Pointers On Wearing Purple this Fall
Purple adds drama to even the most average outfit, creating excitement and immediate impact. Would you wear purple? Could you wear purple? What message does it send?
What Purple Symbolizes
Purple has long been known as the color of royalty and is associated with wealth and leadership. It’s also a color associated with spirituality and magic. The positive psychological power of purple is that it is intuitive, sensitive, and imaginative.
What Colors Make up Purple
When you break purple down, it is a mix of red and blue – warm and cool, feminine and masculine. You can find purple in dozens of shades, from lavender to ultraviolet, indigo to plum, eggplant, and deep royal purple. There is a shade for everyone! Pick a more yellow-based, warmer purple if your skin has yellow undertones, or if your skin is more on the pink side, choose a deep, cool purple or a dark plum.
When to Wear Purple
Purple is a color that works year-round. Traditionally, we’ve worn deep, intense purples in the fall and lighter, softer purples in the spring and summer, but now that division has been thrown out the window. This fall, we see all shades of purple, from pastel purple to pink-infused orchid purple to deep, cool purple, mixed with traditional fall shades.
Purple is striking for formal events when you want to be noticed. It’s also commanding at work as an alternative to black. Purple is livelily worn casually with your favorite jeans or as athletic wear. The only time you don’t want to wear purple is at a funeral in Thailand. There, it is considered a color of mourning and is reserved for the deceased’s spouse!
What Colors to Wear With Purple
All purple: If you want to be noticed, head-to-toe purple is the way to go. For example, a long purple Mother of the Bride Gown would be stunning. Varying shades of purple worn together in a monochromatic outfit is also very sophisticated. Imagine shades of ultraviolet mixed with lavender or cool purple with warm plum. These combinations would be stunning.
Purple + Dark Neutrals: If you like the idea of purple but want to tone things down a bit, consider purple worn with navy or black. Something as simple as your blue jeans with a purple blouse looks quiet but powerful. This purple ribbed sweater dress with all black is stunning.
Purple + Light Neutrals: Purple (especially lavender) worn with nude accessories is ultra-elegant and an excellent way to ease into purple if you are not used to wearing it. Light purple or lavender worn with white will make you look soft and romantic. Deep purple and white have a whole lot more contrast and would make you look bold and dramatic.
Purple Worn with Brights: Purple can be paired with opposite brights like yellow and red or hot Pink. These are combinations that creative types love. For example, try wearing a splash of purple with bold red, such as a purple pump with a red blouse and your favorite jeans. This one takes a little confidence to pull off, so start small.
Purple with Metallics: Both silver and gold look stunning with purple. Gold looks classy and old-world (think of a queen’s purple robe edged in gold), while silver looks icy, expensive, and modern.
Do you like purple, and how are you wearing it this fall? Find out more about purple and the power of color to make you look Fabulous After 40! Check out my e-book, Color Me Fabulous.
It’s a great how-to read with over 80 info-packed pages and more than 100 photos demonstrating everything you need to know about How to Look Age-Amazing™ by wearing your Wow Colors. Don’t miss this one.
I love purple, and I am 70 yrs old. What color of purple is good for me?
Hi Emma, Fall is coming, and that means that in addition to all the beautiful shades of lavender we are seeing now, we will also be seeing some deep jewel-toned purples and eggplant shades in the fall. Generally, if you have warm tones – golden blonde or brown hair or red hair and golden or peaches and cream skin color, you should go more for the warm plum shades. If your hair is blonde or brown with ash undertones, or you have black hair and your skin has more of a pink undertone, then go for cool purples that have a touch of black in them. Anyone can wear lavender shades, and these are popular year-round. Just wear this color with black pants in the fall, and you are all set! Cheers, Deborah
I love the color purple. You can wear purple to work, church, and everything in between. Purple looks good on all skin types, regardless of style, size, or age. You can find purple to wear that suits your lifestyle, is age-appropriate, and fits your budget. I have a purple wrap dress from Walmart that was part of the Miss Tina collection. Miss Tina is when Beyonce’s mom had her collection at Wal-Mart. I got online in 2011. That dress still looked good in 2018. I also got a beautiful purple dress with flowers at a store in 2015. The dress is gorgeous. I haven’t worn it yet. I have a suede purple blazer and pants. I have shirts in different colors of purple. Purple is the color of royalty. I love purple with hot pink or Fuschia. Purple looks good year-round. You can wear purple to funerals, weddings birthday parties. Ladies, next time you have an event, get a little black dress. Try a purple dress.
LOVE IT!!!!! My favorite color I’ve worn since I was a rockin’ teen in the 1960s! All shades of purple look ‘fab’ with my salt and pepper hair, ivory complexion, and hazel green eyes. Purple rocks for this granny!!