← Her Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing
Her Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing
305 | January Q&A: The Two Style Skills Most Women Are Never Taught (Color & Shoes)
00:21:28
Loading summary
Transcript10 lines
- [00:00]
Heather Riggs
I'm very excited. It's our first Q&A episode of the year. This one's going to be short and sweet because I only received two questions since our last one at the beginning of December. I'm sure you had just a few other things going on over there the past month or so, but let me know if we should keep these going regularly the first Thursday of each month, or if I should just toss them out at random times after we accumulate a bigger handful of questions. This show is yours. So as always, just let me know what serves you best. And now I'll offer up a little teaser of what's in store for you Today. I'm about to unpack two deceptively simple questions that actually get to the heart of why so many women feel frustrated with their closets. First, is it actually harder to build a cohesive wardrobe if your best colors are bright or dark? And how do you actually know which shoes work with different pant and skirt lengths without memorizing a million rules, these questions might sound niche, but the answers will completely change how you think about color proportion and why some outfits in instantly feel right while others don't. So let's dive in and tackle our first Q&A episode of 2026.
- [01:11]
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.
- [01:31]
Let's started.
- [01:39]
Anna
Hello Heather, this is Anna. In your podcast and at the Bootcamp in September, you talk a lot about the benefits of knowing your best colors, one of which is being able to curate a versatile wardrobe with mix and match pieces. I was thinking about that and wondering how that works, if your best colors are bright or maybe dark colors. Because it would seem to me that it would be much easier to mix and match when your colors are light or soft because those colors don't clash with one another as much. Bright colors would seem to be statement pieces and in a cohesive wardrobe for a bright season, one would need lots of neutrals to ground or anchor the bright statement pieces and one would basically have lots of neutrals, a bunch of statement pieces, and those statement pieces may or may not go with one another. Is that correct? Is it harder to have a cohesive mix and match wardrobe if your best colors are bright or dark? What am I missing? Thank you so much. Also, I love your podcast and I really enjoyed the bootcamp And I think you're awesome. Thank you.
- [02:52]
Heather Riggs
Okay, Anna, I see you showing up and taking notes. Thank you so much for joining me for the wardrobe revamp Boot camp backends of 10. I love that you have been really thinking over what we discussed during that event and that you took the time to send in this follow up. I think it's such a smart question because you're right. On the surface, it does seem like soft, light colors would be easy to mix and match. And then bright or dark colors are going to give you those statement pieces that feel harder to rinse and repeat and combine in different ways without feeling too heavy or overdone. And so this logic makes sense. And I can see where you might be getting stuck with that. So first I just want to offer a quick reframe, which is that brightness or depth doesn't reduce wardrobe versatility, randomness does. And I think what makes a wardrobe hard to mix and match isn't necessarily having bold color, but it's having bold color without a system behind it. I'm going to take some slow baby steps to get back on Instagram this month, and in doing that, I've been checking out some influencers that I hadn't really kept an eye on recently. I want to give you a couple of examples of ladies who are absolutely amazing at combining bold and or dark colors with confidence, because I think I can tell you this is a possible thing to do, but it's going to be so much more helpful if you can see it well executed. So I'm going to give you a list of four people to go ahead and explore over on Instagram or you can check out their blogs. The first one is Blair Eady of Atlantic Pacific. She is one of the original color focused influencers out there. I've always been super inspired by her. You can see a lot of her outfits pinned to our style mood boards that we've put together for you over on Pinterest. The next one on the list is my personal favorite influencer. I love her style. She always inspires me. It's Julia Baralzeimer. I don't know if I'm pronouncing her last name correctly, but she's previously from Gal meets Glam. She's rebranded with her name at this point, but she has a really posh and glam style that's. That's very color infused as well. So you could see how she does that in a super elegant and luxe way. The next one on the list is Zena Shaw. Her Instagram handle is Heartzena. That's Z E E N A. Her outfits are absolutely gorgeous. She wears a lot of dark and bright color combinations, so I think her style will be particularly inspiring for you. And then the last one on the list is Color Me Courtney. Her account is super fun. So vibrant, lots of really bold, rich colors. Again, just to help you kind of get some visuals on how you can a super bright, colorful and also perhaps dark or less light neutral, heavy wardrobe that still is versatile and is going to mix and match in really beautiful ways. Now, as always, that's not an exhaustive list. I'm sure you can come up with a lot of other names on your own. You might be yelling at me that I missed somebody on that list, so please let me know. I would love to know who else I should be following because I love seeing colorful wardrobes and it's something that I'm really prioritizing for myself in 2026 as well. But again, I just wanted to give you a little jumpst start into some evidence that dark and bright colors can totally work together to create a versatile wardrobe. Now, that said, when I create a custom color palette, I'm not just handing someone their brights or their darks. I'm building a full ecosystem of color that is designed to work together in a really purposeful way. So every palette that I put together is 100% custom, but there is a general formula that I follow. I'm going to give you a little sneak peek, which I'm not sure I've ever shared on the podcast before. So here's what I would typically include in color palettes for, I want to say, 99% of my clients. So everyone gets their dark formal neutrals. These are great power colors. They're ideal for a professional sense. If you want something really perfect for suiting or for an evening wear look. This could range from navy to eggplant to forest green charcoal. So many different options we can plug in here, but you're going to get your dark formal neutrals. The next thing you're going to get is your best whites. I always give two. Obviously, these are going to be very light colors, and the options can range from a cool pure white to a neutral ivory or a really warm cream or sand color. A lot of variation between the different whites that you might receive, but those are two that I will always give to every client. Then after that, I'm going to give you some light, casual neutrals. Often, depending on what your hair color is, these might connect to your hair color in some way, but they're really going to anchor the more intense colors, just like you said. And they're going to be great for grounding pieces like belts, shoes, pants, and handbags. Sorry if you can hear Lilo, my pug in the background. She is hanging out with me today as we're getting some recordings done. So apologies for the little snorts here and there. I hope they don't bother you. The next thing that I'm going to include in every color palette is going to be eye color matches. I will most often give two, unless someone has just. The only time I think I haven't given two eye color matches is if somebody has a really dark, solid brown eye color. But most of the time, there's going to be some beautiful variation to your eyes, and I can give you a couple of options, usually a lighter and a darker hue just to capture the different dimensions to your eyes so that you have some room to play. The next thing is going to be your skin tone beiges. So these will will be matched to the tan or brown or alabaster tones in your skin. They're going to be great for makeup color matching to things like concealer and foundation, but they're also perfect choices when you want to appear more refreshed and radiant. So you'll have your skin tone beiges. You'll get your best blush colors. These are essential for makeup again, but also beautiful colors. If you want to have a soft or romantic feel in your outfits. Then you'll get your best reds, which is not the true red for everyone. There's so much variation between a warm cinnamon to a soft rose color. These are more powerful hues than your blush pinks. They're great for lipstick choices. And again, just nice options that you can choose from when you really want to show up and kind of dominate and own the room. Then everyone gets their best dramatic colors. And as with everything, these are your best dramatics. So they might actually be slightly muted or they could be highly saturated, depending on your personal coloring and, of course, your personality and preferences. And I will always include your favorites here. So I have each client fill out a little survey to let me know what their favorite colors are, so I can make sure that they are captured in the palette. And then depending on the person, depending on their style preferences, what colors they gravitate towards. If they've told me there's anything that they want me to avoid. A lot of times people will tell me they don't like to wear pastels, for example, but I will Give some combination of soft, subdued colors. They may or may not be light or dark. We'll do some additional neutrals here, possibly and or a collection of pastels. And then the last thing that I give to each client is their best metallics. These are great for formal wear if you want something with a little bit of shimmer. They're great for jewelry, hardware, like on your handbags or buttons, things like that, and then even your home decor. So the palette is multi use. You can use it for your wardrobe, but also anywhere that you might infuse color into your life.
- [10:23]
Anna
So.
- [10:23]
Heather Riggs
So, as you can see, I just wanted to give you that quick rundown of what I will include in a color palette for each client, so you can understand that there's a lot of versatility to the palettes themselves. You will definitely receive a mix of light and dark colors along with your dramatic options, your best neutrals, and most importantly, I will give you a personalized guide that's full of color psychology so that you can use your colors in the most strategic and effective way possible. And remember, my approach is not just based on your personal coloring, which is obviously so important, but I also like to factor in your personality and your color preferences. If you're someone who loves neutrals and you just want to have a couple pops of color in your closet, even if you look amazing in those bright, saturated, vivid tones, I'm going to give you what you want. The goal is to help you get dressed with ease and joy, not to put you in a box of rigid colors that you do not love. If I give you a color palette that's full of your best colors, but they don't fit with your preferences, you're never going to want to wear them, and that is just a waste of everyone's time. So you've got to trust me a little bit when I say that your color palette should be in total harmony so that you can truly pull out any combination of the colors I give you and put them into an incredible outfit with confidence. As I said, my number one wardrobe goal this year is to embrace more color, not only in my closets, but in my outfits themselves, and to utilize more interesting color combinations. And I believe a colorful wardrobe is the key to having better choices when you get dressed. So you have options you can choose based on color psychology, how you want to feel as you move about your day. And it's also essential to making more dynamic outfits that inspire you and those around you. So if you want me to support you with designing a colorful closet that you love and know how to style it confidently, then I would love to invite you to join us inside her style collective. This is where I will provide you with a fully custom personal color palette. I'll give you in depth color training and teach you exactly what you need to know to be your own best stylist so you can execute your best colors with complete confidence. My client Carly recently shared some sweet feedback with us as she's nearing the final two months of the program and she said Heather truly has a gift for color. I love my palette. Having it has given me a level of confidence I didn't know was possible. She helps you see past the noise of influencers and rules about what you think you should wear and and instead understand why certain pieces work or don't work for you based on your colors, contrast and features. Before working with Heather, I thought I could only wear autumn colors, stripes and solids and felt completely boxed in. Her style collective, especially creating my style mood board, gave me clarity, freedom and a visual reference I return to constantly. You truly can't find this level of insight elsewhere. Heather is 100% an expert and I'm incredibly grateful and I was so grateful when those kind words came in from Carly. I would love for you to have this experience too, so for more details you can head to herstylellc.com collective and I hope to see you inside.
- [13:24]
Mikayla
Hi Heather, My name is Mikayla. Your podcast has helped me so much with figuring out my personal style and getting more strategic with shopping and getting more creative with putting outfits together and just more confident and feeling more knowledgeable overall. So thank you so much. One thing I do feel like I really struggle with is shoes. Sometimes I'll put together an outfit and I really like it, but then I can't find any shoes that look good with it and I feel like I have to start all over or wear shoes that just don't look right. So I'm wondering if you have any guidelines for figuring out what shoe profiles go best with different pant lengths and skirt lengths. And I feel like for a while the like ankle pants were really popular, so I kind of have a lot of those, but a lot of my boots don't look right with those. I do want to invest in a new pair of brown boots. I kind of want something a little higher than a booty, but I feel like if they're too high then you can't wear them with pants. So I don't know any tips to help with putting the right shoes with the outfits that I'M making would be wonderful. Thank you.
- [14:39]
Heather Riggs
Mikaela, this is amazing and I'm so glad that the podcast has helped you figure out your style and get more strategic with shopping. Those are incredible results. It's exactly the goal that I have for you. So thank you for sharing that sweet feedback, my friend. Now, you made a really good point in your question, which is that as pant lengths kind of shifted in recent years, the proportions that made certain shoes work changed along with that, and most of us were never taught how to adjust accordingly. So when your hemlines shift, your shoes often play an even more important role visually, and that's where things can start to feel off with your outfit. Now, when I'm helping someone figure out which shoes work with their pants or skirts, I always start with four quick visual checks. And once you know these, I think it's going to become surprisingly intuitive to you. So again, with a little bit of practice, you're going to just understand how to do this by second nature. So first I look at the length of the pants, the skirt or the dress, because that's going to set the tone for everything else. I think cropped or ankle length styles are going to need a little bit more intention at the shoe, either something that shows more of the foot or a boot that closes the gap cleanly. While full length pants and skirts are much more forgiving. It's essential to also understand your body's proportions here as well. So if your legs are proportionately long, you're going to be able to pull off different shoes than someone whose legs are visually short for their frame. So please keep that in mind. There is so much nuance that needs to go into this based on your specific body type. Then the next thing that I do is check the vamp of the shoe, which is just how much of the top of your foot it covers. So a lower vamp is going to generally create a longer line through the leg, while a higher vamp adds some structure, which is why you're probably discovering that some some boots suddenly don't work with certain hemlines, just as you mentioned in your question. And the amount of coverage that your shoe provides can drastically affect your entire look. So as a general tip, I think that a narrow high vamp ankle boot is going to make your cropped jeans work way better. Or alternatively, you could do something with a really low vamp, like a ballet flat or a low cut heel that's really open around the top of the foot. I would just avoid those tricky in between pieces like a sneaker that comes up higher on the Ankle or an ankle boot that is not so tall that it kind of makes your leg look a little bit stumpy. I think you know the ones that I mean. So just be careful as you are wearing those cropped lengths that you make sure your shoes are either a higher vamp and a narrow ankle boot that you can just slip right under the pants, or alternatively, something with a really low vamp. So just avoid the in between. The next thing that I pay attention to is color, because shoes that blend with your pants or your skin tone can help to create one long, uninterrupted line. While a high color contrast is going to shorten your frame, it's going to chop things up even more. And that's not necessarily bad. It's just a choice that you want to make on purpose. And again, keeping in mind your body's proportions. And then finally, I like to look at the scale. I think chunkier shoes can help to balance a lot of volume up top, and it can give your outfit some edge. While slimmer shoes are going to feel a lot lighter. They're going to be more delicate. And so the goal is always for the weight of the shoe to make sense with your body, your personal style, and your outfit as a whole. So you might want to queue up episode number 277 next. In that episode, I covered the best shoes for fall 2025. We're kind of still in that season, so I would say it's absolutely relevant. Even as we come into the start of the year, we also talked about from jeans to dresses, what works with everything. And that episode is going to give you an even deeper dive on what's happening right now in the way of shoes and clothing in general. Now, of course, this is likely to shift a little bit for spring, but it might help you wrap up your winter wardrobe with a neat and tidy bow. Now, ultimately, if your shoes feel off when you are putting your outfit together, you just want to check and try adjusting those four things that we mentioned, the proportions and noticing what's happening through the line of your leg. Is it getting interrupted somewhere? Cut off? Is it creating one nice column of color and line? So kind of think about what it's doing to your proportions. Then think about the vamp and ask yourself if you need to show more or less of your foot to create a flattering look. The third thing, again, is color. Would something closer to the color of your bottoms or your skin tone make more sense with your outfit? And then the fourth factor is the scale. Do your shoes feel too light or too heavy? Compared to the rest of your outfit. So those are going to be some really great checkpoints that you can run through before you walk out the door and what you hopefully picked up in both of my answers today. And it's funny because I said this was going to be short and sweet and now we're already at almost 20 minutes. Whoops. But I guess we can go deeper when we have just a couple questions to cover. And what I hope that you are realizing and hearing my responses to these questions is that to better style your outfits, you don't need more rules and restrictions. You just need better systems. You need personalized information that applies to you you, your coloring, your personality, your proportions, your lifestyle. All of those factors that are going to make your outfits work so much better for you personally. And when your wardrobe is built intentionally and in a customized way that works for you, everything clicks. Your outfits are going to come together with so much less effort and look a million times better as a result. So again, I would be honored to support you with all of this and more inside Her Style Collective. You can join us at@herstylellc.com collective. I also have a free Something something coming your way which I plan to reveal to you on Monday, so make sure you tune in for that episode coming up. And in the meantime, if you have a question that you want me to answer in a future episode, just head to herstylellc.com podcast. Leave a quick voice memo just like Ana and Mikayla did this month. Ladies, I'm so grateful to you for submitting your amazing questions. You are the best and I hope to answer yours in our next Q and A soon. Have a good one my friend.
- [20:41]
Thank you for listening 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 a two way conversation and send me a DM over on Instagram eatherigstyle 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 time.