Too Much Red

I've been reading your advice about not matching colors exactly in favor of playing upon coordinating colors and having one "punch" of color in an outfit. Intellectually, it makes sense, and I think I have a fairly decent eye for color in the main components of my outfits. One thing that keeps tripping me up is the accessories.

One of my former favorite casual work outfits was khaki slacks, a denim-blue (fabric was a cotton knit, NOT denim) shirt, and I'd wear red shoes, a red watch, and earrings with a touch of red. Now I realize that there's too much RED in that outfit!

The problem of the red shoes and accessories brings me to my question: what color of accessories should one pair with an outfit including red shoes. The outfit I have in mind is a black knit 3/4 sleeve sweater, dark wash denim wide-leg jeans with red-plaid canvas Flats

I didn't know how to approach the jewelry in terms of color, so I just wore silver jewelry with clear stones ("diamonds"). It looked fine, but it seemed the safe answer. What's your suggestion?
Thanks, Elly


Hello Elly!

You've certainly learned the "too much red" concept, as well as the tricky "no matching" concept of accessories.

For your terrific casual outfit, noting the very casual style of the shoes, silver color is a great choice, and to punch things up a bit, I would suggest a more chunky and casual look: Stainless

There are ways to add interest to an outfit without resorting to color; these include texture and shape, both of which are dazzling in this style of jewelry. For a watch, I'd recommend a leather band.

You've raised the level of your jeans/flats outfit to something special. Congratulations!

BTW, this casual outfit has a print (plaid) so we've covered that base, but for an outfit in solids (like your first one) with red, always consider Leopard or another animal print for accessories (to replace the "too much red".)