Color Blocking: Spring/Summer 2011
Turn on your televisions. Flip through your favorite magazines. Browse the Spring/Summer 2011 fashion lines for many of your favorite designers and I'm sure you've seen it. It's been said that past trends do always reemerge and color blocking is simply a small truth to that myth. So, what exactly is color blocking, you say? Allow me to reacquaint you with this 1960s mod fashion look.
Mod, short for modernist, is a subculture that originated in England during the late 1950s and the early-to-mid 1960s. This was an era all about fashion, African American soul, British beat music, and Jamaican ska, highly associated with youth and all-night dancing at clubs. Fashion during this time was passionate amongst young adults who lived in metropolitan London or new towns located in the south. Mod females, such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton began to exemplify the look of this era, helping to spread awareness to a larger audience and create the color-blocking look.
What is color blocking?
Color blocking is simply the combination of two or more color blocks in one ensemble. This could be applied to shoes, a handbag, a top, bottom, or a dress. The colors can be bright, contrasting, complimentary, or monotone. While the trend may seem carefree, you do want to be careful because it is easy to steer it in the wrong direction. Generally speaking, a color blocked outfit will look best if you work with your own body type. For pear shapes, darker colors on the bottom half work best, while avoiding colors around the stomach area work better for apple shapes. For hourglass shapes, a color block around the waist is a good way to accentuate your curves and figure.
Once you grasp the concept, don't be afraid to experiment. Any color combination can be pulled off if done properly, but do avoid using more than three or four colors. More colors will take away from your body shape and leave you looking like a Rubik's cube.
Many designers such as Prada, Stella McCartney, and even Gucci have devoted some of their line pieces to color blocking but if you're fashionable on a budget, many stores such as Forever21, Urban Outfitters, Asos, and H&M offer pieces to help you create this look.
For help with mastering this trend, I've included a color wheel for help combining different colors, celebrity shots, and photos from various Summer 2011 fashion lines that include color blocking.
Thanks for reading!
- Chrissy Dior
About the Author
0 comments