Cranberry Coat

Hi Pres,
I have quite a few pieces in cranberry red, a color I love, but it is a strong color so I am wondering what advice you would have on wearing certain pieces together. Do you think a cranberry coat and jeans would look good together or is that too much red? Is there a good color or pattern to tie them together? The coat is knee length empire, the jeans are bootleg.
Thanks,
Beth

I agree that the coat and jeans in the same non-neutral color are too much. The empire coat and the bootleg jeans (perfect length, of course) are terrific silhouettes to combine. Cranberry is good with gray, a hot color just now. I could see your coat over gray tweedy slacks, worn with a pink shirt. The cranberry/pink combo is tricky, but pink is an element in the cranberry tone, and it should work. You can also drop cranberry over a gray/black ensemble, and maybe over all black, if there's some glow in the black (or the cranberry.) Black patent shoes or bag would look great with this. Over all brown, it's a very conservative look.

I have a dark cranberry suede 3/4 coat that I wear over a tricky ensemble of Black patent boots, a B&W houndstooth pencil skirt (hem is visible to about 1 inch), a white shirt, and a black crewneck sweater over. I'm using the Cranberry as I would red, for the color punch.

To sum up your question, Cranberry is a red, and one red item per outfit is the usual limit.