← Her Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing
Her Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing
237 | How to Build Color Into a Neutrals-Only Wardrobe (Without Feeling Overwhelmed)
00:17:29
It’s no secret how much I love creating these podcast episodes for you—in fact, that’s why I had to make the switch back to twice weekly episodes! We have too much to talk about! But the color conversations are always my personal favorite. And...
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- [00:01]
Heather Riggs
It's no secret how much I love creating these podcast episodes for you. In fact, that's why I had to make the switch back to twice weekly episodes. We have too much to talk about, but the color conversations are always my personal favorite and today we are tackling a big one. How to build color into a mostly neutral wardrobe without feeling overwhelmed or out of your element if you've been considering branching out from your black, white, camel and gray comfort zone but you're not sure how to do it in a that feels easy and authentic to you, then you are in the right place. You don't have to overhaul your closet or wear the whole rainbow. I'm going to share a few manageable ways to weave in the perfect touch of color to keep your wardrobe feeling fresh, flexible and fitting for your style. You ready friend? Let's do this.
- [00:55]
Co-host or Assistant
Welcome to Her Style Podcast where we're all about empowering you to show up and get dressed every day with confidence. I'm your host Heather Riggs, a 15 year and counting certified image consultant and color specialist ready to build a wardrobe and a personal style you love. Let's get started.
- [01:21]
Heather Riggs
I know I've shared about my beige era before, but in case you're new around here, right after having my son gray In 2018, I fell into this trap of trying to dress like all of the other stylish mom that I was seeing online. Effortlessly cool, Instagram worthy, wearing all the creams and beiges at the time and I leaned hard into that elegant, albeit down to earth very natural palette. It definitely felt safe and simple and at the time I thought it was the perfect fit for me and my new lifestyle. But months later, when I was finally coming up for air as a mom and starting to reconnect with who I was and what I wanted in this new season and of life and motherhood, I took a look at my closet one day and realized that I had completely drained the color and life out of it and it wasn't just about fashion anymore. It kind of felt symbolic. I had been really toning myself down to fit in and to stay practical and to blend in with this vision of what I thought I should look like as a mom. And if that resonates with you even a little, I want you to know that you are not alone. I am a trained color specialist and image consultant and even I kind of fell into this trap of going for the safe default neutrals and you don't have to ditch everything and start from scratch to bring some color and life back into your wardrobe. And we're going to talk about the fact that there's nothing wrong with an all neutral wardrobe either. But either way, even if you're not a mom and you've always loved neutrals, and that does feel very fitting for your personality and your personal preference. I've talked to many women inside of our community who have all neutral wardrobes and they really want to start branching out, but they don't know how. So let's talk about how you can add some color into your closet with simplicity and intentionality in a way that works with what you already own and that feels right for you. I think it's probably going to be helpful to start with your why. Just because I love color doesn't mean that you need to love color or even wear more of it. Before you make any changes or you implement the suggestions that I'm about to share with you today, I want you to take a minute and ask yourself, do I want to add more color into my wardrobe? And if so, why? Are you looking to feel more vibrant and energized or to reflect your personality more accurately? Maybe you have a really vivacious personality and you're a lively person and you don't feel like having all of the neutrals in your closet is an accurate reflection of who you are at this point. Or maybe you just want to break out of a style rut. Maybe you're feeling a little bit bored with some of your basics? Or is it to make getting dressed more fun? Maybe you're feeling inspired to be more creative and playful and have some new combinations that you can try. And on the other hand, if your why is because someone else told you that you should wear more color, then I really want you to stop and challenge that. Because you are the one wearing your clothing and you need to feel joyful and content and confident when you get dressed. So if you are someone who really lives for neutrals and you are satisfied with what's in your wardrobe, then you don't need my full blessing. But you have my full blessing to just go ahead and move right along to the next Her Style Podcast episode. You don't need to add color unless it's something that you are really craving. So if there is a valid reason why you want to expand on your assortment of colors, then knowing your why is going to help keep you grounded. When you are feeling tempted to impulse buy something that's really bold and but not you, and when you are tempted to impulse buy something that fits in with your more neutral aesthetic that you already have. Or when it feels easier to just default to beige again when you're getting dressed. So now I want to help you take the overwhelm out of the equation. We know that we want to add more color into your closet, but you're not really sure how to do that in a way that feels like you and feels super doable. So rather than trying to take you from oatmeal to a vivid orange and oxblood and orchid and all kinds of wild and crazy beautiful colors in one shopping trip, I recommend first that you start with the simple practice of one color at a time. I want you to just choose one new color and test the waters with it. And maybe you feel most comfortable taking a little baby step away from one of your classic colors, like navy, for example, to a soft sky blue. You can kind of stay within the same ballpark of the colors that you already gravitate toward. Just try one little small side step at a time. So here's how you're going to make this color addition work. I want you to look for whatever this one hue is that you've chosen to start with in a low cost piece. If you don't already have something in your wardrobe. Right. We're talking about adding new things into your closet. So you're going to start with a low cost investment item. I'm talking maybe a T shirt, a simple piece of costume jewelry, or maybe a pair of pants that you found on sale. Remember, we want to start small, and I want to make this a small, smooth transition for you and your closet. So once you have this sort of simple, lowcost starter piece, I want you to style it with some neutrals that you already love. The goal here is not to pile on all the color in your outfits at once, unless that feels really exciting for you and you want to go for it. If you want to take baby steps, start by adding one small touch of color with your otherwise neutral outfit. This might be grabbing your normal taupe trousers and adding that soft sky blue blouse to the outfit. You can also try wearing this piece in a few different ways so that you can decide if it's a keeper before you buy more items in that color. You are definitely going to build a lot of confidence and clarity so much faster when you introduce color slowly and intentionally instead of going all in at once with a major overhaul. If you're not sure which color to try first, I want to give you some pointers to help. There are kind of three easy entry point categories of color that I think are going to work really well with your existing neutrals. The first one, which is probably no surprise. I've talked about these before, but it's your personal colors. You could choose a color option that has been pre built into your DNA. You're simply going to look in a mirror and see the natural color palette within your own complexion, the multitude of colors that are within your eyes, and maybe the different tones of your hair and see if anything strikes your fancy. I definitely recommend starting with your hair or your eye related hues for a pretty foolproof and flattering option that's sure to work with your existing neutrals. Now, if you have black hair, you might not want to start with your hair color because we're trying to break away from those basic neutrals that you already have going on. But if your hair has some blonde tones or maybe some copper aspects to it, you could really lean into some of those more red or yellow tones, maybe some champagnes. Again, this is not a huge deviation from what you're comfortable with, but it is a good way to start branching out just a little bit. Now, you could also, as I kind of mentioned before, start with a variation of your neutrals. This is the second low entry point category to color. I want you to think about the colors that you see in nature. So if you have a lot of dark olive green in your closet, if that feels like a safe neutral for you, maybe you want to take a step towards trying a lighter fern color. If you love dark chocolate, you might do well with a medium coffee bean brown. Again, just some different tones to help break up the the basics of your closet a little bit. You could take a break from your go to navy and test out a beautiful slate blue. Other safe earth tones are going to be things like terracotta, dusty rose. If you look better in cooler tone colors and maybe forest green. Just to give you a couple options to get started with. All of these are going to feel really sophisticated, grounded, and they're often easier to wear than super bright bold colors. So adding more color into your closet doesn't mean that you're necessarily opting for the bright canary yellow sweater. It could be just a small step in that direction. So of course you do want to pick a cooler or warmer option, depending on your personal coloring. But these colors, the variations of your neutrals, aren't going to be a major deviation from your go tos. They'll add a subtle hint of color without taking you too far over the edge. And the third easy entry point category that you could start with is going to be your signature colors. And these are the colors that make you light up when you wear them or when you think about them. Maybe you have a lot of them in your home, but you never thought about incorporating them into your closet before. If you've had a personal color analysis done, I definitely encourage you to start there. I give my clients a custom curated palette of 35 colors to choose from. But if your wardrobe has consisted of basic black for the past decade, you might want to start small. It might feel overwhelming to think about bringing all of those options into your closet at once. So I want you to instead pick the one color that you're most excited to try first. In a recent episode, I think it was number 230, I had my client, Jenna, from her style collective come on to talk about the secret to a wardrobe that really works for you. And she mentioned in that episode that when she was struggling with her style a little bit, we came up with another color palette for her. And I just wanted to clarify on that that we didn't come up with another color palette for her. What we did was pare down the color palette that I had already cut created for her. As I mentioned, I give my clients 35 different colors that are flattering for them. And for Jenna in the wintertime, that felt like too much color overload. She really loves kind of keeping things a little bit quieter in the winter, a little bit more cozy. So we whittled that down to just five or six core colors that she could really use as the base for her winter wardrobe specifically. So we had kind of a deep red, a really bold, bright blue that she loves that time of year, and then mostly neutrals. So you might want to do that if you have a personal color palette that someone gave you feels like too much, Whether it was me or another color analyst. Just pick a couple to get started with. You don't have to use everything that you've been told looks good on you. And if you don't have a personal color palette, then maybe consider which colors you've been told look amazing on you or one that feels like it would be a fun signature hue for you to try. Remember, we're just going to start with one thing to start. And you could also consider colors that you're drawn to, but you just haven't been bold enough to try yet. Remember, we're starting small and with low ticket investments, so don't worry about getting it right or wrong. The goal is just to take one little step outside your basic box of colors and then you can always course correct as you go. Now, once you have taken the time to dabble with a new hue and you've decided it's a keeper, hopefully you're going to want to think about eventually investing in some versatile bridge pieces. So let's say, for example, that you picked a dusty lavender as your first starter color and you're starting to really love it. Then I want you to look for it in pieces that are going to connect to your existing wardrobe, like a knit top that pairs well with your neutral cardigans, or a printed scarf that complements your camel trench coat. These bridge pieces are really going to help your wardrobe to feel cohesive instead of chaotic. Right? We don't want to just throw a bunch of color in there and pray that it works. They're going to give you more outfit options without the need to over call your whole closet. So you just want to think strategically about what pieces are maybe missing or would help you connect those colors to the other neutrals that you already have. And finally, I really want you to understand that the biggest key to embracing more color in your closet is mastering your mindset. So many women tell me, I love this color, but I just don't think I can pull it off. And my answer is always, you absolutely can. You can wear any color you want. When you find the right versions of that color to flatter you, and when you pair it up with other pieces in a way that feels good to you, if you don't feel confident, you're gonna be second guessing yourself all day long. So whatever colors you choose, maybe start just wearing it around the house for a little while first. If you're feeling brave, you can ask your family for some feedback. Especially kids are always very honest. We were just talking about that on one of our collective group coaching calls. How lovingly honest the kids in our lives can be when it comes to clothing. One of our collective members is a teacher, and she was saying that all of the students in her class have been complimenting her on her outfits, so she knows that they really mean that genuinely, because kids don't lie. Now, of course, you can also try pairing this new color with your favorite neutral basics. You don't have to do a ton of color in your outfit. Just start small and ease yourself into this process. And I want you to notice how the extra, even smallest dose of color can really shift your mood and your energy for the day. So notice what it's doing for your overall look and the confidence that you feel when you get dressed. So let's quickly review my advice for building some color into your neutrals only wardrobe in a way that feels simple and doable. Remember, your style should excite you and getting dressed gets to be fun. So the moment that this stops feeling great, I want you to reach out to me for support or just stick to what you know works for you because your confidence is everything. So my advice is to first of all know your why why you want to add more color and then go back to it anytime you start to feel like you're forcing a round peg into a square hole. Also, I want you to just add one color at a time. You don't need to overdo it or push yourself too far too fast. You can start by choosing from those three entry point color categories that we talked about, which again are your personal colors, a variation of your favorite neutrals, or one of your signature colors, ideally from your personal color palette if you have one. And then of course, the last thing you're going to want to do once you've solidified those starter colors is to look for some good bridge pieces that are going to connect to the neutral clothing in your closet. And then finally, most importantly, you want to style it with confidence. So just have fun with this process. Don't doubt yourself when you find a color you love. Embrace it wholeheartedly. And remember too, that color does not have to mean bold, it doesn't have to be bright, and it definitely doesn't have to be overwhelming. It just has to feel like you. So friend, if this episode inspired you to branch out and try a new color or rethink your neutral, heavy wardrobe, then please let me know. I would love for you to send me a DM over on Instagram Herstyle llc or better yet, take just two minutes to leave a quick written rating and review for the show. It definitely makes my whole day to see your sweet reviews come in and it really helps us to keep growing the show and to do this work that we love so much. So if you are craving more personalized support, please don't forget that the doors are always open to my 90 day group coaching program, Her Style Collective, where I will help you build a wardrobe you genuinely love in a completely personalized way so we can really look at adding color into your closet with strategy, intention and a way that truly lights you up. Until next time, go test the waters. Wear a new color this week and have so much fun on the journey. I know you can do this. Thank you for listening.
- [16:43]
Co-host or Assistant
Good morning to today's episode. If you want to stop copying everyone else's style and start dialing in your own swoon worthy signature look. Head over to take my free 5 minute personal style quiz which you can find at the link in the show notes. If you've enjoyed our time together, please be sure to rate, review and subscribe to her style podcast so you never miss an episode. Finally, I invite you to make this.
- [17:07]
Heather Riggs
A two way conversation and send me.
- [17:10]
Co-host or Assistant
A DM over on Instagram @heatherriggstyle to let me know how I can best support you on your style journey. I'm always here for you in style and service. Until next.