Color in Fashion

GOOD DESIGN EQUATION….

ELEMENTS PRINCIPLES

• Line
• Shape • Balance
• Space + • Proportion = GOOD DESIGN!
• Texture • Emphasis
• Color
Colors as Symbols

• Traffic light – red, yellow, green

• Holiday colors
• Groups – countries (flags), Sports teams, etc.
Warm Colors
• Warm colors: red, orange, and yellow
• People seek red, orange, gold, and
brown in the fall to feel warm on chilly
mornings
• Warm colors tend to advance/move
towards you
• Excitement, cheerful, action
Cool Colors
• COOL COLORS: BLUES, GREENS, AND PURPLES
• Often worn in spring and summer because
they create a cooling feeling
• Tend to recede or move away from you
• Calm and relaxing
COLORS AND MOOD!
• RED- BOLD, EXCITED, OR NERVOUS
• ORANGE- LESS AGGRESSIVE, MAKES
YOU FEEL FRIENDLY, HOPEFUL, OR
ENERGIZED
• YELLOW- CHEERFULNESS, HAPPINESS
• GOLD IS SIMILAR BUT MORE
FORMAL
• BLUE- CALM BUT FORMAL
COLOR PERSONALITIES!!
• To appear refined, romantic
• Warm to cool hues
• Lighter values
• Dull, muted to medium intensities including pastels
• Close contrasts, subtle
• Examples: shell pink, lavender, misty rose, orchid,
blue, peach, all pastels
COLOR PERSONALITIES!!!
• To feel and appear happy,
youthful, sportive
• Warmer hues
• Light to dark values
• Medium to bright intensities
• Strong contrasts, bold
• Examples: coral, red,
khaki, ivory, brown, camel,
cinnamon, brick
COLOR PERSONALITIES!!!
• To appear mature, serious, somber,
classic
• Cool hues
• Dark values
• Dull intensities
• Examples: navy blue, taupe,
charcoal, maroon, gray, black
COLOR PERSONALITIES!!

• To feel and appear dramatic/exotic

• Warm to cool hues
• Dark values, deep
• Bright intensities, rich
• Strong contrasts, bold
• Magenta, fuchsia, emerald green, royal
blue, regal purple, sapphire, amethyst
 WHAT'S YOUR
FAVORITE COLOR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTs4tN24Y14
COLOR SCHEME
• A combination of colors that is pleasing to the
eyes because of the values and intensities.
• Provides guidelines for designing successfully
with color
• Color schemes look best when one color
dominates
 1. Neutral
2. Monochromatic
Types of Color 3. Analogous
Schemes 4. Complementary
5. Split- Complementary
6. Triadic
Neutral

• One, two, or three achromatic neutrals, may

or may not vary in the degree of warmness or
coolness, lightness or darkness, brightness or
dullness
• Effect: vary in mood depending on the degree
of light and dark value contrast
• Are most effective if the degree of
lightness or darkness in your hair and/or
skin coloring is repeated in the lightness or
darkness of the clothing
Neutral

• White, black, and gray

• Why are black and white not on the color wheel?
• Not colors
• All light absorbed = black
• All light reflected = white
• Useful because they change value/intensity of color
• Beige and brown are sometimes considered neutral
but are not true neutral because they have a yellow
or brown base
• Accent colors are often used with neutral color
schemes
Neutral Color Schemes
Accented neutral

• One color added to other neutrals to form a

scheme.
• Possible colors: black, white & red, browns
with light blue
• Effect: draws attention to the one added hue
 Monochromatic

• Mono means “one”, refers to the tints

tones and shades of one color
• Possible color combinations are
limitless!
• Mint green and forest green
• Generally calming, however it depends
on the hue
Monochromatic
• Tints and shades of one color on the color wheel
• Changing value and intensity of the hue
• Quiet, restful effect
Monocrhomatic
Analogous
• Often referred to as adjacent. Two, three, or
four hues that lie next to one another on the
color wheel. All hues have one hue in common.
• Possible colors (Can include tints, tones &
shades)
• Yellow-green, yellow, yellow-orange, orange
Analogous
• More visually pleasing to use a primary,
secondary, and tertiary grouping
• Feeling created: can be calming or exciting
depending on whether they come from the cool
or warm side of the color wheel.
• This color scheme is most effective if one of
the hues repeats some aspect of your
personal coloring… eyes, hair…
 Complementary
Two colors that are directly opposite
each other on the color wheel
Complementary
• Possible colors: red & green, blue & orange
• Feeling associated: stimulating due to
opposite visual characteristics. By dulling
the intensity or value, calming effect may be
achieved.
• Can be very flattering to personal
coloring, and versatile
Split-
Complementary
Three colors, they combine one color with the
two colors on each side of its complement
Split Complementary
 Triadic
Three colors that are equal distance
apart on the color wheel
 Triad

• Possible colors: tints, tones

and shades of primary or
secondary colors
• Very exciting and
stimulating if used in full
strength.
 Things to
consider when
choosing color
in fashion

• What type of mood do you want to set with your

outfit?
• What are you attending/doing today?
 1. Neutral
2. Monochromatic
3. Analogous
Review 4. Complementary
5. Split-Complementary
6. Triadic
COLOR AND FASHION
ASSIGNMENT #1
Find a picture of an outfit for each color
scheme.

Explain which colors are in the design,

and where the colors are found in the
outfit.

Tell what color scheme is created by the

colors.

Explain the effect of the colors on the

body.

Describe the effect of the scheme, does

it draw attention, or is it calming?
FASHION AND COLOR
ASSIGNMENT #2

• Either draw an 8 headed fashion

model or use one of the croquis
provided and design an outfit using
your favorite color scheme
• Send me a picture of your fashion
sketch