In the mood for yellow?

Ask a chap to list types of yellow and he’ll probably be stumped at two or three – maybe bright yellow, dark yellow and orangey-yellow will be offered as suggestions. But most ladies will probably do better – using words such as primrose, straw, lemon, goldfish, melon, honey and even sunny to describe the exact shade that they’re referring to.
Yellow is a colour that seems to lift our mood – we associate it with sun and flowers, youth and happiness. In Bangladesh we also associate yellow with food and festivities – turmeric and gaye holud! We’re fortunate to be able to wear yellow so easily – in the greyness of London, for instance, yellow might just be too much of a shock for some folk.

There are many yellows to choose from, and just as many ways to wear them. However, not everyone is comfortable wearing yellow – some shades and fabric reflect up into the face giving people a jaundiced appearance. So choose yellow, but choose it carefully. Wear it correctly and you will catch everyone’s eye. Wear it in the wrong way and splat, you’ll have egg on your face!

Nature uses yellow liberally – and we can take our cue from nature on how to wear yellow. Carelessly coordinate it with black and you’ll start alarm bells ringing (think of bees and snakes and you’ll know what I mean). But wear it with off-whites and pale oranges to mimic pretty flowers and look radiant. If you really want everyone to turn and look at you, wear yellow with bright orange.

If you aren’t someone who feels like wearing yellow head to toe, mix and match with contrast colours. Purple is the complementary colour and wearing the two colours next to each other will increase the vibrancy of each colour.

Yellow and blue also give a similar effect. Look natural by wearing yellow with shades of green. Choose floral prints and patterns to create a “pretty”, feminine look, go for bold checks and stripes if you really want to grab attention. Tone down yellow with hues of brown or even grey to get a look that’s cool and comfortable around the house.

Yellow can be difficult to accessorize with – though the combinations above are a good starting point. Most shades of yellow are so strong that wearing them with golden coloured jewellery would be overkill, but silver just doesn’t look right. Again, go for a contrast colour, wearing imitation jewels during the day and crystals at night.

Finally, if you’re still thinking that yellow is not for you, choose the next best thing – an off-white colour with a hint of pale yellow. Surely even the man in your life will be able to get away with that? So put your sunny face on and step out in yellow. With these tips from Punoh you really can go out smelling of flowers!

Written by Julie for Punoh.
© Punoh, 2013.