Warm Spring outfits

Putting your colors together

Start from one neutral and layer color on top. Camel suits you best, and cream, ivory, khaki and oatmeal are good choices too.

Aim for medium contrast. Contrast means how far apart your lightest and darkest pieces sit. A marigold dress in its brightest shade worn with oatmeal sandals feels balanced, since both carry the same golden warmth. Pure white set against stark black is too harsh for medium coloring.

An accent works best close to your face, so choose a top or a piece of jewelry. Shades like coral, poppy or apple green do a lot to light up your skin. One accent is plenty, and 2 is the most an outfit can take before it feels busy.

Everyday Warm Spring looks

Here are five easy outfits to start with. Each one pairs a golden neutral with one or two of your brightest colors.

1. For the office: camel trousers, a silk blouse in cream, and a coral blazer.
2. Off duty: khaki chinos with an ivory tee and a cardigan in bright turquoise.
3. Dinner: a poppy wrap dress, heels in deep camel, and a gold clutch.
4. A summer party: a sundress in bright marigold, finished with sandals in oatmeal and earrings in aqua.
5. When autumn arrives: layer a camel coat in a deep shade over a cream sweater, then add a scarf in apple green and boots in tan.

A capsule wardrobe for Warm Spring

A capsule wardrobe means a handful of pieces that all work together, so mornings take less thought. Pick 2 or 3 neutrals first, then add some tops in the colors that define you.

• Camel trousers, or a coat in camel
• A cream blouse or a cream sweater
• An ivory tee
• Chinos in khaki
• A coral blazer or a coral top
• A cardigan in bright turquoise
• A poppy dress
• An apple green scarf
• Shoes in tan or deep camel

Since every one of these sits on a golden base, almost any top pairs with almost any bottom.

Prints and patterns

Pick prints with a cream or camel background instead of a harsh white one. Designs that bring together aqua, bright coral, soft lime and sunflower suit your natural brightness. Fresh florals are your friend, while stiff black and white stripes are not.

Footwear, bags and metals

Leather in tan, camel or deep gold blends quietly with your clothes. Sandals in oatmeal and heels in deep camel pair with nearly any dress.

Yellow gold and brass melt into your skin and bring warmth to it; silver, by contrast, reads as chilly and distant. Shoes and bags in black feel heavy beside your sunny shades.

Pieces you already own in skip colors

You can keep black, rose, dark rose, bright cobalt, lilac and teal. Just wear them below the face, as pants, skirts or shoes.

If a skip color ends up on top, put a palette shade close to your chin, such as a scarf in apple green or soft terracotta. Gold earrings also help.