If you thought that matching your clothes with your accessories and make-up were enough to be considered ‘stylishly turned out’, it is time to look at the latest 2011 fad of ‘Colour blocking’. At first it may seem as if the colours clash but this trend is more than that. It is the art of ‘matching’ contrasting or complimentary colours and taking it to a totally new dimension. This trend attempts to achieve the ‘Bold’ yet ‘chic’ look which makes it a popular favourite specially among the young women. The effect is not only bright, cheerful and very summery but also uncluttered, simple and minimalist without being dull and boring.

What is Colour Blocking?

 

It is the art of coordinating bright solid colours on an ensemble that are ordinarily not paired together. Either two or more fabrics of co-ordinated colour schemes are sewn together or the colours are worn as separates. The stress is on vividness and boldness and the look is dramatic. This trend has therefore no room for warm muted shades. However, one can easily go wrong with this trend as it involves the use of two to three bright colours. It is advisable to introduce a basic colour like black, grey or brown to give the eyes a rest.

“The rules are pretty simple — you either wear an outfit with a few blocks of colour or make your own look by wearing solid colour separates and colour-blocked accessories,” says Rahul Khanna of Cue.

How to get it right?

 

The focus is to let the colours in your ensemble speak. Anything else that takes the attention away from them will not work. So make-up has to be neutral and no big stripes or floral prints.

It is important to refer to a colour wheel if you have no idea where to begin. For best results, choose colours that lie opposite to the one you want to wear. For example, you could accessorize an orange dress with a turquoise bag and shoes or do it the other way round.

Choose what you want to color block and keep the rest of your look simple. For instance, if you have colour blocked shoes, keep the rest simple. This not only makes you look elegant but also chic.

Keep the look simple by coordinating two to three solid colours rather than prints and patterns.

Experiment with different hues from the same colour family.

Lastly, try to stick with three to four colours if you want more than two on your ensemble. More colours will look cluttered.