The good news: Yellow is back, with all of its happy evocations and bright intonations. The bad news: It's not very easy to wear. But if you pay attention to a few simple rules, you can manage to look super-stylish without washing yourself out.
Like little rays of sunshine poking through the clouds, yellow looks started appearing on the Spring 2009 runways of Chris Benz, Carolina Herrera, and Jason Wu last September. Then the Emmy Awards hit the air a couple of weeks later, and I noticed no fewer than four women embracing the bold hue. And when Michelle Obama turned up on the morning of her husband's inauguration in a beautiful Isabel Toledo dress that most people called "lemongrass," I knew yellow was officially having a moment.
And you too, my dears, can pull off plenty of shades of goldenrod, saffron, and sunflower, if you follow a few simple rules:
Pay attention to your skin tone. Head to a cosmetics counter in your favorite department store and let them give you a free color analysis. If it turns out you've got a warm skin tone, most shades of yellow will flatter you. If your skin tone is cooler, you might not want to wear head-to-toe marigold.
Choose yellow accessories instead of clothes. This is not a color for wallflowers--a dress or even a top in any sunshine shade will definitely invite a lot of looks, so if you're feeling wary, start small. I love the idea of a few long strands of yellow beads against a navy sweater, a bright yellow belt worn with a pair of slouchy pants, or--if the color is especially unflattering to you, you'll want to keep it away from your face--yellow shoes with another bright colored dress (and check out this bride who wore yellow shoes to her wedding!)
Pick a print. Again, the idea here is to use subtle dashes of the shade to achieve the maximum bright effect. Go for a floral that has purples, blues, greens, and yellows, or choose a black and white graphic print that has pops of yellow throughout. If you keep the rest of your look subtle, the bright spots will really shine.
Shop some cheap and chic yellow pieces I'm really loving right now:
What do you girls think--are you a yellow person? Are you tempted to try it out, now that you know the rules? What are some of your favorite yellow pieces in your closet? Share!
PLUS:
How to mix patterns without looking like a hot mess
AND
How to wear leopard without looking smutty, silly, or straight up cliche
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