Color Blocking: How to Color Block Your Outfits

Color Blocking is the art of combining many blocks of solid, bold colors with significant contrast. These contrasting colors are frequently used in one outfit to create an intriguing standout piece. Color blocking can refer to a solid-colored T-shirt, jacket, and pant combo, as well as a clothing made up of three solid-colored materials.

Color Blocking in Modern Fashion

Color-blocking has cemented its place in today’s fashion environment, providing a platform for designers to test the limits of established style rules.

Color blocking is a trend that’s been around for a few years now and it’s not going anywhere soon. Color experimentation is well-known among fashion brands such as Gucci, Prada and many other designers.Color blocking is one of the simplest ways to stand out and appear fashionable. Another advantage of color blocking is that it may be done with materials that are quite simple, comfy, and inexpensive. The main problem is determining which color combinations will work well together.

Other Color Blocking Terms

1. Color Wheel

A color wheel is a circular diagram that shows how different colors relate to one another. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet are the seven colors it comes in. Color wheels highlight the relationship between primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors and allow color relationships to be depicted geometrically. Understanding how the color wheel works is necessary for learning how to combine colors.

2. Primary Colors

Red, yellow, and blue are primary colors. Any color on the visible spectrum may be made with these three hues. Hues that mix to generate a variety of other colors are known as primary colors.

3. Secondary colors

They are those that result from the mixing of two primary colors. Orange (yellow with red) green (yellow plus blue) and purple (red plus blue).

4. Tertiary colors

They are those that result from the presence of more than one primary color in a secondary blend. For example, magenta (red-purple), vermillion (red-orange), amber (yellow-orange), chartreuse (yellow-green), teal (blue-green), and violet (blue-purple).

5. Schemes and Palettes

In color theory, a color scheme is any group of colors selected from a specified color relation. Monochromatic, analogous, triadic color schemes, complementary, and other color relations are examples. A color palette is created by selecting a few colors and variations that pair and match well, then combining them into a scheme.

Each color palette has its own distinguishing feature that sets it apart from others. The main idea behind color blocking is to use a color palette that includes two or more bold colors that contrast strongly against each other. Though this isn’t an easy feat, when done correctly, you create a cohesive-looking outfit with eye-catching color contrast and composition. If you know how to put together a clothing color palette using a few bold colors, you’re ready to color block

6. Contrast

Color blocking is only truly “blocking” if the colors you’re matching have enough contrast. Because red and blue are contrasting hues, combining them together would be appropriate. There are two types of contrast when it comes to color:

1. Contrast of hue (color contrast). 2. Contrast of luminance (difference in brightness)

There is a lot of color contrast when two hues on the color wheel are far apart. It’s fairly easy to distinguish two colors if their hues are drastically different.

7. Canvas and Accent Colors

Canvas colors are those that make up the majority of your wardrobe and serve as a “canvas” on which you can “paint.” That makes sense, right? Neutrals like black, gray, white, and brown, as well as navy blue, denim, and beige, are common canvas colors. These hues serve as the foundation for adding accent colors.Accents are items that draw attention to your attire (obviously). This gives your outfit its much-needed personality and charm. Any color can be used as an accent, but if you want to color block, it’s almost necessary to choose bright and bold colors. Solid, brightly colored tops and jackets are most typically linked with the color-blocking trend (as accents). Color blocking, on the other hand, can be done with nearly anything: pants, skirts, jeans, shorts, socks and so on. To make it work, keep everything else simple and neutral, allowing the color-blocked pieces to stand out even more.

HOW TO COLOR BLOCK AN OUTFIT

1. Choose Two Contrasting Colors

Begin by blending two colors that have a strong contrast. You can use any colors for this step, although bold colors straight from the color wheel work well. Let’s use cyan (blue-green) and magenta (bright purple) as an example. Because they are both very bright, there isn’t much luminance contrast. However, because they are so far off on the color wheel, there is a lot of color contrast.Magenta and cyan are two hues that have a great contrast. They work well.Select at least one item of clothes in each hue and place it aside. To increase the efficacy of contrast, both articles of clothing should be worn next to each other. Make sure both pieces of clothing are solid (not patterned) and the colors are bright and bold. This is crucial for successful color blocking. Themed clothing works best when the theme’s color complements both color blocks.

2. Find A Suitable Canvas

Fill up the rest of the outfit with neutral-colored elements. The goal is to determine the hue of your canvas. Clothing in black, gray, or white goes with practically any bright accent, so those are usually good choices. It’s advisable to do so.

3. Make Sure The Colors Harmonize

You can clearly determine if the colors work nicely together now that you’ve taken out all of your important clothing items from your wardrobe. If they do, you are set. If they don’t pair well, then simply exchange one of the two bold color blocks.

3 Simple Tips for Color Blocking

1. Start with solids.

Color blocking creates a daring enough look in and of itself. So, for beginners, there is no need to make it more complicated by adding in patterns. Keep it pure with solids only.

2. Stick with the same saturation.

Keep the other colors saturated if you’re starting with a highly saturated item. Consider less saturated, timid colours like pastels if you’re trying for a more subdued look. The visual weight of the colors you choose should be consistent.

3. Be color wheel wise.

1. Choose your favorite color from the wheel if you only want to mix two colors. If that hue is the main color of your ensemble, just accessorize with the color on the opposite side of the wheel. The complementary color is the opposite of the primary color. Consider accessorizing with a purple bag or shoes if you opt to wear a yellow dress. Blue and orange also go good together.

2. Find your main color on the wheel first if you want to improve your color blocking game and blend three colors. Then, across the wheel, draw an equilateral triangle (a triangle with all three sides equal) from it to two additional colors. Those three colors form a naturally harmonious color combination.