How to Wear Series for Redheads: Purple

This is the next installment in our “How Redheads Can Wear” series where we break down colors and styles, and show you how redheads can rock anything. This series gives you the basics on colors and what to wear them with, as well as how to choose the right ones for you. This time we’re talking about purple:

All About Purple

Purple is another color that many redheads gravitate towards. Purple’s complementary color is yellow, which also means it looks amazing with both red and orange, this makes it super flattering for redheads to wear. Wearing purple is one of the best ways to make any eye color pop!

Purple is one of those colors that some people love and some people hate, but picking the right shade can make it super wearable. Remember: purple doesn’t have to be super bright, more muted shades can appear almost gray, while darker shades can appear almost black. This makes purple super versatile.

Finding the Shade

Colors come in different shades (hues) and saturations (intensities), and finding the right ones for your red hair is key to loving any color. Purple can also be more blue-toned, or more red/pink-toned and it can be “true” purple in the middle. This is the shade. Purple can also be dark and rich like a jewel tone, or light and airy like a pastel. It can also be every color in between. This is the saturation of the color. If you don’t like a certain color, try going for a different shade, or even a different saturation of the color.

If you already know which shade of purple you like, you’re well on your way. If not, here are a few things to consider.

Your shade of red hair – If your hair is a “true red” you may want to opt for rich “true” purple” colors. If your hair runs more orange to strawberry blond, you may want to opt for more of a blue-purple. If your hair is a darker red, or perhaps a faux cherry cola red you may want to opt for more red/pink purples.
Your complexion – Most redheads have fair to medium skin, but redheads can have any complexion. Consider your complexion when it comes to choosing how dark or light you want your purple to be. Fairer-skinned redheads may want to opt for a darker purple, while redheads with a more medium skin may choose to go lighter. Of course, you can go either way, but lighter colors may wash out a lighter complexion. Choose a saturation that contrasts your skin a bit. You can also consider if you are high, medium, or low contrast.
Your undertones – Similarly to the shade of your red hair, you want to consider your undertones. If you have cool undertones, you may want to opt for a more blue-purple, warm undertones a more red/pink-purple, and neutral undertones, a more “true” purple.

Pairing Purple with Other Colors

We already know that yellow is purple’s complimentary color, but what other colors go well with purple? In fashion, there are a couple of colors we consider neutral. This includes black, white, off-white/tan, and denim. So denim isn’t one specific color, but blue jeans go with every color so they are considered a fashion neutral. You can pair any shade of purple with any of these colors. Monochromatic looks are also a great option. Pairing shades of purple together can help create a cohesive look that still feels dimensional.

Other colors that look amazing with purple include the colors found in purple’s color family which are shades of blue and shades of red/pink. These are called analogous colors. Secondary complementary colors for purple are the ones found on either side of yellow. This includes orange and green.

Different shades of purple will pair better with different colors. For example, If you want to pair purple with orange, opt for a more red-purple. If you want to pair purple with green, opt for a more blue-purple.

Now these rules aren’t hard and fast, but they are a good jumping-off point if you’re trying to create a cohesive look. You can easily find any colors complementary colors by going across the color wheel from it, and you can find the analogous colors or the colors in the same color scheme, on either side of any given color.