I Love Colors

If you were to ever meet my parents one day and if my mother took a particular liking to you and decided to show you photos from my teens and early 20s, you would probably rub your eyes in disbelief, grab the photo from my mom's hands and insist that this couldn't be Leandra!  This drab creature wearing all black or occasionally very, very dark gray, must be a fey changeling, because, good gracious, where are all the colors?!  It's at this point that I would walk in and ask who you are and why you're at my parents' house.  After a some explanation as to your identity and my 180° spin-about on wearing colors followed by a hearty laugh we would walk away friends.

I adore colors (now) and mixing as many colors onto one outfit palette as possible is my jam, but it wasn't always so.  My reasons for avoiding color included a hefty dose of teenage angst, a fear of standing out, and a dash of ignorance about how to wear/mix colors in general.  If any of that sounds familiar to you, let me encourage you that the angst will fade with the teen years and once you learn a little about what looks good on you and what colors work well together, the fear of standing out will dissipate too.

The easiest place to start is with a print that you love.  Starting with a print is the easiest because all the color mixing is already done for you.  All you have to do is choose 1-3 colors from the print that you want to wear with your print.  For this lights skirt that I bring out each year around the holidays,(see previous outfits here and here) I have lots of options on colors and try to do something different with it every year.  In the past I've done oragne, red, and blue.  This year I chose a bronze crop pullover from MAK and some Hunter green tights from WeLoveColors and I absolutely love the look.

If you're not ready for something quite this colorful, start with a basic plaid or floral print and then just add one to two colors from the print itself.  Accessorizing with one or two colors from the print will have different outcomes your outfit and you should be able to get lots of unique looks. 

After you start feeling comfortable working with colors (and also getting compliments on how great you look!)  branch out to more bold prints and adding more colors to your wardrobe.  Tights and tops are a great way to accessorize and play with colors too, that's why I love WeLoveColors for all their amazing colorful tights and YeMAK has pullovers and cardis in every hue.  Life's too short to wear black all the time.  Live life in color!

Shopping Info:  Chicwish skirt is old, Bronze Pullover from MAK, Nylon Tights in Hunter Green-$17.50 from WeLoveColors