We’d been avoiding them for a while: fire engine red, sunshine yellow, azure blue. Those bold poppy colours that somehow seemed a bit ‘much’. But then Celine’s SS14 came along and suddenly the ultimate putty-toned fashion house was doing brash Art-Attack-inspired brushstrokes (latterly seen at Zara and every other high street retailer).
In short, bright red and blue became the only colours you can buy on today’s Great British high street.
That said, it’s still dicey territory. You want to look strong and graphic rather than cartoonishly comic. So here are some styles you can try on for size – sorry, colour.
Embrace being The Lady In Red
Match your shift to your lipstick, but keep it from straying from Mad Men territory with a number of do’s. Firstly, a middle-part low pony. It’s like the anti-cute, Amish hairstyle to counteract the brighter than brights. Secondly, some Adidas Gazelles. We’ve almost had maximum Gazelle exposure; so make sure you wear them to death this summer before ennui hits. And thirdly, play with the silhouette by tying something around your waist – namely a cagoule. Very useful during this bout of shit weather, too.
Daisy Babydoll Dress in Red, £45 Cooperative at Urban Outfitters; Yellow Jacket, £29.90 Uniqlo; Shiny Peach Cheetah Nylon Tricot Scrunchie, £6 American Apparel and Gazelle Og ii Trainers, £65 Adidas at Schuh
Nell Shoestring Slip Dress, £125 Whistles; Black Rosherun Slip On Trainers, £65 Nike at ASOS; The Iconic Women’s Raincoat in Yellow, £130 Petite Bateau and Vintage Leopard Print Head Scarf, £4.99 Russiandol at eBay
Tonal Block In Blue
We’re a big fan of tonal blocking; it can be a lot easier than colour blocking. Take two structured pieces for summer and make a sassy little all-blue outfit made up of differing textures (here you’ve got silky viscose contrasting with the roughness of the cropped denim.) Mauve lipstick adds an unexpected ‘off’ note and makes us genuinely consider wearing purple lipstick for only like the first time ever.
Denim Cropped Top, £225 3X1 at Net-a-Porter; Viscose Mini Skirt, £39 & Other Stories; Brigette Cement Croc Print Ankle Boots, £203 Senso at ASOS; Enamel and Diamond Bracelet, £220 IAM by Ileane Makri at Net-a-Porter; Ear Cuff, £5 & Other Stories; Hoop Earrings, £29.99 H Samuel and Round Frame Sunglasses, £17 & Other Stories
Chambray Top, £138.96 Robert Rodriguez at Shopbop; Moto Denim Wrap Skirt, £32 Topshop; Muskrat Leather Boot, £111.69 Jeffrey Campbell at Nasty Gal and Large Knot Hoops, £120 Davina Combe Jewellery
**Oh, And Never Fear The Green Eyed Monster **
It can get short shrift, green. Unless you go for shimmery emerald then it’s not really seen as the sexiest colour. But apple green is a great hue for spring; especially with some oversized faded denim. Also clashes excellently with coral, so do opt for some of that on your lips. If you’ve got red hair, then the whole thing will just be even more of a goddamn winner.
Imperial Tank in Emerald, £55 Blake LDN; Phoebe Cuffed Jeans in Grover, £210 MiH Jeans; Jamie Quilted Rucksack, £135 Another 8; Braided Bracelets, from £55 by Lucy Folk at MATCHESFASHION.COM; Malva Red Single Strap Sandals, £139 Reiss and Red Sunglasses, £20 Topshop
Silk Snakeprint Shirt, £190.92 Sandro; Love Label Slouch Slim Leg Boyfriend Jeans, £29.99 Very.co.uk; High Heel Strappy Sandal, £79.99 Zara and Bespoke White Leather Backpack, £74.24 Kokosina at Etsy
Stylist: Babara McMillan
Make-up: Lucy Joan Pearson
Model: Sarah Burns at Elite London
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.