Colour stories — incorporating new colours into my wardrobe

How I chose them and where to buy matching items

This week includes brand recs which will be for paid members only. It’s an image heavy post so it might cut off in your email, best to read using the app or in the browser.

It might not be a surprise if you know my eclectic, sometimes haphazard approach to fashion, but I tend to choose colours on impulse.

My wardrobe is a mish-mash of tons of decisions, some of my clothes I love and some I wish to replace. There’s a lot of pink, forest green and blues. There’s a lot of colour that I didn’t mindfully choose, things that were in my size and I kinda liked, so I bought it.

I don’t want to start my wardrobe from scratch, instead I want to build on what I already own. But I want to be more thoughtful in what I add next. That being said, there are some colours that I am itching to add to my wardrobe, I wanted to share them with you and how I came to choose them.

FIVE THINGS THAT INSPIRED MY COLOUR CHOICES

(These have some crossover from last week, so if you want more tools, please read building an intuitive sense of colour)

1. ART (MINI COLLAGES + POTTERY GLAZES)

Twice monthly, I go to my local pottery studio where I’ve become accustomed to putting away my phone and minimal small talk over a stretch of four hours. I try to build a piece within those four hours and then glaze it the next time. The easiest glaze to use is called Mayco Stroke and Coat. I’m especially drawn to their reds like candy apple red and hot tamale.

For my mini collages, I use whatever bits and pieces I can find from discarded packaging to old artwork. As you can see, red and blue keeps coming up.

2. NOTICING OTHERS’ OUTFITS

I mean really noticing, not just ‘oh that’s nice’ but why I love it. And often it boils down to the colour. I’ve noticed in Tokyo this feels a bit easier because people tend to wear muted colours so when someone does wear something very bright, I clock it straight away. I don’t take photos of people in public, but I’ll often open up my notes app and write down a vignette of the outfit including the colour.

3. CLOTHES I USED TO OWN/STILL HAVE AND WANT BETTER VERSIONS OF

I used to own a lace cherry red top that was hung up to re-wear for almost a year, and I never reached for it. I loved the colour but I hated the lace fabric and how it felt to wear (it was lined with polyester). I own a baby blue and white striped crop that I wear often alongside a darker cooler toned slate shirt that are both polyester-blends. I like the colours but don’t like the fabric and want better versions of both.

4. PURCHASES I MISSED

Before Tuesday of California closed down, there were two items that were on my wish list, their Agnes mock-top and Muffy dress in Acid Green. I couldn’t afford them alongside the shipping and when the closing discounts came through, my size sold out. I still keep an eye out in their preloved section. But I knew I wanted a punchy green like a lime green or a yellow-green in my wardrobe. I did buy a jumper from a second hand store that was very close to the colour I imagined, but not exact.

5. BROWSING BRAND OFFERINGS LAST

Shopping ethically is a lengthy process. When you use a search engine to look up the colour you want, you know you’ll be bombarded with fast fashion. Add in the words sustainable and there’s likely nothing in plus size. So you add in plus size and the search results loop back to fast fashion. It’s tempting to just continuously browse ethical stores so you don’t miss out. But that can end up making you feel overwhelmed and wanting to buy ALL the things.

The truth is that missing out on buying something is part of the process. It can be devastating especially when you feel like you might never get that item again. Alongside amazing secondhand platforms and so many wonderful independent brands that cater to us, I try to remind myself that there are still options.

Okay so what is the colour palette I chose?

A lemon-green, a blue-toned red and pale grey-blue.

Below includes links to items from ethical size diverse brands that match the colours above (well, as close as I could get it!).