Summer is prime time for exciting bursts of color, fusing shades and explosive floral – and that’s just on your clothes! A trend that keeps coming back and only seems to get brighter and bolder is color blocking. So whether it’s petite, casual, formal or plus size clothing you’re after, read on to find out how to make colour blocking work for you.

There’s been a lot of talk about this trend adopting an ‘anything goes’ attitude, with no rules. There shouldn’t be an absolute carte blanche for colour blocking; otherwise you’ll just look like you’ve got dressed in the dark!

Thankfully, we’re here to tell you how to get it right!

How many colors?

Ok ladies. First up there is a limit to how many colors can be worn at once. Four or more different colors worn at once will make you look like a walking rainbow, which is never a good look. The basic idea is to mix colors that are not under one tone. If you’re new to color blocking and feel a bit nervous, try limiting your outfit to under two colors at first, and then build up to three when you get the hang of it.

Setting the tone

Color blocking in summer 2012 is not only about different tones but also totally different ones – think mixing pastels and neon, such as mint and lime, and you’ll be right on trend.

Work with solid colored pieces

DON’T try and add prints and frills to your color blocked outfits (to start), what you really want to do is emphasise the bold, striking colors of the outfit, and so don’t want anything to distract the eyes. Texture is firm friend of color blockers. Texture is preferred over prints because it will give your outfit dimension. For example, a mint chiffon blouse with lime skinny denim jeans would look great.

Accessories

When accessorising your outfit don’t wear jewelry that’s of the same shade as your outfit. We’d stick to nude tones, like black and white, and it won’t detract from your outfit.

Shades we love

If you’re still stuck for inspiration, bear these combos in mind when next perusing the high-street:

Tangerine and candy-floss pink with ice cool beige.

image of jcrew red tangerine orange pink outfit sweater button up bracelet

Slate grey with citrus, coral, fuchsia and electric blue.

image of columbine neon and slate grey outfit

Finally… be confident! Color blocking is all about being daring and looking vivid, so don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd!