If you remember anything from elementary school art class, it’s probably the color wheel. Sure, we all remember ROYGBV, complementary and contrasting colors, maybe even something about tones and pigments – but these deceptively simple facts are useful for things other than making amateurish water-colors of blue clouds and green trees. When we‘re shopping for dress shirts or getting dressed in the morning most of us don’t realize that color, with all of it’s complexities and subtleties, is one of the most important aspects of fashion.
The theory of color is quite sophisticated and well known in scientific and artistic circles. First discussed seriously by Renaissance man Leone Battista Alberti nearly six hundred years ago, color theory has attracted the attention of history’s most prominent physicists, poets, philosophers and painters. That being said, it doesn’t take a genius to make sense of all the different color-related options and put together a great outfit including great custom dress shirts; just keep a few simple factors in mind.
Black and white. Goethe and Newton disagreed about the nature of black and white back in the 18th century, but for modern salary-men, job applicants and wedding guests the world over, the basic rule to remember when wearing these serious colors: white on top, black on bottom. A pair of black pants will give a white dress shirt a grounded, formal look. In general, black and white, when worn separately, go well with just about any other color and bring class to any ensemble such as white dress shirts. Bare in mind though that black can reflect a green tinge in certain outdoor lighting conditions.
Color saturation. This refers to the dullness or intensity (or maybe “grayness” for lack of a better word) of a color compared to other colors – just about anyone who’s ever used Photoshop or Picassa to manipulated a digital photo is probably familiar with this phenomenon. Red and blue can compliment each other nicely if you are going for a more bold look. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment with a less intense palette – a muted burgundy shirt with a pair of gray-washed jeans – for relaxed but classy looks.
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