Five Surprising Ways to Wear Purple-Violet: #1

September 18, 2012

One of the more beautiful hues in the Spring 2013 Pantone fashion palette is ethereal African Violet. This dusky, mysterious shade of purple can add surprising zest to your wardrobe. But as it's kind of a look-at-me color, this isn't the place to cheap out. While you can scrimp on basics like a black cigarette pant or tweedy blazer, brights & prints don't really allow for price-saving maneuvers.

Remember: prints & bright colors from the cheap end of the pricepoint scale look just that: cheap.

That being said, you don't need to blow the entire rent check to get the goods. This violet *T by Alexander Wang* is only $80 (available from NET-A-PORTER.com ) giving you a lot of fashion bang for your buck, especially when you consider all the different ways you can wear it. I've come up with 5 looks built around this tee - for work & play - that will hopefully get you inspired to come up with your own fun combinations.

HOW TO WEAR PURPLE - TRICK #1: WITH HUNTER GREEN

A particularly beautiful combination is African Violet with a warm, rich green. I've always particularly loved this alluring color-mix in gemstones, like this lovely "Mediterranean Eden" ring by Bulgari.

Given that the foundation of this outfit contains so much color, the smart move is to keep the rest neutral. Instead of black, a more sophisticated choice is a tweedy-preppy charcoal-gray. Being in the same hue, the jacket & shoe entice the eye to flow across the entire ensemble (kind of like visual "book ends"), and create an overall look that is polished & sophisticated.

GET THE LOOK: 1. jersey muscle tee - T by Alexander Wang; 2. trousers - Jonathan Saunders; 3. herringbone blazer - Alice + Olivia; 4. ankle boots - Rag & Bone; 5. gold crest-pendant necklace - Stella McCartney; 6. bag - YSL; 7. glasses frames - Selima Optique - all available at NET-A-PORTER.com

- Lesley Scott

[Note: The links to Net-a-Porter are both affiliate links, but you should know I only partner up with retailers I really like & I carefully handpick only stuff I love & hope you will too!]

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SPRING 2013 hot hue: AFRICAN VIOLET!