Mail Bag: Purple Shoes

Reader mail, reader mail, ding, ding, ding!

Hi my name is April. I fell in love with your blog a few months ago and have duplicated a few of your outfits. I like to step outside of the box a little so I bought some Nine West purple faux croc pumps this weekend. I fell in love with them and I usually build my outfits around my shoes but, I don't wear much purple at all and I absolutely had to have them. Any ideas on how to put an outfit together without being too matchy matchy and have my shoes be the focal point?

Thanks for your help.

Hi April. Thanks for loving my blog. It loves you too! And I cannot tell you how incredibly flattered I am that you have copied my outfits.

Even though I’m not a purple fan, your shoes sound really cute. Your question is a little difficult because, the way I see it, your shoes will either match your outfit (“matchy matchy”) or not (and become “the focal point”). However, I do think you can tone down the degree to which people will stare at your non-matching* pumps by carefully choosing the colors you pair them with.

Neutrals. Pairing purple with gray is both current and mellow. A simple gray skirt, white blouse, and purple shoes looks eclectic, but still classic. Depending on the shade of purple, you may want to try finishing off an all-black outfit with the purple shoes. If it is a deep shade, it will take a second glance before someone discerns the color difference. Even brown can look great with purple – consider chocolate and grape or khaki and lavender. I’d avoid pairing the purple with mostly white outfits, if you don’t want to draw attention to your feet.

Colors. Leaf green and mustard yellow look incredible with purple accents. If I didn’t look terrible in both mustard yellow and purple, you would see me dressing in that combination on a regular basis (with a shot of gray!) Currently, purple paired with fuchsia is hot, but, honestly, it reminds me of something I would have worn in 5th grade. To avoid a clown-like look, I’d stay away from pairing orange, bright yellow, or red with your shoes. Finally, blue and purple are a little too close on the color wheel to wear together.

Patterns. Do you have any patterned items in your closet with just a hint of purple? Your shoes can be a fun way to pick out the colors in the pattern without being overly matchy. Sort through your patterned scarves, blouses, and even jewelry to see if you’ve overlooked something. (If you responded to the purple shoes, chances are you’ve picked up an item with purple in it before.)

Metallics. The sort of metal you pair with your purples can really change the mood of your outfit. With gold accents, purple aquires a regal air. With silver, it comes off as cooler, and maybe a bit punk. Consider the image you want to present when you choose your accessories.

Happy accessorizing! I’d love to see a photo of your purple-shoes-accented outfit!

*but they should match each other!