Whether you’re the wedding planner or the friend from primary school, choosing a dress to wear to a wedding is one of the most important decisions before the big day.
Not only does the wedding theme need to be taken into consideration, but your personality and complexion do too. Which colours will be the perfect companion to your hair? Your eyes? Your skin tone and shape?
No need to panic! We’ve got colouring advice from professional colour consultations, the Style Doctors, to help you find your perfect look. Get inspired and if you need a little extra help, get in touch with Style Doctors before going on your next shopping trip.
Insider tip: The key to colour pairing is contrast – so keep that in mind as you see what our stylists have hand-selected for you.
Jewel Tones
Navy Multiway Maxi Dress, Showcase Navy Gem Clutch Bag, Showcase Black Cage Box Clutch Bag, Silver ‘Scala’ Strappy Sandals, Silver ‘Emily’ Pointed Court Shoes, Occasion Accessories
Jewel tones: royal blue, magenta, deep purple, emerald green, teal
Hair colours that work best: auburn, red, blonde
Complexions that work best: pale, rosy, olive
Jewel tones are very rich and deep. Pale skin tones work well because of the high contrast. The luxurious colours bring life and light to ashy hair colours and harmonise with blondes and redheads extremely well. If you have a darker complexion but still love turquoise, magenta, and emerald, offset the outfit with some lighter coloured accessories – white court shoes or some silver jewellery.
Warm Brights
Coral Cowl Neck Chiffon Midi Dress, Magenta Velvet ‘Shay’ Sandals, Occasion Accessories
Warm Brights: red, orange, marigold, coral, scarlet
Hair colours that work best: blonde, brown, black
Complexions that work best: olive, tan, dark
These warm, bright colours create gorgeous contrast with darker-skinned, darker-haired women. While red is a very complementary colour on many (including blondes), oranges, yellows and corals bring the rosy colouring to complete a balanced look for women with olive undertones in their skin or very dark skin. If you’re very deliberate with styling, these are also very fun colours to pair a “cool bright” with – like a royal blue heel.
Pastels
Blush Floral Scuba Pencil Dress, Multi Coloured 3D Flower Box Clutch, Silver Wristlet Clutch, Lily & Franc Nude Clerk Sunglasses, Silver ‘Scarlett’ Sandals, Blush ‘Ginna’ Flower Court Shoes, Blush Velvet ‘Evie’ V-Shape Point Court
Pastel colours: powder blue, pale pink, tangerine, mint green, pale yellow, lavender
Hair colours that work best: blonde, red, black
Complexions that work best: pale, rosy, tan, dark
With pastels, you can split them into two groups: cool pastels include mint, powder blue, and lavender; warm pastels include pale pink, tangerine and pale yellow. The cool pastels complement rosy complexions very nicely as they balance the reddish colouring (powder blue looks especially good on redheads!). Warm pastels work great with tanned skin tones and darker hair. These pale pinks and yellows can quickly wash out a rosy or extremely light complexion and the cooler colours mute any warmth in darker tones. Remember, pale and warm complexion = cool colours; cool or darker complexion = warm colours. This isn’t a fail-safe and there’s reasons to break these guidelines but it’s a good place to start.
Neutrals
Monochrome Fit & Flare Dress, Black’ Sophia’ Sandals, Black Metal Preppy Sunglasses, Occasion Accessories
Neutral colours: black, grey, tan, navy, nude, blush
Hair colours that work best: all
Complexions that work best: all
Our stylists love neutrals because they can be paired with different colours and textures. Neutrals act as a blank slate for your outfit so fit and quality is especially important when investing in these types of clothes. Browns and blush tones look especially great on pale complexions. Whites, beiges and camel tones look fantastic on darker complexions and darker hair colours. For day, style your neutrals with a pair of flats and casual jewellery. Switch them out for a statement heel with a pop of colour for night.
Now It’s Your Turn…
After reading these guidelines you should have a basic understanding of which colours to look out for when picking an outfit. Even though it’s the bride’s day it doesn’t mean that you can’t look just as fab. If you’re struggling with the ideal of contrast colour pairing or feel as though you don’t fit into a colouring category described above, feel free to reach out to our stylists. We have years of experience in colour consultations and personal shopping, helping men and women find the perfect outfit for any occasion. The perfect look is out there just for you, and we can help you get there.
