Five Surprising Ways to Wear Purple-Violet: #2

September 19, 2012

Pantone's African Violet was named as one of Spring 2013's top 10 fashion hues and it's easy to see why this version of purple proved so alluring to designers. But what about for the rest of us who are going to attempt to wear it in real life? Actually, this color is do'able - even if you're kind of color-phobic (I'm talkin' to YOU Ms. Head-to-Toe-in-Black-Everyday).

For Look #1 out of 5 ways to wear this awesome purple T by Alexander Wang muscle tee (for a quick look at the outfit, scroll down to the bottom), I paired it with a rich hunter green & grounded the look with a neutral but sophisticated charcoal for a look suitable for work or times when you wanna present. Above, it's a lot more playful when paired with a of-the-moment embellished jean jacket and a flirty black-and-white striped skirt.

Which brings us to....drumroll:

HOW TO WEAR PURPLE - TRICK #2: WITH A GRAPHIC BLACK & WHITE PATTERN

Bold prints - from stripes to paisleys to animal motifs like leopard & zebra - share an interesting fashion property: they all look amazing paired with bright colors, like violet.

...alternatively, if you had an 80s Moment and ended up with a neon-orange or taxicab-yellow tee that seemed like a good idea at the time & now you're wondering how the hell to wear, try pairing it with a black-and-white striped polka-dotted or patterned skirt or pant, or maybe a pencil skirt in leopard or zebra. The one at right is from Express.

For my Look #2, I added finished it off with some zesty red flats & coordinating bag and - since I'm such a sucker for matching jewelry - some fun oversized earrings!

GET THE LOOK: 1. muscle tee - T by Alexander Wang; skirt - Old Navy; 3. red flats - Old Navy; 4. heart earrings - Lanvin; 5. denim jacket - Current/Elliott; 6. bag - Reed Krakoff.

The tee, jean jacket, bag & earrings are all available at NET-A-PORTER.com

- Lesley Scott

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

SOME OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

HOW TO WEAR PURPLE: LOOK #1 (OUT OF 5)