By 
So close to the weekend! This time of year is always so stressful and busy (hello, finals) but also magical as well. I had such a great time last night watching A White Christmas for the first time in a pretty venue at a local hotel. What a cute and heartwarming movie! Have you seen it? While I did not wear this outfit last night, I really should have. It would’ve been super festive without “trying too hard.”
You may have noticed the patriotic color scheme of this outfit…Yes, that was on purpose. Today I want to help you get over your color combo fears and embrace the patriotic look without looking like the Fourth of July. Yes, that’s right, you can wear red and blue together.
So often, I think holidays or sports teams create color combinations that we then mark “off-limits” to avoid looking goofy. I totally get that, orange and black stripes can look a bit witchy. (I actually wrote a blog post about how you can even wear black and orange together.) But isn’t that just silly? Our closets could be filled with potential if we only looked past these restrictions and opened our hearts to embracing Independence Day, even in the winter. 😉
I personally love blue and red together. One because, ‘Murica, obviously. But two, I just think the colors complement each other nicely. So how can you embrace this colorful look? Don’t you worry, I gotchu.
If you’re a little apprehensive about trying this bold look, I recommend working with muted tones first. Navy blue instead of cobalt, for example, or maroon instead of a true red. These colors are not only less “in-your-face” but together represent less of a flag. Think about it, in July when it’s warm and everything’s about BBQs (oh, how I miss those days) people are more into bright colors. It’s summer, after all! In the winter, however, muted colors can just make more sense and seem less patriotic.
Another tip: AVOID WHITE. Honestly, I found this kind of hard when creating this outfit because it just seemed so natural to add white! Haha. But really, white will make your outfit look a little tacky. Instead, try substituting it with black—an edgier, more winter appropriate color that is the exact opposite of the obvious white.
Accessorize wisely. I really do think accessories can make or break an outfit, especially in one as bold as this. I didn’t get a great shot of this necklace from JCrew, but it was a great addition to the look for two reasons. One, it incorporated the blue but also introduced new colors (peach and a periwinkle shade). The addition of a few extra shades here and there breaks up the strictly blue and red combo and adds interest without being too matchy-matchy. The second reason the necklace is important is because it adds sparkle, like the red scarf. Anything sparkly will always glam a look up for the holidays and makes this outfit more Christmas festive than “mmm let’s grill some hot dogs and watch fireworks.”
So what do you think? Have I convinced you to step outside your comfort zone and try this color combination? I hope I have! I also wish you a very merry…weekend. Unfortunately, it’s too early to say Christmas. ;-p
Miles of smiles,
Grace
Red Textured Blouse: Liz Claiborne via JCPenney, $18 // Blue Ruffle Pea Coat: Francesca’s, $40 // Black Pants: JCPenney, $25 // Black Quilted Boots: Nordstrom Rack, $40 // Red Sparkly Scarf: unknown, $20, debut on the blog // Black Patent Leather Purse: hand-me-down