A Simple Trick for Getting Dressed

When you're feeling uninspired

Not unlike edible flavors that reliably complement one another (à la chocolate and peanut butter), there are particular shades of certain colors that are pretty much guaranteed to sing when paired in the same outfit. Whenever I’m stumped about what to wear, I find it helpful to remind myself what these pairings are and extrapolate from there. If that sounds stupidly simple — well, that’s kind of the point. It’s the perfect trick for those mornings when you want to feel like your outfit is saying something but your brain cells haven’t quite started firing yet. Below are six tried-and-true color combinations to consider.

Bright red + pale pink

Chava button down shirt — secondhand option here / éliou necklace / Fine Thee custom pants / Ann Mashburn flats — spotted secondhand here in a size 36

Such a satisfying combo, the outfit version of a hint of blush and a popsicle red lip. If you follow me on Instagram you may have already seen me wax poetic about these perfect red wool pants I got from Fine Thee, the Etsy shop I wrote about on Gumshoe last summer. They’re custom-tailored to my exact measurements (which is one of the shop’s specialities). I love them so much! I styled this outfit with leopard-print flats and a silver pendant strung on a brown leather cord, but any accessories in the “soft neutrals” family (brown, taupe, light gray, etc.) would work really nicely here.

Navy + black

Doên blouse — similar here / Polo sweater — secondhand option here / Miu Miu skirt (via The RealReal) — here’s another secondhand black pleated skirt that I bookmarked on Etsy / the best fleece-lined tights from Amazon / Suzanne Rae opera loafers — on sale here in a size 36 and 37, or secondhand option here in a size 8.5 / Arielle Ratner opal pendant

There’s a gravitas to navy and black that lends almost any outfit that elusive aura of put-togetherness without much effort on your part. This pleated Miu Miu skirt is one of my favorite 2023 scores from The RealReal and if you’re a paying subscriber you know exactly how I found it.

Gray + lavender

Leret Leret sweater via MUSE — secondhand lavender sweater option here / The Row pants — similar here / Sezane sneakers

Smoky gray — equal parts cozy and severe — is tempered by the delicate coolness of lavender. The effect is playful and serious at the same time. If you’re in the market for a pair of 100% wool gray slacks, COS has these right now which look just like the ones I’m wearing above.

Khaki + orange

Babaa sweater — secondhand option here / Old Celine skirt — secondhand options here and here / The Row boots (thank you, Barney’s closing sale!) — Loeffler Randall’s Collins boot have a similar feel / vintage fish pendant — you can find lots of similar ones on Etsy if you search “vintage articulated fish charm”

A shock of orange gives neutral, preppy khaki just the right amount of zing. This skirt has a bit of a green undertone, but the combination harmonizes just as well with yellower versions of khaki as well. I wear my orange Babaa sweater with these khaki cotton canvas pants from Buck Mason a lot.

Dark brown + olive green

Chava button down / The Row pants via The RealReal — here’s a similar pair from TRR, or you could go the Fine Thee made-to-order route / Le Orsine slippers

Dark brown pairs beautifully with olive, green’s best and briniest varietal. Note that your color vehicles don’t necessary have to be the outfit’s hero pieces, but can in fact be as subtle as a slipper.

Pale yellow + cream

La Ligne sweater — secondhand option here / Tory Burch coordinating top and pants / vintage loafers

I couldn’t write about color pairings without acknowleding my #stickofbutter legacy. A buttery outfit works best, in my humble opinion, when there are at least two different tones of butter in the mix, and with a darker pair of shoes to anchor the look. This Tory Burch top and coordinating pants are from the brand’s Spring 2019 collection and are some of my favorite pieces for achieving this effect. There are loads of these exact styles across a range of sizes on Poshmark if you search for variations of “Tory Burch safari shirt” and “Tory Burch lemon pants.” They’re the perfect shade of pale yellow (or “iced lemon,” per the Tory copywriters), and I wear them separately just as much as I wear them together.

xo Harling