Bright colours can be stylish too, can't they?

[HarrySnotter]

So many people seem to say greys, taupes, muted colours blah blah blah to look stylish, classy and 'put together' and that is mostly what I wear but god I'm bored. Bored with feeling boring! I have a friend who wears lots of really bright colours and she looks so stylish and beautiful but I just can't seem to pull it off. I always seem to look as if I'm about to present a children's TV show.

So those of you who wear bright colours and look wonderful, how do you do it?

Wear grey with a brighter coloured something: boots or coat or belt or scarf... Not all, just one thing thing!

I have some grey clothes as they don't show up the dog hair so much and I look amazing in black (which I have to sticky roller to death, due to hairy pooch).

But camel, taupe, beige, white, insipid pastels make me look dead.

I go for rather plain clothes but well-fitted, with a bright scarf, necklace or earrings to jazz it up. And I have some nutty shoes

Wear what suits your shape and colouring. Buy a bunch of stuff from charity shops to experiment and take back what you don't like - win-win for everyone.

I'm all about black but I remember stumbling across Anna Murphy's instagram page. She's fashion editor for the Times and has recently published a book called How Not To Wear Black

www.instagram.com/annagmurphy/?hl=en

www.amazon.co.uk/How-Not-Wear-Black-Wardrobe/dp/0241366682?tag=mumsnetforum-21

I do tend to wear something with colour like a scarf or a bag etc but I'm definitely stuck in a grey rut. I met said friend for lunch yesterday and she had on a bright green shirt dress which I know sounds terrible but she looked so.good!

I am a lover of colour too & I think the trick is that the fabric has to 'look' fairly expensive (ie not too thin or shiny) and the colours have to be quite deep
I'm also a huge fan of a brightly coloured coat
Btw your friends green shirt dress sounds amazing!

Do you actually suit bright colours though?

You need to be a winter really. Emerald green, cerise pink etc. It depends on what you suit.

I love a bit of colour and tend to wear it in a pattern form, like a tunic dress with beautiful flowers on. I must admit my favorite colours are khaki green, navy and dark grey but I DO NOT wear a capsule wardrobe so you'll find primrose yellow, reds, lots and lots of colourful patterns too. Clothes should be fun, I've got to the point where I don't really care if it's 'my' colour and just go for it. Usually if you're drawn to something that it suits you.

My boss always wears bright colours and always looks stylish. She is winter and carries off the colours extremely well.

I'm a winter and I wear colours.

I've been thinking about this lately. It's not so much brights that I'm missing as deep colours. I'm into an androgynous style at the moment and I've drifted into wearing a lot of grey but I've also cut down on makeup which has been a sharp reminder that, while grey works better than black, it's still not a great colour for me.

Summer will be easier as I have silk shirts in deep greens and pinks to wear with slouchy trousers. But for now I feel torn between the style I like and the colours that suit me. Scarves aren't a great solution as they draw the eye to my jowls, although I do like an old-school men's paisley scarf, just hanging straight down.

I know what you mean, but bright colours look ghastly on me because I'm pale-skinned with freckles and have light brown hair with a reddish undertone. I tend to stick to lighter colours and, yes, I have a fair bit of pale grey and pastel going on. I don't like black though.

I think if you have darker colouring then a bright palette can look great, but as pp have said, you want to limit it to one item of clothing and pick the rest of your outfit from more neutral tones. Otherwise you'll end up looking like Kimmy Schmidt.

I love colours and bright prints. Whether I look wonderful is another question. but here are my thoughts! Agree with elQuinto that you can combine brights with something more subdued - for example I'd wear a vintage print dress with darl tights and a grey cardigan, or vibrant mustard coat with jeans and a plain grey jumper or black print blouse.

Also true about the quality thing - I love my mustard coat and it looks v classy IMO but it is posh, Hobbs, pure wool and a flattering cut. the same colour would not look as nice in cheaper fabric. The colour draws the eye and highlights the fabric surface.

And also it is easier in summer - I will wear a full length bright orange striped or pink floral dress etc. but I don't feel odd or noticeable if it's warm and sunny. Again pair the brights with a plainer background so I'd wear a dress like that with a dark or neutral cardigan or jacket, dark brown leather sandals and so on.

Maybe try getting a taste for it with more muted clothes with a bright bag or jewellery. I saw a woman once in summer, wearing a plain black midi dress, shades and sandals, with a bright, chunky orange necklace and she just looked amazing and really inspired me I shamelessly copied the look

And you could ask your colourful friend to suggest something she thinks might suit you?

The kids TV show look you refer to I think can happen with primary colours, which I instinctively avoid. My brights are all strong pinks, greens, orange, mustard, that kind of thing.

Oh and I'm pale-skinned, but warm-toned. Blue doesn't suit me at all but yellows, oranges and pinks seem to work with my pale skin.

I have red hair and emerald green, royal blue and deep purple suit my colouring. Sometimes it's nice to break away from navy and black. I hate grey it makes me age by about ten years unless it's a softer lighter grey.

I love bright colours and think hope that I put them together well. I agree that coloured fabrics need to look 'expensive' and I think you have to choose your colours carefully - they need to suit you and each other. I know 'having your colours done' is a bit passé, but I found it really useful as it gave me a reduced palate to work from.

The trick, I think, is to pair something brightly-colored with black, grey, or navy. So if you’re going to wear a bright color or pattern on top, keep the slacks or skirt to a solid grey, navy or black. Likewise, if you have a crazy-patterned skirt with bright colors, pick a bright dominant color from the skirt and find a solid color top to match.

A dress in a solid bright color or a bright pattern can be lovely, too. In that case, I keep the jewelry small and to a minimum.

I disagree with the advice to wear a. Bright coloured top with black trousers. It’s the one piece of advice which I took from trinny which I think is right. Bright colours look better with something tonal I think

I mostly wear dull basic colours, but have a bright daffodil yellow hobo bag and a mustard nylon one which inject vigour into a look. Basically, the same advice as outonthetiles. Always a surprise contrast or clash, even if a small one. Now, you might want to think about bright opaque tights.

Yes I think bright print skirt / black top can look cool, but black trousers and bright top not so much. Depends on the colours though. Any “rule” can be broken.

I wear bright colours and lots of them. I’m not a fan of colour-run type lilacs and pale blues.

Don’t wimp out. Strong yellow with strong red with strong pink. Try black shoes, orange jeans, black top, massive orange earrings. Or similar.