From Frugal Homemaker Plus, this formula from Tightwad Gazette
You need nine pieces. Two blazers, three tops, and four bottoms. Make sure that all these items will coordinate with each other! I generally choose basic solid colors for the blazers and pants, like black or khaki. By doing this, you create 24 possible combinations of things to wear!
What a great skeleton for me to hang my simple color ideas on!
Two blazers
1) Your hair color. Maybe you, like me, have multi-colored hair and this is enough, but if not …
2) Your hair color’s complement or your skin’s complement, in a shade as dark as your hair.
Three tops
1) Choose from the color family that relates to your eyes:
- brown eyes choose from the red family, as seen in this picture of Jennifer, who likes to wear red, orange, hot pink, and burgundy/plum.
- blue eyes choose freely from all blues.
- green eyes choose greens.
Be aware of saturation. Because Jennifer has strong coloring, she is not overwhelmed by the hot pink. I, on the other hand, wear the same colors, but in the tints (pastels) and shades (deep muted tones).
2) If for some reason #1 doesn’t work, use black and/or white. Or a print.
Four bottoms
There’s a reason the classics are.
1) Black. The classic option for dressy, professional and social.
2) Khaki. Originally developed for the military because it didn’t show dirt. Now the classic “casual” pant. Or skirt.
3) Denim. Works with everything. For many, jeans are their everyday attire. Remember my friend who needed 12 pairs?
4) There are other options. Previously I posted how to avoid clashing.
Shoes, belts, and bag
You really only need one color, that of your hair.
You can thank Pro-blogger for motivating me with prizes to write this post. And Jennifer for donating her picture. And whoever I shook hands with last week, causing me to be sick and at home this evening.
I’m a fashion idiot, so a simple formula like this might actually help. 🙂 Thanks! (And I hope you feel better soon!)
Oh, thanks – simple fashion tips for us busy people ;). Our how-to is up as well if you’d like to check it out!!
I think I’ll follow your tips and go for this combination soon. I hope to be moving to Australia for about a year, soon, so I’m glad I read your ideas about a capsule wardrobe.
My how to is up too, at
How to “buy” happiness , if you’d like to read it
I hope you are feeling better.
What would one do if they didn’t really like blazers? or Jackets? or if they coudln’t find any in a very feminine style? What if it is too hot for a jacket? Then, does my shirt need to be the color of my hair?? I find that disappointing because my hair is really dark too! Maybe you have already answered that, i think you mentioned something about the completentary color? or color opposite on the wheel?
Hmm, thinking hard over here, and getting prepared.
Mrs Meg Logan
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Query about hair colored clothes: my hair is (natural) golden blonde with lighter hair on top ranging to quite dark blonde underneath, and its color changes with the sun. The overall effect is golden blonde, but what one earth would that translate into as a color blazer?
Also, it looks different (VERY different) in different lights. Same goes for my eyes: in some light, they are slate blue, in other light they are teal!
I never know what to do about colors given the lighting, because it isn’t always easy to predict what kind of lighting there will be where I’ll be going, so how in the world is one to judge what each color ‘really’ is, and thus, what color clothing to choose?
Short answer, and then, like I said, I am going to try to do a more thorough post on this subject:
first, blue: make that your “choose from freely” color. I bet you look good in just about every shade of blue.
secondly, about your hair color: don’t worry too much about getting the exact color. Freely choose from the range of colors that are in your hair, as well as any colors that your hair seems to imply or give the impression of: yellow, brown, khaki, etc. And, if that isn’t enough colors for you, the compliment of your hair color is a good choice too, which in your case would be lavendar/purple.
What colors do you see in your skin?
Hope this helps! More later. 🙂
Thanks, Rebecca!
Interestingly, lavender/lilac is one of the few colors I have found that everyone agrees makes me look ill. I am not sure why, because I seem OK in both pink (except magenta, which has a touch of the blue/purple in it) and all the blues as you said, yet everyone agrees that the purples to the palest lilac are not my colors. Very odd. Even odder, this was true both when my skin was palest pinky/bluey milky white with a few freckles, and my hair may have been a bit redder and darker (I used to avoid the sun at all costs until my doc told me I need the sun for my vitamin D levels), to now, when my skin is quite a different color, being much more brown/orange — significantly suntanned. And until recently, yellow gold didn’t suit me — my wedding band is *white* gold — but now it does. But purple/lilac still doesn’t! I checked again recently. Could it be the underlying redness in my hair making a better complement blue/blue-violet, do you think? I have not yet tried donning a black wig when trying on purple clothes to see if the clash is with my hair or my general coloring. 🙂
I look forward to your post.