Have you seen women who seem to be shopping from the most expensive boutiques but their outfits seem really boring? That’s coz they think as long as they buy and wear an expensive piece of clothing their work is done. More often than not, the dress along cannot give you that breathtaking look. It’s all about how you put together individual pieces and add accessories. Overdo it and again it looks cluttered and cheap. You might have to work on it initially but soon it will become a part of your routine and come naturally to you. It’s all about making your outfit look interesting.

Too much of color is not good whether it’s the same color getting repeated or multiple colors. Mix neutrals with just one or two colors and you can’t go wrong. And if you are wearing a single piece (dress) that is one bright color, say green, keep the accessories neutral for the day. Don’t mix too many colors coz it will just end up looking gaudy. On the other hand, if your dress is a really dark green, you can add a yellow bag and red shoes coz here the green acts almost like a neutral and the accessories bring life to the outfit. For both the dresses, you can add metallic accessories to make it appropriate for evening. Metallics add a touch of class especially when worn in the evening. Sometimes, metallics can also act as neutrals while bringing just the right amount of interest in the outfit. If you want to highlight a specific item in your outfit, make sure you shift focus to that by toning the others down.

This is very important to get that classy, sophisticated look. When you bring in texture, you can be certain that the outfit won’t look overdone. Texture can be in the form of tweed trouser or a croc leather bag or a snake leather shoe or corduroy jacket. Sometimes even a blouse with ruffles can add the required texture. The possibilities are again endless.

Shine

Shine brings life to an outfit just like color. If you don’t want them together, you can always do a color in matte finish and go for shine in a neutral. For instance, a black patent pumps – subtle shine. Keep the look simple yet stylish. Like color, take care not to overdo shine. Sprinkle shine in smaller dozes in your outfit. For instance, you can pair a grey suit with a purple silk blouse underneath the jacket. It creates visual interest in your outfit yet the shine is kept under check.

Pattern is as essential in an outfit as the other three if not more. After all, how can you dress in solids all the time? It’s just gonna make you look predictable and boring. Pair plaid skirts, pinstripe suits, floral blouses, geometric print dresses, leopard print scarves or zebra stripe pumps with solid pieces. The idea is to wear something that’s not all solid. Solid has it’s own charm but the charm gets magnified exponentially when it’s mixed with some pattern. You can even mix 2 very subtle patterns or one subtle and one bold pattern but mixing two bold patterns is a strict no-no.

Well now you know all there is to know about Color Texture Shine and Pattern. Isn’t it really simple?

- Color, texture, shine and pattern are the four pillars of a fashionable outfit

- To keep the look classy and interesting incorporate these elements in not more than 2 pieces of your outfit

- Color and Shine should be kept under check – too much can make the look gaudy and cheap

- Texture is really important for a sophisticated look and can help tone down an otherwise loud outfit

- Pattern helps break the monotony of solids. Never mix 2 bold patterns though.

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