“Red-pink, blue-green, orange-purple…how weird are these colors combinations?”
Color blocking is still perceived by persons that are far away from the fashion industry as a weird trend, combining between two or more different colors that doesn’t match with each other, that is making them step out of their comfort zone and be “out of the box”.
This “weird” perception comes initially from our fear as humans to try something new, to express ourselves in a creative way. We, as human beings, are used to wear basic colors, mixing dark with beige or white and other colors …In another way, we are used to be ” basic” and that what made us run away and perceive color blocking as a weird trend.
Stating back its definition, color blocking is defined as mixing two or three bold contradictory colors to create an “out of the box” statement piece such as pink and orange, purple and blue, yellow and dark green…. It was introduced in the fashion industry back in 1946 by Yves Saint Laurent for his fall\winter show, when he mixed white, black, red, blue and yellow in one dress.
Yves Saint Laurent dress (1946)
Do you want to step out of your comfort zone and try this trend? Here are 4 outfits in which Princess Diana used the color blocking trend in an outstanding way that will inspire you:
1-Orange and purple ensemble
Combining a purple skirt with an orange jacket, Princess Diana wore this color blocked outfit in 1989 during her visit to Hong Kong with Prince Charles.
2-Pink and red blazer dress
Princess Diana also wore this iconic pink and red blazer dress by Catherine Walker during her visit to the museum in Kuwait in 1989.
3-Pink and purple dress
Princess Diana wore this red chiffon dress with a purple belt by Catherine Walker during a state banquet in Thailand in 1988.
4-Black and white dress
Princess Diana wore this black and white satin silk duchess gown, for a visit to King Fahd’s palace in Saudi Arabia. Although color blocking using black and white is a second choice, combining these two colors created a classic, elegant and refined look for the princess.
5- Bold blue and black dress
During her trip to Venice, Italy, Princess Diana wore this bold blue and black dress by Bruce Oldfield in 1980 when color blocking was also a trend.
After getting inspired by Princess Diana’s iconic style using color blocking, it is time to mention trendy color combinations in 2022, and in spring particularly. So be creative and step out of your comfort zone by adding them to your upcoming spring outfits: pink and purple, blue and brown, green and black, orange and black, green and lilac, radiant yellow and orange.
