Complementary
Opposite each other on the wheel: the strongest contrast. Let one color lead and wear its complement in a small dose, such as a bag, shoes or a scarf, with a neutral to calm the pair.
The color edit · No. 02
Outfit color wheel
Start from one color you love, or the piece you already own, and see six ways to build an outfit around it, worn on a figure, with every shade ready to copy.
Pick a base color
Changes the hue and keeps your color's lightness and strength. You can also click the wheel.
Dusty rose
Analogous
Neighbors 30° either side of the base. Low contrast and easy to wear head to toe; vary how light or dark each piece is so they do not blur into one.
Triadic
Three colors evenly spaced, 120° apart. Lively and playful: let one color dominate and bring in the other two in small amounts.
Split-complementary
The base plus the two colors either side of its complement, at 150° and 210°. Nearly as vivid as complementary, but easier to balance.
Monochrome
Lighter tints and darker shades of the same hue. Looks considered and makes one long line; mix textures (knit, silk, denim) so it does not look flat.
Neutral pairings
Neutrals that contrast with your color in lightness and, where your color has a warmth, share it: camel, ivory and chocolate for warm colors, navy, grey and white for cool ones.
How to use the outfit color wheel
Choose your base color: the color of the piece you want to build an outfit around. Type its hex code, use the color picker, tap one of the classics, or turn the wheel. Each card then shows one color scheme as swatches and on a simple figure. Tap a swatch to copy its hex code, or “Copy all” for the whole palette.
What the options do
- Wheel. The painter's wheel uses red, yellow and blue as its primaries, so red sits opposite green and blue opposite orange, as in most fashion and art color guides. The screen wheel is the red, green and blue wheel of digital color pickers, where red sits opposite cyan.
- Partner colors. “Same strength” keeps the base color's saturation and lightness. “Softer” lifts the partners into pastels; “Deeper” darkens and mutes them, which suits autumn and winter.
- Outfit and Base color on. Dress the figure in a top and trousers, a top and skirt, or a dress under a jacket, and choose where your base color goes.
- Show on the wheel. Marks the chosen scheme's points on the wheel.
Worked example
Start from dusty rose (#C98D93) on the painter's wheel. Its complement is a soft sage green (#92C98D), the classic pink-and-green pairing: wear the rose as a top and keep the sage to a bag or scarf. Its analogous neighbors are a pinkish lilac and a warmer, peachier rose, which work head to toe. The neutral pairings suggest black, chocolate, navy and ivory.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Color scheme: complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary and monochromatic schemes.
- Wikipedia, RYB color model: the painter's primaries and their complementary pairs. The painter's wheel here is an approximation, mapped onto screen hues.
- Björn Ottosson, A perceptual color space for image processing (Oklab, 2020): used for the tints, shades and color names.
Questions
Which color wheel should I use for clothes?
The painter's wheel, which is why it is the default. Fashion advice such as “pink and green” or “blue and orange” comes from that wheel. The screen wheel is there for digital work, or if you prefer its slightly cooler pairings.
What colors go with navy?
On the painter's wheel navy's complement is orange, which at navy's depth reads as brown, so cognac, rust and camel work well. For neutrals the wheel suggests crisp white, grey, stone and taupe. Try “Softer” to see pale, wearable versions of navy's partners.
What does split-complementary mean?
Instead of the color directly opposite your base, it takes the two colors either side of it, 30° away from the complement. You keep most of the contrast of a complementary pair, but the result is less stark and easier to balance in an outfit.
Why does my garment look different from the swatch?
Screens differ, and fabric changes with light, texture and sheen: the same dye looks darker on wool than on silk. Treat the swatches as a guide, then check real pieces together in daylight before you buy.
My base is grey or black. Why are some schemes missing?
Greys, black and white have almost no hue, so turning them round the wheel gives the same grey back. Their best partners are shown under monochrome and neutral pairings; for a pop of color, pick any shade you like as the base instead.