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This is another installment in our “How to 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 yellow:
All About Yellow
Do you know what color is most commonly said to be the hardest to pull off? Yellow. Redheads are often told not to wear yellow because it will clash with their hair and wash them out. Redheads aren’t the only ones who are told to stay away from this color, it’s common for most people to think of yellow as a no-go. Yellow can be a hard color to wear, and sometimes even harder to style, but if you have the confidence and the color knowledge redheads can absolutely wear yellow.
When most people think of yellow, they think of bright school bus yellow, or neon but there are so many different types of yellow you have to think outside the box. The way yellow looks also really depends on the colors it’s paired with. Yellow’s complementary color is purple, which can help to accent yellow and make it pop. For many of our How to Wear series installments, we’ve focused on the “true” version of a color, but for yellow we want to explore all the options.
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. Yellow can also be more orange-toned, or more green-toned and it can be “true” yellow too. Yellow can also be dark and rich like a jewel tone, or light and airy like a pastel. Darker shades of yellow are often referred to as shades of brown. It can also be every color in between. Below 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 yellow 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 also want to opt for rich “true” yellow colors. If your hair runs more orange to strawberry blond, you may want to opt for more of an orangey yellow. If your hair is a darker red, or perhaps a faux cherry cola red you may want to opt for more green shades of yellow.
- 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 yellow to be. Fairer-skinned redheads may want to opt for a darker shade of yellow, while redheads with a more medium skin may choose to go lighter towards the lighter end of the spectrum. 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 green yellow, and if you have more warm undertones you may want a more orange-toned yellow, and neutral undertones, a more “true” yellow.
Pairing Yellow with Other Colors
We already know purple is yellow’s complementary color, but what other colors go well with yellow? 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 yellow with any of these colors. Monochromatic looks are also a great option. Pairing shades of yellow together can help create a cohesive look that still feels dimensional.
Other colors that look amazing with yellow include the colors found in yellow’s color family which are shades of orange and shades of green. These are called analogous colors. Since yellow’s complementary color is purple, its secondary complementary colors are blue and red/pink which are found on either side of purple.
Different shades of yellow will pair better with different colors. For example, if you want to pair yellow with red/pink, opt for a more orange-yellow, and if you want to pair yellow with blue, opt for a more green-yellow.
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.
Rock it like a Redhead!
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