Many people talk about colour yet are not sure what colours look best together.Here are some design basics that may help you.
Monochrome colours– black and white, with grey as the blend of both
Primary Colours– red, blue and yellow
Rainbow spectrum– red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo and violet
Secondary Colours– orange, green and purple ( mixed from 2 primary colours)
Tertiary colours– brown, olive green and teal ( mixed from one secondary and one primary colour.
Opposite colours– these are the colours on the colour wheel that are directly opposite each other.
Harmonious colours– colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel.
It is interesting to think about what colours do you usually choose for your Raceday wear.
There is an old saying that a hat should have no more than 3 colours on it.
Some race days supposedly have “strict” colour traditions, for example Derby Day at the Melbourne Cup. You are meant to wear black, white or any combination of these colours in patterns ( stripes, dots, florals, block colour etc). However if you did attend the day and wore a different colour, that is still your choice.
The season event you are attending also can slightly dictate the colour that you wear. Often pure, bright, harmonious or pastels for Spring race events.
Warm muted tones for autumn racedays are favoured but you can wear bright colours if you like.
However you should always pick colours that do suit you, not just because some fashion designer says that this is the ‘in” colour for the season. It may not suit you at all.
Often woman fall back on black “as its more slimming” however with some ladies and men back is too harsh and makes your skin and appearance unhealthy. Often navy is a better choice.
White is great, but an all white outfit at the races may look too bridal? But could work with the right skin tone and style of dress.
Underlying all these choices is that you need to be happy and comfortable with your colour choice and style of the day- from the hat to the dress to the shoes. Wear colours and dress and millinery designs that make you feel happy and confident.
The combination of colours and patterns can also create a totally different effect.
Large patterns in bold colours may work in some fashionistas, but on another person it may be too overpowering and the wearer is lost in the garment. I believe also in age appropriate for an outfit and millinery, that the overall effect is flattering and in harmony. If you are going in Fashions on the Field competitions, you may go for a more striking colour combination, but the balance of the colours and proportions still need to work in harmony.
