How To Style Bright Colors & Rock It Over 40

How To Style Bright Colors

Have you ever heard of dopamine dressing? It’s a trend that sprung up in 2022 and is still going strong. The idea is that you dress in a way that’s meant to boost your mood. And one way to do that…is to wear bright colors! I personally love to add pops of color in my wardrobe, but I know that wearing bright colors is out of some of your comfort zones. I’m sharing some tips and outfit ideas to help you feel more confident wearing color. If you’re used to wearing neutrals and are ready to embrace some colors, this post is for you…

I recently did an entire post on the color PINK! If you’re interested, you can find that post here.

Tip #1) Try Bold Accessories

Trying a bold accessory is one of the easiest ways to add a pop of color! A bright pair of shoes, a bold-colored bag, some fun colorful sunnies, or even a brightly colored printed scarf are all great options for adding some color to your wardrobe.

Tip #2) Choose Colors Wisely

Our next tip is to choose colors wisely. There are some colors that look great on everyone and every skin tone. Jewel tones like cobalt blue, emerald green, or deep red are great colors to try out if you’re new to the color game. Think about what colors you like, try wearing them, and if the color lights up your face, it’s the color for you! Colors that I know I look good in and love are cobalt blue, most shades of pink, shades of green, and certain yellows.

If you’re interested, I’ve shared even more tips and some jewel-tone outfits here.

Tip #3) Block Your Colors

If you already know what colors look good on you…great! Maybe you should try color blocking your outfits. You’ll see this chic pink and red color blocked outfit shared again below but a few other shades that work well together are pink and orange, pink and blue, blue and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple, yellow and green, and many, many more!

Tip #4) Don’t Mix Too Many Colors

I’m all for colorblocking and mixing colors BUT…you don’t want to mix too many colors. If you’re mixing bright colors, I’d stick with only mixing a max of two different colors so you still get that bold, colorful look but it’s not too overpowering!

Tip #5) Pair Colored Clothes w/ Neutrals

If you’d rather not go full-blown color with your outfits, try mixing your one piece of colorful clothing with neutrals. All-white outfit? Add a blue blazer! All black outfit? Add a red handbag. All brown outfit? Add a pop of pink!

Tip #6) Try Monochrome

How do you feel about monochromatic outfits? If you’ve ever worn an all-black outfit, you’ve worn monochrome! So why not try it out with a bright color? My biggest tip when trying a monochromatic look is to vary your tones and textures. In the look above, I’m wearing a green knit sweater with a green leather skirt…they are different shades of green and different textures. It helps add more depth to the look.

Keep scrolling for 10 bright-colored outfit ideas…

10 Bright Colored Outfits

Blue Printed Dress Outfit

If you’re ready to embrace bright color, this first outfit idea is pretty easy. All you have to do is throw on a dress! The blue printed dress I’m wearing by Diarrablu does all the heavy lifting. The color is beautiful and shades of blue look great on so many skin tones. Style it with neutral pieces you already have in your closet and BAM you’re done! It can be a dramatic maxi dress like this one or a simple blue mini or midi. And if blue isn’t your color…consider trying a dress in green, red, pink, yellow, or whatever color you want! I linked a few blue dress options below…

Mint Green Pop Of Color

Maybe you’re not quite ready to jump into a dramatic colorful dress. Especially if you’re normally used to wearing only black and white. No problem! Consider adding a pop of color with your outerwear. In this look, I’m wearing an all-white outfit (varying tones and textures) and added a gorgeous mint green blazer. I love wearing blazers, but your colorful outerwear can be a cargo jacket, bomber jacket, or whatever fits your style. This Cinq a Sept blazer comes in a ton of color options so you can choose what color speaks to you. I have it in white, black, and pink too.

If you prefer to stick to a neutral color palette, make sure you check out my post on black and brown outfits too!

Red Bag Pop of Color

Another great way to try color without committing to a piece of outerwear is to add a handbag! I mentioned in my tips above that adding bold accessories are a great way to try color. As you can see in this look, I’m wearing a white blazer and jeans but the pop of red really packs a punch. Another great thing about adding a colorful accessory is that you can find affordable options. I linked a few colorful accessories below.

Color Blocked Pink & Red Outfit

How do you feel about color blocking? It can be tricky but if you’re a color lover, it’s SO fun! I love mix and matching different pieces to see what color combinations work on me. Pink and red are by far one of my favorite color combos. In the look above, I’m wearing a red oversized blazer with fun hot pink pants. If you don’t like these colors, maybe you try a pink blazer with brown pants or a green dress with a yellow blazer. The possibilities really are endless! But remember to limit the number of colors you’re mixing to two.

Pink Monochrome Outfit

If you love a bright outfit and really want to embrace it, you should try a head-to-toe monochromatic look! In the outfit above, I’m wearing bright pink, which is one of the hottest fashion trends right now. But you can do a monochromatic look in any color you like! Some other big 2023 color trends include cobalt blue, metallics, greens, reds, and purples.

Yellow Dress Outfit

This is one of those color combinations I’ve mentioned that really works. And I love it for spring and summer! I’m wearing a bright yellow dress with the same Cinq a Sept mint green blazer from the second look. Again, you can change the color combo to pink and green, blue and green, or whatever you prefer. OR wear the bright colored dress on its own without adding in the second color.

Purple Dress Outfit

I know this entire post is meant to show you how to wear bright colors. But you can still wear color without it being super bright. This more muted purple dress, for example, isn’t bright neon purple. But it’s still a beautiful color you can try! I linked some more muted options below…

Green Printed Top Outfit

If you don’t want to wear a colorful dress, a colorful accessory, or colorful outerwear…try brightly colored tops! This pretty printed green top is an easy piece to throw on with jeans or shorts for summer and you still get that bright color pop. I also love that it’s printed instead of a solid color because it gives that same muted effect I was talking about in the last outfit. I linked a few more printed colorful tops below…

Red Skirt Outfit

Depending on your body shape, you may want to avoid wearing colors on certain parts of your body. For example, if you’re a Triangle body shape, you may not want to wear bright colors on your lower half because they will make that area look bigger. If you’re an Inverted Triangle body shape, wearing bright colors and prints on your lower half will actually help balance out your body shape. Which is why I wanted to share this fun red faux leather midi skirt as an example of how to style your bright statement pieces for your body. Red is one of those jewel tones that looks amazing on so many people, but how you style it is just as important. I’m sharing more red tops and bottoms below…

Lipstick Pop of Color

If all of these tips and outfit ideas are still feeling like too much color for you…try to wear colorful lipstick! I love bright red or pink lipstick to add a fun little pop of color. Some of my favorites include…

Sephora Lip Stain in Always Red or Flaming Flamingo
YSL Matte Lipstick in Insurgent Red

What color or color combination are you going to try next? Do you have any specific questions about how to wear and style bright colors? Let us know in the comments below!

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