Color and Value Contrasts in your Outfits
We have learned about and experimented with discovering our personal color and value contrasts and how those apply to color seasons. Now let’s move on to how color and value contrasts work within our wardrobes.
Just for a refresher, here’s the vocabulary that we’ll be working with:
(Just another reminder that these vocabulary words are not my own, they come from Imogen Lamport’s blog insideoutstyleblog.com. The definitions are my own creation based upon my study of her color/value contrast theory).
Color Contrast: Color contrast is the difference between the colors on the color wheel. Think monochromatic, complementary, triadic, and analogous.
Value Contrast: Value contrast is the difference between how light or dark elements of a color scheme are. True, Tint, Tone, Shade, Hue, etc. How much white or black, blue or yellow, has been added to a color. Is it warm or is it cool? It is also how those elements combined affect the look of a complete outfit.
First, let’s focus on Color Contrast.
When it comes to creating color contrast in your wardrobe look back at the color wheel. This will give you some ideas about which colors work best together, and how to use those colors in an outfit.
Monochromatic- shades of the same color. Example: Royal blue skirt, light blue tank top, pure/true blue blouse (or navy blouse), and denim jacket.
Analogous- 2-3 colors next to each other on the color wheel. Example: red skirt with orange top, pink skirt with purple top, yellow skirt with green top (or visa versa for all).
Complimentary- Colors opposite each other on the color wheel. Example: Red and green, blue and orange, purple and yellow, and all the various versions in between.
Triadic- 2 -3 colors equally spaced on the color wheel using a triangle. Example: Red skirt, yellow layering tank, blue blouse. Or Green skirt, orange shoes, and a purple blouse.
Achromatic- shades of neutrals. Example: Black skirt, white blouse with gray details.
Value Contrasts in your outfits will simply show the difference in the shades and tones you are using in your outfits. Like with your own personal value contrasts you will have high, medium, and low value contrasts in your outfits.
High value: a combination of light and dark colors together, or two or more neutrals together. (Achromatic looks are considered high value)
Medium value: A combination of medium and light colors together or medium and dark colors together. The combination of a light dark and medium color or a light, dark, and neutral combination is also considered medium value. (Monochromatic looks are medium value)
Low value: two or more light colors together, two or more dark colors together, two or more medium colors together.
You might be sitting there thinking to yourself: well those definitions are great, but how do they work in real life? I had the same questions when I first stumbled upon this information over at Imogen Lamport’s blog insideoutstyleblog.com.
How do you know if the colors you are using are high, medium, or low? Use the gray scale from the last post. Remember, 1 is the darkest, usually black, and 10 is the lightest, usually white.
How do you know if an outfit is high, medium or low in contrast? Use the gray scale and some handy dandy subtraction.
A low value contrast outfit will have a difference of 1-3 shades on either section of the gray scale. A medium value contrast outfit will have difference of 4 to 6 shades on the gray scale. A high value contrast outfit will have a difference of 7 to 10 shades on the gray scale.
Here are some real life examples, using the same skirt and blouse, from my own wardrobe along with their number differences on the gray scale.
I selected my slate blue denim skirt because, one I love it and two it represents a 3 on the gray scale. I also chose my white embellished drape back blouse because it represents a 10 on the gray scale (remember the gray scale goes from darkest to lightest 1= black 10= white).
High Value Contrast outfits:
Because of the white blouse this is naturally a high value contrast outfit. To continue with that theme, I needed to add other lighter colors. So I picked accessories that would fall between a five and 10 on the gray scale.
Skirt= 3, Blouse= 10, Shoes=6, head band=4
Between all of these components there is difference of 7, making it a high value contrast outfit.
(remember anything that has a sum difference of 7-10 shade differences is considered a high value contrast).
Medium Value Contrast outfits:
To make this outfit a medium value contrast outfit, I swapped out the accessories for ones that were in a similar color proportion to the skirt and blouse.
Skirt=3, Blouse=10, Shoes=5, Head band=3
The shoes and the blouse balance out the rest of the outfit. Making the sum difference a 5.
(remember anything with a difference of 5-7 shades is medium value).
Low Value Contrast outfits:
To make this a low value contrast outfit, I played up the dark hues of the skirt. The easiest way to make this a low value outfit is to add black. You can also add navy blue or burgundy as well. Both colors would make this a low value outfit. Here I added black lace up flats, a black jacket and a navy blue head band. Boom. Instant low value contrast.
Skirt=3, Blouse= 10, Jacket=1, Shoes=1, Headband=2
The sum difference between the elements of the outfit are all within 1, save the blouse.
(remember anything that falls between a 1 and 4 shade difference is a low value contrast).
I hope you found this helpful. The best practice for getting the hang of color and value contrasts in your outfits it to experiment. If you have any questions you can leave them in the comments section below. You can also read more over at insideoutstyleblog.com.
Happy experimenting.
Just for a refresher, here’s the vocabulary that we’ll be working with:
(Just another reminder that these vocabulary words are not my own, they come from Imogen Lamport’s blog insideoutstyleblog.com. The definitions are my own creation based upon my study of her color/value contrast theory).
Color Contrast: Color contrast is the difference between the colors on the color wheel. Think monochromatic, complementary, triadic, and analogous.
Value Contrast: Value contrast is the difference between how light or dark elements of a color scheme are. True, Tint, Tone, Shade, Hue, etc. How much white or black, blue or yellow, has been added to a color. Is it warm or is it cool? It is also how those elements combined affect the look of a complete outfit.
First, let’s focus on Color Contrast.
When it comes to creating color contrast in your wardrobe look back at the color wheel. This will give you some ideas about which colors work best together, and how to use those colors in an outfit.
Monochromatic- shades of the same color. Example: Royal blue skirt, light blue tank top, pure/true blue blouse (or navy blouse), and denim jacket.
Analogous- 2-3 colors next to each other on the color wheel. Example: red skirt with orange top, pink skirt with purple top, yellow skirt with green top (or visa versa for all).
Complimentary- Colors opposite each other on the color wheel. Example: Red and green, blue and orange, purple and yellow, and all the various versions in between.
Triadic- 2 -3 colors equally spaced on the color wheel using a triangle. Example: Red skirt, yellow layering tank, blue blouse. Or Green skirt, orange shoes, and a purple blouse.
Achromatic- shades of neutrals. Example: Black skirt, white blouse with gray details.
Value Contrasts in your outfits will simply show the difference in the shades and tones you are using in your outfits. Like with your own personal value contrasts you will have high, medium, and low value contrasts in your outfits.
High value: a combination of light and dark colors together, or two or more neutrals together. (Achromatic looks are considered high value)
Medium value: A combination of medium and light colors together or medium and dark colors together. The combination of a light dark and medium color or a light, dark, and neutral combination is also considered medium value. (Monochromatic looks are medium value)
Low value: two or more light colors together, two or more dark colors together, two or more medium colors together.
You might be sitting there thinking to yourself: well those definitions are great, but how do they work in real life? I had the same questions when I first stumbled upon this information over at Imogen Lamport’s blog insideoutstyleblog.com.
How do you know if the colors you are using are high, medium, or low? Use the gray scale from the last post. Remember, 1 is the darkest, usually black, and 10 is the lightest, usually white.
How do you know if an outfit is high, medium or low in contrast? Use the gray scale and some handy dandy subtraction.
A low value contrast outfit will have a difference of 1-3 shades on either section of the gray scale. A medium value contrast outfit will have difference of 4 to 6 shades on the gray scale. A high value contrast outfit will have a difference of 7 to 10 shades on the gray scale.
Here are some real life examples, using the same skirt and blouse, from my own wardrobe along with their number differences on the gray scale.
I selected my slate blue denim skirt because, one I love it and two it represents a 3 on the gray scale. I also chose my white embellished drape back blouse because it represents a 10 on the gray scale (remember the gray scale goes from darkest to lightest 1= black 10= white).
High Value Contrast outfits:
Because of the white blouse this is naturally a high value contrast outfit. To continue with that theme, I needed to add other lighter colors. So I picked accessories that would fall between a five and 10 on the gray scale.
Skirt= 3, Blouse= 10, Shoes=6, head band=4
Between all of these components there is difference of 7, making it a high value contrast outfit.
(remember anything that has a sum difference of 7-10 shade differences is considered a high value contrast).
Medium Value Contrast outfits:
To make this outfit a medium value contrast outfit, I swapped out the accessories for ones that were in a similar color proportion to the skirt and blouse.
Skirt=3, Blouse=10, Shoes=5, Head band=3
The shoes and the blouse balance out the rest of the outfit. Making the sum difference a 5.
(remember anything with a difference of 5-7 shades is medium value).
Low Value Contrast outfits:
To make this a low value contrast outfit, I played up the dark hues of the skirt. The easiest way to make this a low value outfit is to add black. You can also add navy blue or burgundy as well. Both colors would make this a low value outfit. Here I added black lace up flats, a black jacket and a navy blue head band. Boom. Instant low value contrast.
Skirt=3, Blouse= 10, Jacket=1, Shoes=1, Headband=2
The sum difference between the elements of the outfit are all within 1, save the blouse.
(remember anything that falls between a 1 and 4 shade difference is a low value contrast).
I hope you found this helpful. The best practice for getting the hang of color and value contrasts in your outfits it to experiment. If you have any questions you can leave them in the comments section below. You can also read more over at insideoutstyleblog.com.
Happy experimenting.
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