How To Wear Dark Colors In Summer
Our Thrifty 6 group is in full force today with a prompt that I suggested. It’s the idea of how to wear dark colors in summer. While you normally see me in bright colors, I always like to think that colors aren’t seasonal. You can make them work for any time of the year.
So let’s examine a couple of easy options of how to wear dark colors in summer on a budget.
Quote of the day: “The ultimate form of preparation is not planning for a specific scenario, but a mindset that can handle uncertainty.” James Clear
The three of us have our own styling preferences and can give you options for styling any color.
My mom, Charlotte is more traditional, so she opted to pair her dark colors with a lighter neutral.
Lesley has evolved her style over the years and surprised me by print mixing 2 different black and white tops. I call this a great idea for any season.
Personally, my style has turned 180 degrees since I retired, and today I wanted to add an element (or two) of whimsey to make the darker outfit seem fun.
How to Wear Dark Colors in Summer
While there is science of how dark colors can affect our body temperature, there are other factors besides color that give off a seasonal vibe.
For instance, these details make a huge difference:
- Material. The material of your clothing is a huge factor in making it appropriate for the season, especially summer. Winter is a different animal since you can layer to keep warm.
- The length and style of the clothing item. Having clothing with short sleeves, sleeveless or a wider neckline makes it seem more summery also.
- Designs and prints. There are certain prints and embellishments that create a summer vibe like fruit and sun designs among others. Not that you can’t wear these designs or prints during other seasons. Be the boss of your clothes.
- Accessories. The extras in your look can add different colors or vibes. Don’t think that because they are small, they don’t make a difference.
We have styled summer outfits many times in the past if you need more ideas.
Charlotte: Pair Darker Colors with Light Ones
When my mom picked up this leopard top from our scavenger hunt at Goodwill a couple of weeks back, I suggested she pair it with an olive green vest she had received in her clothing rental box.
Her response was that the combination was too dark for summer.
Key the white pants. Since she sent back the olive green vest, I had her wear her denim vest instead for this idea of how to wear dark colors in summer.
My mom has had this denim vest for ages and even wore it when we talked about denim vests 8 years ago. Since that time, she added some AZ appliques on the back of it.
Her denim vest isn’t super dark and neither is the leopard top, yet adding white pants instantly creates a more summery feel to the look.
Charlotte kept the lower half lighter with gold sparkle sneakers and then accessorized with white earrings and an orange purse.
Insider tip: Adding a completely different color to the outfit with your purse is very modern and contemporary.
Lesley: How to Wear Dark Colors in Summer with Prints
Lesley shared: “For me, black and white is totally summer (as well as all year long). It’s refreshing and always stylish. The print mixing was a total fluke and unplanned.
I reached for the black & white overshirt to wear and noticed how perfectly it went with the black and white tank. I was shocked and delighted to see how the two black and white tops played together.
A style was born.
I do listen to what Jodie preaches, I just don’t always do it.”
Insider tip: Print mixing expands your closet like you wouldn’t believe. At first, it can seem like “too much” but that’s only because your eyes aren’t used to seeing it.
Lesley combined her black and white prints fabulously and then the cherry on top is the addition of bright pink to the mix with her sneakers, necklace pendant, and headband.
On top of that, she has an embroidered backpack which lightens up the look incredibly, compared to if she had carried a black purse.
Jodie-Add Whimsey to your Dark Colors
I thought that I could put together an outfit that seemed fun and whimsical and would feel more summery even though I’d be wearing dark colors.
So I started with this blue tulle skirt and wore a navy polka-dotted top with it.
For me, polka dots are a print that seems young and fun. In fact, they are something I would never wear when I was working because they weren’t serious enough.
Yet, today I have on 3 items with polka dots: my top, my hair tie scarf, and my glasses.
Insider tip: If there’s one thing I’ve learned over these years of blogging, it’s that our style should evolve.
Two fun details with my outfit.
1-The Scarf. I know many women don’t wear scarves in the summer, but I wanted to use the trick of tying my scarf around my sleeve.
However, since my scarf was a large square, I had enough material to use one end on one shoulder and the other end on the other shoulder. I was going to have the excess material hang under my top but once it fell outside of the top on the back, I decided to go with it.
Because the scarf was not wrapped around my neck, it did not feel too warm even though we had over 100-degree weather.
2-Socks. Crew socks are making a comeback and I realize it can be hard to change our perspective since we’ve been wearing no-show socks for so long.
But remember, evolution is part of living whether that’s our mindset or our clothing.
Insider tip: Finding shorter crew socks or ones that match your footwear can be the way to work your way into the new trend. I found these pearl-trimmed socks at Just Be Youtiful and they are also on Amazon.
Thrifty 6
With the fashion and textile industry being a major contributor to landfills and other environmental pollution, we decided to make it the mission of this little group to focus on second-hand items.
Insider tip: If there aren’t many wonderful secondhand shops near you, then I included a list of online shops that I love at the end of this post.
- Emma of Style Splash
- Sally of Within a World of my Own
- Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
- Jodie (and crew) of Jodie’s Touch of Style
- Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
- Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
Check out the other members of the Thrifty 6 group for the prompt of summer layers. You may be inspired on how to wear dark colors in summer.
Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
“Like last month, the big box of preloved beautiful that Daenel sent to me had what I needed for this thrifty challenge. This gorgeous dark brown and deep red wrap skirt and kimono robe in shades of brown suited the dark colors theme perfectly. I added an olive green tank top, my tall brown moccasins, two layered wooden animal necklaces, and leopard print earrings…all picked up at thrift stores or flea markets. The only part of my outfit that was not preloved is my hat which I altered by adding an olive green fabric belt as a coordinating hat band.”
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
“Now that’s a theme to my heart! I didn’t have to think long and hard for that one. Black is my favourite colour, also in summer, and green is next! And although a lot of people say that black isn’t a colour, for me it is.
The pre loved item is the skirt, bought on Vinted. Very cheap, as new, and the seller told me I could also pick it up at her house as it was just two minutes away! Win win. It’s a very swoosy skirt and pretty thin so I need to remind myself to wear a underskirt with it!”
Emma of Style Splash
“I rarely wear dark colours, especially in summer, so this was a departure from my usual style. The starting point was this skirt that I bought in a charity shop for £6 (from Monki). Then I remembered these shoes (also £6 from a charity shop) that pick out the tan in the skirt’s print. I kept the dark theme by adding a black top that I bought on holiday and finished off the outfit with a tan bucket bag.”
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
“‘Dark Colours’ is the T6 theme for July and I’m going all out with black black black!
I love black for summer, it makes such a statement; then adding texture just brings it to life…
…I’m mixing quilted leather, ribbed jersey, satin, wool and an interesting stud effect on my jacket.
Elevated with jet and silver jewellery it’s so far from being dull…
…black is the brightest colour in the summer sun!”
Sally of Within a World of My Own
“There are a couple ways I like to style dark colors in summer:
Lightened up with white: In the left outfit, I paired a dark top half (thrifted dark teal blouse and black cardigan) with a contrasting, white-based thrifted floral skirt, a less-expected inversion of the more typical white T + dark print skirt outfit formula.
Brightened up with an accent color: In the right outfit, I picked up the green color from the black-based thrifted floral skirt with a simple T.”
Online Thrift Stores
These are the ones I’ve used more than once (except Swap, but it comes highly recommended by a friend)
thredUp—this link gives you $10 (and me in return).
Poshmark — here is the post about how to shop the site.
Preworn
Etsy
ebay
Swap
Uncommon Closet— nonprofit to help women.
Gild the Lily–a local Michigan store that sells online.
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