I have had this aversion to the colour red for, like, forever.
With blonde hair, I have failed miserably at getting various different shades to work with my colouring. Being pale has never helped either; it has perpetually made me look washed out.
But this season, I have been doing my research and I have found a way around red. It has to do with tone. Let's break this down in something we are all familiar with - red lipstick. We have blue tones, orange tones, purple tones etc etc which all suit different skin tones. Well, the same goes for clothes. It's about trying and testing hues of red, to find the one that naturally highlights your skin and hair to enhance your own radiance.
We saw plenty of red at the Emmys (even though some blended in with the carpet) and on the catwalk, that I think we can safely say, yep, it's a trend.
Jacket, €91, Preen at Debenhams Edition; Shoes, €35, iclothing.com; Peplum jacket, €445, Niamh O'Neill; Trousers, €77, Preen at Debenhams EditionSo how are we going to make this work? Let me work through the tones with you.
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Taking the orange hue first, we see a lighter form of red, and a great starting point before going all out in Lady Danger. I think this shade works perfectly in separates like jackets, trousers (yes there are trousers) and tops styled with darker colours to maintain a nice balance. The head to toe look is a little too "bright" for the Winter months, trust me.
Dress, €TBC, Tara Jarmon at Harvey Nichols; High Neck dress, €69.95, Carraig Donn; Shoes, €85, OfficeBlue tones look great on paler skin without making it look gaunt; shades like a rich cherry which works elegantly in dresses and coats and is hugely popular with Irish designer Niamh O'Neil as well global retailers like Cos, who have all bought into this colour for Autumn Winter. And as it's slightly darker, this works well for office wear too.
Tunic, €89, Cos; Blouse, Jeans & Bag, from the Autumn Winter collection at Heatons; Coat, €160, Phase EightAdvertised
And then we have purple, or to be more precise, it's more a burgundy and claret (imagine the colour of that delicious red wine). This is an Autumnal shade that is more muted, and easier to wear. Over the next month, we will start to see much more of this colour, and also watch out for a-line coats come September.
Do you think you can wear red? Share your style tips with us!
