Invest in neutrals
IT’S true to say that our favourite colours are neutrals. My definition of a neutral colour is one that doesn’t conflict with any other: black, white, grey, beige or navy blue; or their variations, such as cream, sand and taupe.
I consider natural leather and denim to be neutrals, too. On a daily basis I would advise wearing at least one neutral — though your wardrobe needs plenty of pieces in order to be versatile.
Black makes every other colour appear brighter, so it is not true that it goes with everything. Summery prints or bright, fresh colours won’t work with this dark shade.
The rule is to make either the black or the colour in your outfit dominate so, for example, avoid neon colours, which lack subtlety.
Put black with silver, grey and blues for a cool, urban look, or flashes of warm colours such as burgundy, rust, sunflower yellow or gold to make you look lively and elegant.
Unlike black, navy matches almost every colour and, being lighter, contrasts more subtly with bright hues.
Grey, meanwhile, is your best shot for making pastels and pale, soft colours look edgy. It also works well with vibrant shades, including bright red and sunshine yellow, which could fight with black.
Finally, use white as a highlighter. Layering a white T-shirt or shirt underneath something is a great way to add lightness to an outfit.
ADAPTED by Anna Pursglove from Dress Like A Parisian by Aloïs Guinut (Mitchell Beazley), out April 5 via octopusbooks.co.uk