How to wear colour for spring

Now, this could be tricky.  How to talk about wearing colour without turning this into a Michelle Obama love-in?  Research tells us that there isn't a shade in the spectrum that Mobama is afraid of. She can go head-to-toe primrose, brighten up classic black pants with a fuchsia cardi or cleverly mix vibrant jewel shades for a totally regal look. The first lady certainly is clever when it comes to creating a striking outfit. So how to get some of that colour confidence?

1. Say no to head-to-toe. A totally colour co-ordinated outfit can be difficult to pull off.  There's a fine line between Mrs O and Victoria B. Keep it classy not trashy by avoiding the matcy-matchy look. Much better to wear one vivid piece and to mis-match your accessories.

2. Tone it down. This summer there will be a whole lotta khaki and camel around so make this your neutral base and then add brilliant accents in the form of belts, bags and chunky jewellery.

3. Experiment with colour. This is the fun part. Try mixing shades that you wouldn't normally wear together, such as pistachio and purple, or turquoise and camel, you may be pleasantly surprised. But take it easy. Clashing brights are fine on the beach but not in the boardroom - unless of course, you want to look like Zandra Rhodes.

4. Pastel alert. The spring catwalks were over-run with ice-cream colours but tread very carefully when it comes to pastel tones. Not only can lemon and lilac create an instant mother-of-the bride effect, some shades have the ability to drain the life out of any complexion. This may sound a bit obvious but hold a garment up to your face to judge whether or not it's a wash out.  And always look for warmer, less bluish tones.

5. Choose an eye-catching print. We all know that prints and stripes are an easy way to give a tired wardrobe an injection of life, so just take one of the less obvious colours from the print palette, find a jacket, cardigan or some new accessories to match, et voila, a clever contrast.

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