Some of these color names could be debated for WEEKS… and then you can spend even more time trying to find just the right item! But why would you settle for something less than ideal, just because it was the easy choice? We have high standards…Just a suggestion – if you choose to search for these colors, be very creative and open-minded when coming up with words for your search. While the book called the 2nd color turquoise, many of the items that I found here (for Blue-Green) came up under a search for turquoise. And don’t get me started on the whole lilac/lavender/light purple/mauve conundrum!
Yes, the royal tote is from Nike; some people NEED a washable nylon tote…
I’ve tried to show solid-color scarves, but I just couldn’t resist this striped scarf, below. It’s just plain pretty!(it doesn’t hurt that the scarf and the earrings share a certain wavy stripe-ish-ness…)
If you look up “mauve” on the Internet, you’ll mostly get warm, kind of muddy pinkish beige colors. According to Wikipedia, the word mauve is derived from the name of the mallow flower, which is a color that’s much more a soft purple. This shade is a bit lighter than the flower, and quite a bit prettier than a lot of what the web had to offer! (my opinion, of course; if you like other shades, go for it!)
There are as many shades of grey as there are companies manufacturing stuff – it’s never a bad idea to carry things about when you’re trying to match them. Or mail order from companies that offer free returns – that way, you can compare things in the comfort of your home! All you need is a roll of packing tape…
White shoes can be hard to wear, but white sandals are such a natural choice for warm weather, for so many of us!
If you like black accessories, the world’s your oyster. But it make sense to choose some secondary feeling, or sensibility, or quality, to unify your choices. Here, I picked things that felt angular in nature. You could of course go with textures, or rounded shapes – there are plenty of ways to approach this.
And another shout-out to the book that started these posts – available in English and French!
love,
Janice
Taste of France says
You do such a good job at choosing items for each color that I want them all. And, yes, a washable tote could be useful. How much classier to use that one as a gym bag, rather than the typical gym bag!
Anonymous says
I could have a tote fetish as well as a shoe fetish here… Carol S
Anonymous says
Very interesting posts – it's always fascinating to see the name and characteristics people attach to colours, even when you don't share their view. It would be fun to create capsules where the colour and style were opposed, e.g. a powerful dramatic 'soft orange' wardrobe
My favourites:
navy, grey, light blue; peach, soft orange, terracotta; pale yellow, fresh green
if only my real life wardrobe was so coherent!
Alice
Throckmorzog says
I second this idea! That would be a fascinating way to look at the nuances of cross-influence between color and style.
Anonymous says
Ah there's my fuschia! Also a fan of royal blue, and their blue-green is what I think of as sky blue. Denim blue I guess might fall under the royal blue. Also a big fan of true purple. Not seeing lilac, which I think of as being a similar hue to the mauve accessories but much more saturated. Of course black, white, and gray are always useful. I would have liked to see another brown – more of a khaki color…
– Kaci
Shrebee says
Janice,
For me the Tropical posted here is my Blue-Green, and the Blue-Green here is my concept of turquoise ! As my grandmother often wore lilac or purple, I have always thought of them as "old lady " colors, but these accessories are chic ! As I move into old-lady-dom , maybe I should reconsider these two lovely colors !
Tricia T says
I find it interesting that the "calm" color made me feel agitated. :) LOVE the nostalgic look, though!
Virginia says
Whatever you call that mauve color (in my lingo it would be more of a soft lavendar), I love it!
Anonymous says
At a time of year when I am craving color, these 2 posts have been a fun way to contemplate the options, and a reminder that accessory families are something I need to develop. Thank you! Mary
Kirsti says
When my son's fiancée was describing the colors she wanted for the wedding she mentioned mauve and I thought of the pinkish beige color but she was thinking of the color you show here. It's interesting how we may use the same word but mean different things. Her slate blue was quite different from mine! Wedding is in two and a half weeks! Your blog is a wonderful diversion for me!
Anonymous says
I think my feelings are a little bit hurt ;) I like, and look good, in the muddy colors but they are so gosh darn hard to find. Probably because they are not well liked by many?
Janice Riggs says
I think it's partly because it costs more to dye individual fibers and then weave them into a complex color – a lot of clothes are just one (sometimes quite harsh) color, and it's a darned shame!
hugs,
Janice
Throckmorzog says
Oh! That may explain why vintage items often have so much more depth of color than anything available new…most pre1960s things were bespoke and of natural materials and dyes.
Makes sense now.
lrlincks says
I can't imagine how long all of these color posts took!! Some great accessories! Love that purple agate bracelet! I think of mauve as the color that was popular in the 80's which was a deeper rose color than you show here. Thanks for all your efforts Janice!
Cee Pluse says
These color/mood associations are fascinating! So far only the red, chestnut, burgundy, and soft orange (which I consider to be a warm tan) have appealed to me. I like yellow, but it does not like me (my skin has a touch of sallowness which does not play well with most other yellows). Where are the deeper warm hues and warm neutrals, like earthy chocolate brown, sage and olive green, rich pumpkin orange, warm cream and soft ecru. I do love the autumnal hues, as opposed to cool colors and pastels. (BTW, the 'energetic' color is spelled 'fuchsia', named after the plant of the same name, which was named for a German botanist named Fuchs. I always misspell this one too.)
Janice Riggs says
What would I do without you? Thanks for correcting my error – I've changed it, and am duly humbled by my horrid spelling!
hugs,
Janice
Lorrie says
Oh, how I love every one of those blues. Love the colours, love the accessories. Such a delicious post.
Duchesse says
A friend and I decided there is something dispiriting about our navy trousers. (A navy peacoat or sweater seems to be OK for us.) I •love• navy, but it desperately needs the zhuzh of a scarf or jewellery. "Dependable", while purple is "magical" and blue-violet is "majestic". Poor dear navy.
Laura Kaye says
This was a fun series! My colors have changed from pastels to jewel tones as I've grayed. I found the names fun that were associated with each color.
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