Tuesday, October 16, 2007

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!

7 comments:

Alexandra said...

Good advice. I have a much-beloved pair of eggplant-y shoes and I find they go very well with a pair of straight-leg grey pants and black tops. It's still a classic look that I can wear to the office but the colourful shoes make it a bit younger-looking.

Anonymous said...

Hi it's April!

Thank so much for your advice. I was so excited that my questions made it on your blog I told my husband (and the advice you gave). He laughed and said "You go to her blog everyday and copy her outfits so, whatever she says sounds good to me!" :) I thought that was pretty cute.

I never even thought about gray, patterns with hints of purple or accessories. Which I have all of the above. When I wear my 'fit I'll send you a pic. Thanks so much.

Anonymous said...

That was excellent advice! You're right about green going well with purple... I have a pair of aubergine leather shoes, with high chunky heels, that I love to wear with my green tweed dress pants. It's a heathered tweed, so there are tiny bits of brown mixed in, toning down the green. I've worn it with a white button down, a brown cowlneck sweater and a dark purple turtleneck.

Anonymous said...

I really like the idea of "A simple gray skirt, white blouse, and purple shoes" i can see that looking really great!

Shellss said...

But what colour accessories...i have purple...i am wearing a grey skirt and white shirt to my company luncheon...

Joany said...

These are great tips, I have a pair of purple boots that I always pair up with gray or black clothes (black jeans, gray turtleneck) but you have given me ideas with the green.I love those boots so much but find that the rest of me looks drab lol!
thanks!

Clare said...

Thank you for this blog! Im always having a hard time to choose the outfit for my melissa hoop purple.. Now I can wear them confidently!