Reader Q&A: Tips for Mixing Warm and Cool Colors in an Outfit

A few weeks ago, I mentioned in my subscribers-only newsletter that I’d be adding a regular feature to answer some of your most frequently asked style questions. Today’s the first installment, and I’m sharing some color mixing tips for women, including how to blend warm and cool tones, and even how to “cheat” a little on your color palette.

Why Color Matters

We all want to look our best, and wearing the right colors can be a big part of that. The colors that are in harmony with our skin tone can make us look more vibrant, energized, healthy, competent, and present. In the wrong colors, we can look tired, drained, unwell, a bit “blah,” or even grouchy. Knowing your best colors can help you build a cohesive wardrobe that saves time and money, and makes getting dressed easier. When you are guided by your seasonal color palette, the colors will be in harmony and the pieces can be worn in multiple combinations.

Each person’s seasonal palette will either be warm (yellow-based) or cool (blue-based), though within each palette there are colors that lean toward the warmer or cooler end. Your best colors may be on one end or another, or somewhere in the middle. (e.g. a Blue Spring will look best in the coolest end of the warm Spring palette, while a Golden Spring will be on the warmest end.)

One of the reasons I believe the best color analysis is done in person is because the client can see what I’m seeing: the changes in their skin and appearance as we compare different color drapes. And once you’ve seen the effects of color on your skin, you can’t unsee it. My clients come away excited about wearing the colors that light them up.

But sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants, and you may be drawn to a piece that’s outside of your color palette. I’m a believer in “style tools, not rules” so I’d never tell you not to wear something you absolutely love. (Or maybe there’s a piece in your existing wardrobe you haven’t yet found a suitable replacement for.)

How to Wear a Color That’s Not In Your Seasonal Palette

Reader L. emailed me last week, wondering if I could suggest some tips for mixing cool and warm neutrals in an outfit. And reader Caroline recently commented:

Related to the color topic – What to do if you fall in love with a piece (in my case a coat) that is not “your” color but checks every other box? …do you steel yourself and reject it, or have you found ways to work such pieces into your wardrobe? Would love some examples of the latter!

So here are some general guidelines, and a couple of looks to illustrate.

Wear Best Colors Near Your Face

We always tell new clients that when refreshing their wardrobes, to first focus on getting their best colors near the face. A scarf or top, or even a sweater tied over the shoulders can be quick and easy ways to achieve this.

Above, for example: say you’re an Autumn but your favorite fall coat is a cooler grey than what’s in your palette. Add a scarf that’s predominantly in your Autumn colors, but maybe with a little of the “off” color in the pattern. It places your best colors nearest the face and pulls the look together.

Another option is to keep your non-palette colors below the waist, in a skirt or pants. (And remember, I consider most medium to dark denim a universal neutral. YMMV.)

Wear As an Accessory

Bags, belts, and shoes can be another way to incorporate a color that’s outside of your palette.

Above, I’ve added a (warm) leopard print bag to a cool palette look. Here, it helps that the hardware on the bag is silver. (I’ll confess, I also consider most leopard print a neutral, especially in accessories.) Burgundy is everywhere this fall, and I think a burgundy bag or shoes can work with warm palette neutrals. Sometimes a clashing accessory adds just the right amount of friction.

A Favorite Tool for Combining Colors

Even if your entire wardrobe is within your seasonal color palette, some combinations may feel more “right” than others. It may have to do with levels of contrast and the energy they project.

This color wheel was developed by Amy Smilovic, the founder of fashion brand Tibi. Even if the Tibi aesthetic isn’t your thing, I find she has a lot of helpful ideas about style and how to create the look or vibe you’re going for.

Working out from the center of the wheel: Ring 1 is black, Ring 2 are neutrals, Ring 3 are what she calls “non-color colors” and Ring 4 are the brights. The further apart the rings are, the more drama and tension between the colors. For example, black (Ring 1) and red (Ring 4) is a very bold and dramatic pairing. But brown (Ring 2) and sage (Ring 3) is a “quieter” and calmer mix.

Whether your palette is warm or cool, the premise holds. So for the second outfit above, the burgundy pants would be Ring 3, and the pink sweater Ring 4. So even though there’s a brightness to the outfit, the contrast doesn’t feel stark.

Color & Contrast

The more natural contrast you have in your coloring (between hair, skin, and eyes), usually the more contrast you can bring into your outfits. But sometimes you just have to play around to find the combinations and contrast levels that feel best for you.

Color analysis can be a wonderful tool to help you evolve your personal style, but it’s not meant to box you in; it’s there to help you make choices that feel intentional and harmonious. Once you understand what works best for you, it’s easier to bend the “rules” with confidence. I’d love to hear some of your favorite color combinations…let me know in comments!

Affiliate links in posts may generate commissions for unefemme.net. See my complete disclosure policy here.