8 Ways to Wear (and Accessorise With) Yellow

8 Ways to Wear Yellow
I will admit yellow can be a tricky colour to both wear and style. It doesn’t really stop me as I’ll pair it with just about anything, but I though I’d share some of the ways I’ve worn yellow in the last year or two. After I posted my mustard yellow trousers outfit on Google+ last week I received a barrage of abuse [water off a duck’s back] mostly about the trousers… most people loved the outfit on the blog and Twitter, but it seems yellow gets people in a flap!

So hopefully these yellow combos will give you some inspiration on how to introduce yellow into your wardrobe if you’ve never tried it before – but always wanted to! And if you choose to leave me a suitably displeased comment like the ones on Google+, be prepared to be killed with kindness 😉
(not that you lovely readers do… just kidding of course!)

Are you already a wearer of yellow? And would you consider it if you don’t already – and what shade?

Navy polka dots & mustard yellow pleated skirt

1. As a statement piece as the main colour of your outfit

(original post)

Wearing yellow next to your face is the problem most people have with yellow, so wearing a full-on pleated maxi in a gorgeous mustardy yellow is ideal for wearing a massive splash of yellow without it going near your face.

 

White cardi, brown boots & leopard trilby

2. Toned down with white

(original post)

A paler yellow works really well with off-white and layered for winter. Shows you can wear yellow all year round – not just in the summer.

 

Yellow tote bag & red skinny jeans

3. As a statement accessory instead of clothing

(original post)

If you’re really not keen about wearing yellow, why not carry it instead? I never think it has to actually match any part of your outfit – just compliment it!

 

Weekend sightseeing outfit - boyfriend jeans & patterned blouse

4. Choose a very pale lemon yellow

(original post)

If you really can’t handle bright yellow, choose the palest one you can find – like my palest lemon yellow boyfriend jeans. Though I have boosted the yellow punch with accents of it in my shoes and my belt (it’s never too much for me).

 

Neon green, olive and red

5. With other primary colours

(original post)

Why not go the whole hog and pair yellow with red and blue? Blue jeans are of course a classic that go with everything, so you may not even think of it as a primary colour. Adding red is a bold move. You’ll see I’ve interrupted the yellow by adding a white collar; this is a good way of making sure it’s not right next to your face if that makes you a little uneasy about wearing yellow.

 

Vintage-style yellow dress

6. As a classic sun dress

(original post)

I absolutely love, love, love yellow dresses – in fact I own about three of four and am always drawn to them in the summer. Summer is the perfect time to wear all yellow, so go all out with it come the hot weather.

 

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7. With graphic black and white

(original post)

Yellow is the perfect accompaniment to bold black and white patterns: the stripes and skulls prints I mixed here needed a bold colour and yellow was just the ticket. Black accessories helped to tie it all in.

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Orange, yellow & white

8. Colour blocked with another bold colour

(original post)

A bit of a mixture of the ideas in nos. 2 and 5: I’ve toned down the yellow by layering it with a white blazer, but then added a massive block of orangey-red with a maxi skirt. My strappy yellow wedges come out year after year and prove that yellow shoes and accessories seem to go with everything…!
Catherine x
P.S. Please don’t feel you need to address those comments I mentioned on Google+ – I’m perfectly okay with less-than-pleasant comments… Silver Londoner and I were in hysterics that evening over the daft things they said!

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49 Comments

  1. 1 November 2014 / 5:41 pm

    Yellow is tricky to pull off, scares me in fact lol. I love it with the graphic black and white. So cool. Thanks for sharing these great ways to style it. http://fashionablyidu.blogspot.com/

    • 3 November 2014 / 10:10 pm

      Aww I love that you're scared of yellow (I knew lots of people were) but now would like to try it, Idu! Glad to have given you some inspo x

  2. 24 October 2014 / 10:09 pm

    I'm all for wearing bright colours so yellow is something I wouldn't hesitate to wear. Your tips are very useful, I like the idea of wearing a yellow accessory as a statement instead of in clothing.

    • 27 October 2014 / 11:28 pm

      Thank you Lorna – glad it's even given a yellow-lover some further tips! x

  3. 23 October 2014 / 7:04 pm

    Ooooh, I love these yellow looks. The black and white combo is always nice. The burg and blush combo is very interesting though.
    Daphne.

    • 23 October 2014 / 7:36 pm

      So glad you love yellow too, Daphne! Thank you xx

  4. 21 October 2014 / 4:26 am

    I'm blowing a big, virtual raspberry to all your Google detractors, dear Catherine…I thought your yellow trousers outfit was so fun and full of personality!! Yellow, and its cousin chartreuse – which happens to be a fave of mine! – seem to elicit a lot of strong feelings in certain unimaginative people; but style-savvy individuals like us know where it's REALLY at!! ;D

    http://www.StyleIsMyPudding.blogspot.com

    • 21 October 2014 / 9:11 am

      Haha thank you for the virtual raspberry, Monika!! And yes, us style-savvy lot DO know where it's at ;))

      Thank you so much my lovely x

  5. 20 October 2014 / 8:43 pm

    LOVE that yellow sundress – so pretty! After seeing The Two Faces of January, I really wanted all of Kirsten Dunst's costumes, including her beautiful 1960's lemon yellow sundress. (Google it, or better yet, watch the film. It's a good story and a visual treat!)

    • 21 October 2014 / 8:07 am

      Oh gosh I haven't seen that film, Eleanor… you had me at "lemon"!!!! (I must watch it!) I was always obsessed with Sandy's lemon yellow sundress in Grease – in fact I got my mum to make me a copy when I was about 17 (in the late 80s). I've always wished I kept it, and I bought this one earlier this year because it's the nearest likeness I've managed to find to it! Thank you for your lovely comment x

  6. 20 October 2014 / 4:11 pm

    Wonderful post! I own zero yellow for the simple reason .. I don't know how to wear it .. at least I have some examples (and no excuses) now.

    monica, http://www.pear-shaped-gal.com

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:23 pm

      Glad to have provided some inspo, Monica – now go get yourself something yellow!!! 😉

  7. 19 October 2014 / 7:28 pm

    All of these are absolutely wonderful. I love yellow and can wear most shades, but prefer dark, mustard-goldenrod yellow.

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:22 pm

      Oooh yes mustard with your skintone would look amazing, Gracey!! Thank you hun x

  8. 19 October 2014 / 6:43 pm

    You have great styling ideas with yellow. I love that colour, like I love lime as well. Now that my hair is blond, I fear yellow is not my colour anymore. So… I will go back to being a brunette. That is where my heart lies anyway. And it is less expensive than throwing out all my yellow and lime jackets and shirts.
    I love all the outfits, with a slight favouratism (is this a word?) for 3 and 7 and the shoes of 4 and 8.
    Greetje

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:22 pm

      Wow – back to brunette, Greetje!! That'll be a must-see :)) Thanks my lovely

    • 26 October 2014 / 6:17 pm

      I am hesitating again. Don't know what to do. This is a first for me. Never had a drastic change in hair colour before.

  9. 19 October 2014 / 10:49 am

    Yellow is a no for me, but that is because of skintone, You really make it work.

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:21 pm

      Well I kinda think that about red but I wear red trousers and bags so they're away from my face… I won't be stopped from wearing ANY colour, hehe!! Thank you Lotty x

  10. 18 October 2014 / 11:29 pm

    I love yellow and I believe it suits me pretty well! I like neon yellow the most. 3 years ago I got a cardigan from H&M which was a hit among my friends and colleagues and they always commented on how it lit up my face (and the room)! I usually pair it with grey jeans and my equally neon yellow bangles from Marc Jacobs!
    Anna

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:20 pm

      Neon yellow and grey sounds the bomb!! So glad you love yellow as well Anna!

  11. 18 October 2014 / 8:11 pm

    Sorry for all the spelling mistakes… Wrote my comment on my iPad, on the train, keep losing network connection because of tunnels…

  12. 18 October 2014 / 8:09 pm

    I think you make yellow work wonderfully.bbut I really wanted to comment on the "barrage of abuse", I had a look, shocking. But there are people who think trolling a weird form of therapy: venting their frustrations by spouting abuse at someone online. I admire your polite way of when telling them to shove their comments (i guess my choice of words would have been significantly less polite and imminently more graphic…). These people are not really interested in conversation, and I see no point in trying to talk to idiots who have no manners. Don't waste your time on haters, just delete them. And again, yellow works with your colouring, and you look fantastic in all these outfits.

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:19 pm

      Oh I'm definitely not wasting my time Tiina (well maybe I am, but I just like to mess with them – it confuses trolls when you're especially nice to them). It does me me laugh A LOT and feel very mischievous when I think of sickly sweet things to say back…! But thank you as always for the lovely yellow comments xx

  13. 18 October 2014 / 7:26 pm

    One of my favourite colours I meant to say, it somehow got garbled there 😀

  14. 18 October 2014 / 7:25 pm

    Yellow is oe of mute colours, and a staple in my wardrobe, especially my mustard cardigan and yellow Cambridge satchel. I've just bought a mustard top and made a mustard skirt. I've had to give up wearing my mustard tights to work though, as my male colleagues kept calling me chicken legs!

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:16 pm

      Wow you're hardcore Emma – I've always wanted to wear mustard tights but just don't have the legs for it!! And to hell with what they call you… I was described as anything from a circus clown to wearing my pyjamas at my old office job (funnily enough by male colleagues as well). It only made me dress up even more so get those tights back on this autumn!!!

  15. 18 October 2014 / 4:59 pm

    Great ideas! Wonderful outfits! Beautiful you, Catherine!

  16. 18 October 2014 / 3:37 pm

    I love other colors so much that I often forget to even look at yellow items. Funny how that works… But when I do remember my yellow clothing, I often find myself wearing my yellow scarf that looks great with my orange jacket, white t-shirt, jeans, and dark blue tennis shoes. Your post inspires me to look for other ways to incorporate yellow in my wardrobe. Thanks!

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:14 pm

      I do like the sound of that combo you described… it's got me thinking! Thank you for your lovely comment x

  17. 18 October 2014 / 1:54 pm

    Yellow is my favorite color after orange,so I have pants and skirts and jackets and scarves . . . I only wear strong versions though, when I've bought pale yellow things they look hiddy. And I'm a garden variety brunette. I think yellow looks particularly good with red, so it KILLS on a redhead like yourself.

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:14 pm

      Aww Roberta that's so nice of you, thank you! Nice to meet another yellow fan!!

  18. 18 October 2014 / 1:47 pm

    I love the yellow maxi but I can see why people aren't sure, yellow is a hard colour to wear
    Lauren
    livinginaboxx

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:13 pm

      To be honest I throw it together with anything but yes, some people do shy right away from it, Lauren…!

  19. 18 October 2014 / 1:22 pm

    You've got amazing style. I think the yellow pieces in your outfits go great with the colour of your hair.

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:13 pm

      Thank you – I do like the contrast of yellow with my hair I must admit!

  20. 18 October 2014 / 1:02 pm

    I like yellow for accents, like your fab belt and shoes. You, of course, can wear anything! xox

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:12 pm

      Awww Patti thank you – I think if you get the right shade everyone can wear it! x

  21. 18 October 2014 / 12:15 pm

    You always look so great in yellow, I am quite jealous! Unfortunately, yellow makes me look hideous, and all I can manage is a much-loved mustard handbag. Thank you for the constant inspiration – your outfits always make me look at my own wardrobe with new eyes!

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:12 pm

      Thanks Tanya :)) Hopefully the accessories give you some inspiration…!

  22. AliceMegan
    18 October 2014 / 11:31 am

    I generally avoid yellow, but you make it look so wearable I might have to rethink it!

  23. 18 October 2014 / 7:11 am

    Loving them elope, Catherine. For he, it's always mustard, especially at this time of year. I have a gorgeous cashmere jumper in mustard and a pretty cardigan. Lynne x

    • 20 October 2014 / 4:11 pm

      Wow mustard cashmere sounds gorgeous, Dorothy! x

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