well with other neutral colors, such as olive green, beige, pink, and navy. The only neutral color I personally wouldn’t combine with gray is brown, but if you are feeling creative, why not? Other than neutral colors, gray can look great in combination with purple, green, red, yellow, and blue.
How To Wear Beige
Beige is a classy, calm, and gentle color. It’s perfect for different occasions – you can wear it at your job, on a date, or on a night out. Jeans, white shirt, and a beige cardigan with the shoes and a bag of the same color is basically a universal combination and it can take you anywhere.
This color goes well with colors such as white, brown, navy, and olive green. When it comes to the accessories, you can’t go wrong with gold jewelry, whether you choose earrings, a watch, or a necklace.
Beige high-heels go great with dresses of other neutral colors, such as black, brown, or white. The same goes for a jacket or a sweater of this light, gentle color.
How To Wear Brown
Brown is becoming more and more popular and it is an amazing color to wear with nude lipsticks and soft make-up looks.
You can wear it with white, beige, navy, black, and orange. If you are feeling extra inspired, you can even combine it with pink! It is not conventional combination, but it certainly is the one to consider.
Brown is also a good choice of color for coats, cardigans, jackets, and boots. My favorite is combining dark brown with beige – brown jacket and boots with beige pants and some gold jewelry is a top pick for various different occasions.
Other Items That Pair Well With Neutral Colors
If you are looking to upgrade your wardrobe with some neutrally colored clothes, don’t forget some accessories and items of clothing that will make it even easier to combine neutral colors. Here are some of them.
White Sneakers
Having white sneakers is a must if you love wearing neutral colors. They go well with literally any item of clothing – dresses, skirts, pants, trousers, and so on. You can wear them with professional attire and when going to the gym, so really, they are very important to own.
Even a simple outfit, like jeans, white shirt, and white sneakers, looks amazing; you don’t even have to worry about accessories or wearing make-up.
Scarves
Scarves are one of my favorite things to buy and wear. Single-colored or colorful, they can make any outfit look so much better. They are especially important when you decide to wear only one color.
Take black, for example. Wearing black pants and a black shirt looks great by itself. However, adding a scarf to that makes the outfit look thousand times better, especially when you add another item of clothing of the same color. For example, all-black outfit + red lipstick + red scarf – who could resist?
Summary
Neutral colors are the shades that are not represented in the color wheel. They are amazing for forming a capsule wardrobe as they all go well with each other; you can wear them in both formal and informal environments, and it’s so fun combining them with other colors.
If you don’t have a lot of neutrally-colored clothes, make sure to upgrade your wardrobe as soon as possible!
Jessica Oliver is a fashion enthusiast with more than ten years of experience in the industry. She previously managed her own clothing store in New York before becoming a mother of three. With a passion for sustainability and a desire to share clothing care and recycling tips.