Repetition

This outfit is comprised of the somewhat odd combination of burgundy, orange, and pink, and hopefully I'll be able to effectively explain how I got there. It all started with the burgundy and orange skirt (and I realize it probably doesn't look burgundy and orange on your computer screen, but trust me, it is!), which I purchased while Jess was in town.

Let me just digress here for a minute, because this actually happened to us while we were shopping at the Skunkfunk sample sale on Haight Street: the sales girl came up to us and said, and I quote, "Ladies, would you like a cocktail while you shop?" I can't make this up, kids. Jess and I looked at her, then at each other, then back at her, and asked, "Have you met us? Ah, YES!" So we had cocktails while we shopped. And it was... inspiring.

So this skirt is what I bought. It is saturated shades of orange and burgundy, and when I put it on I was actually stumped for a few minutes because although I've got plenty of other burgundy and orange things to go with it, I knew I needed a third color. What goes with burgundy and orange? I struggled for a few minutes before I came up with the solution, which is: What goes with burgundy OR orange? Well, lots of things. Pink, for instance, goes with burgundy beautifully.

Now you might think that with this skirt being one of the players, orange is automatically one of the main colors in the outfit. NOT SO! The "main" colors are determined by repetition, not so much by surface area (the same is true in interior design, btw). By adding the burgundy boots and cardigan I repeated the burgundy color 3 times; by choosing a pink scarf, belt, and bracelet (I could also have put a pink shirt under the cardigan), I repeated pink 3 times. How many times does orange appear? Once. And since it's already incorporated alongside burgundy in the print of the skirt, it totally works. So as long as I pull one color out of this skirt and pair that color with a suitable mate, I can make this skirt work with just about anything. And so can you.

Do you have an item in your collection that has an odd color pairing? Do you have any new ideas for what to try it with?

Scarf, belt, cardigan: gifts
Bracelet: Betsey Johnson
Shirt: Michael Stars
Skirt: Skunkfunk
Boots: Miz Mooz