Polka Spots and Freckle Dots

This is the first post of a new feature which I hope will become a permanent, or at least, a long-running, topic here on my blog. And it's called 'How to Wear Colour'.

How to Wear Colour will hopefully show you how to do what it says on the tin. I hope to cover a broad spectrum of colour-related topics from what colours to wear, how to build up your confidence with it, some ways in which it can be worn, if it can be worn when you're plus size (answer: hell yes!), and so much more.

I decided to start sharing my colour tips, hints, and advice because colour is a huge part of my personal style, and an area I'm passionate about. It's one of the few areas in life in which I have confidence, gained through many years of practise. I felt that it was time that I started talking about my love of colour more on my blog, not only to make the blog more personal, but also to help anybody who may want to wear colour but doesn't have the confidence to do so or know where to begin. This series is for you!

So, let's get this new feature started, shall we?

When you've dressed in a wardrobe of little else than black, white, and neutrals, for the majority of your life, it can be difficult knowing where to begin adding colour in to your style.

Never fear, today I have a few suggestions about how to begin your journey.

My first piece of advice would be to go window shopping. Head to your favourite clothing store or stores and have a thorough browse of the clothing available, taking time to take in the colours, patterns, and styles available. Graze the fabrics between your fingers, and try different colours against your skin tone. Pay particular attention to the colours outside your usual comfort zone. 

What are you drawn to? 

Maybe you're curious about how that cobalt blue skater skirt would look on you. Perhaps you're longing to be able to dress in bold poppy red, or are wondering how you'd look in colourful fitted dresses.

Don't spend time wondering; find out!

When you go to try on a pair of jeans or a fabulous skirt in your usual style, grab a couple of colourful garments which have caught your eye and try them on as well. 

You don't have to commit to buy them, this is just for fun. Just to see what they'd look like on you. Just for the hell of it.

You may never have considered wearing it in a million years, but you may be pleasantly surprised by how good you look and feel in that alien garment. If not, then you'll probably have a good giggle at your reflection, and you can try something else on next time.

 Repeat this process each time you go shopping. It should slowly but surely help you to get used to wearing colours and styles you're unfamiliar with wearing, and to coax you out a little from your comfort zone. It's a great learning curve for finding out which colours and styles suit you, and which ones you like and dislike wearing.  

If you feel great in a particular colour, wear it! Add a few things in that colour in to your wardrobe. And if you feel great in a particular piece, buy it!

If you have a friend or relative who loves to wear colour and is about your size, ask to raid their wardrobes for pieces to try on and borrow, so you can try wearing colour without parting with your hard-earned money too hastily. Make a deal with her; she can borrow your amazing Irregular Choice heels if you can borrow her gorgeous red polka dot dress.

Close friends and family will usually be happy to lend you something from their wardrobes, and it's a cheap and cheerful way of experimenting with colour without the financial commitment.

Alternatively, look out for clothing swaps in your area, and trade your unwanted pieces for new ones to play with. 

Clothing swaps are becoming quite popular nowadays, and will usually only set you back an entrance fee to access the swap. Just bring along some of your unwanted clothes, and you may just come home with some gorgeous colourful clothes that are perfect for you to start out with, and don't break the bank.

Dressing in colour from head to toe on your first wear is not something I'd recommend. Few of us have the confidence to jump straight in at the deep end, and doing so is most likely to leave you feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious.

It's best to ease yourself in to wearing colour, so I'd recommend beginning with small hints of colour, and taking it from there.

 Accessorising is the best place to start.- a fabulous bag or pair of shoes, or perhaps a belt, a scarf, a bracelet... there are so many accessories to choose from! They may be small, but accessories can really make or break an outfit, they can give an outfit impact, and quickly update old pieces. And if you're not feeling the look, they're easy enough to remove, and you can try again another day.

If you'd rather begin with clothing, try sticking to one garment per outfit to start with, and wear it on the areas of your body you're most comfortable with. If you love your legs, a pair of coloured jeans will look amazing, but if you're self conscious of those pins, like I am of mine, drawing attention to them with colour straight away may leave you feeling extremely self conscious. One step at a time, lovelies!

When you’re starting out with colour it can often take time to build up the courage and confidence to wear the garment or accessory out in public, by which time a trend may have had it‘s day. I’d recommend  sticking to wardrobe staples such as cute cardigans, scarves, and ballet pumps until you’re at ease with wearing colour in public. If you find colour is for you, you can shop the trends to your heart’s content later.

If you have any questions about wearing colour that you'd like me to answer, or if there's a colour-related topic you'd like me to feature as part of my How to Wear Colour series, please let me know! You can leave me a comment below, message me on Twitter at @FrecklesandDots, or send me an email at polkaspotsandfreckledots@gmail.com. I have lots of topics I plan to cover, but I'd love to hear your suggestions, too!