Modern Colour Block
The year was 2011, the event was X Factor auditions in Los Angeles and the person was Cheryl Cole. If this means nothing to you allow me to elaborate. Cheryl Cole, or is she just Cheryl now? Fell foul of the colour blocking trend, hitting the red carpet in purple Diane Von Furstenberg trousers, an orange Oscar De La Renta camisole, a turquoise belt and very hair. I remember it because while most fashion boo-boo’s have faded from my memory this one sticks fast because the colour blocking trend at that time had been seen all over the catwalk from DVF to Gucci and it looked incredible but if Cheryl, once voted one of the world's most beautiful women cant pull it off can anyone? Is Cheryl's style mis-step on American a cautionary tale when it comes to colour blocking?
Fast forward 15 years and the unexpected colour combinations are landing thick and fast, powder pink and khaki, chocolate brown and baby blue, navy blue and lemon, scarlet and purple, name 2 colours that you can't imagine to be complimentary and they are happening. Balenciaga combined red & purple for Haute Couture while Prada did the same combination in a much more casual way, Miuccia also experimented with chartreuse and burgundy, while Chanel flirted with pink and merlot (or burgundy and baby pink if you prefer)
So what are the tricks for getting colour blocking right? Victoria Beckham has been hailed the queen of colour blocking by Vogue, her combinations have ranged from red & canary yellow to copper and sky blue - neither of which I would say are easy to pull off, but she continues to push the boundaries about which colours are “allowed” to be seen together, often opting for separates in simple shapes, often a bright high waisted trouser and a shirt or contrasting blouse, she has been known to match the bottom half separate to her shoes (ie burgundy skirt with matching boots) but frequently chooses she chooses a neutral shoe which is a good jumping off point and stops it looking clown-like.
An easy way to introduce colour blocking is to add a shoe in a contrasting colour, a baby blue shoe with a brown dress or purple dress and red shoes, I love a colourful shoe and I actually think this is a styling trick everyone should consider before buying any new clothes, the “wrong” colour shoe with an outfit is often the right thing to make it instantly more stylish.
Colour blocking doesn't need to stop at 2 colours, 3 can look fantastic, opting for more neutral shades makes this easier for example mint, chocolate brown and lavender.
The best thing about colour trends is you can literally go to your own wardrobe and pull out clothes you already own and create an entirely new outfit without spending a penny, an interesting combination makes old clothes feel new again, sustainable style without breaking a sweat.
