Six rules that explain every elegant outfit

Every elegant outfit has a base colour that does the heavy lifting: the suit, the coat, the dress, the trousers. When that base is a neutral, every other choice becomes easier, because neutrals accept almost any colour placed next to them.

The classic neutrals are black, white, grey, navy and camel. The quieter ones are charcoal, cream, beige, taupe, olive, chocolate and denim. Navy and camel deserve special mention: they are technically colours (blue and orange-brown), but they behave like neutrals and pair with each other perfectly.

Choose a neutral for the largest piece you are wearing, then add one colour and one accent. That is the whole method; the rest of this guide explains how to pick the colour and the accent well.

Interior designers use it, and it works just as well on a body. Roughly 60 % of what people see can be one colour (usually your neutral base), 30 % a second colour that supports it, and 10 % an accent that adds life.

In a charcoal suit that is 60 % charcoal, 30 % white shirt, 10 % burgundy tie. In an emerald dress it is 70 % emerald, 20 % nude shoe, 10 % gold bag. The numbers are not exact; the point is a clear hierarchy.

Giving one colour more space is an easy way to simplify a palette. If you love two strong colours, make one of them the accent and use it only in shoes, a scarf or a bag.

Tonal (or monochrome) dressing means staying inside one colour family and varying only how light or dark each piece is. Cream, beige and tan. Sky blue, denim and navy. Charcoal and black.

It works because the eye reads the whole outfit as one uninterrupted line, which lengthens the silhouette. It looks expensive because it looks deliberate.

Close shades can work well together. Repeat an exact colour for a monochrome effect or use nearby shades for tonal depth. Texture—knit, wool, leather or silk—helps the pieces remain distinct.

Blue and orange, green and red, purple and yellow: complementary colours sit opposite each other on the colour wheel and make each other look more vivid. At full strength the effect is bold. Turn the saturation down and it becomes navy and rust, forest green and burgundy, teal and terracotta.

Muted opposites are an easy starting point. Brighter contrasts can also work; use proportion and a restrained third colour to control the effect.

Navy and camel is the most famous example, and it explains why brown shoes look so good with a navy suit: brown is muted orange.

Analogous colours sit next to each other on the wheel: navy, teal and forest; camel, rust and burgundy; lavender and navy; sage and olive. Nearby hues often make a gentle transition; their depth and saturation still affect the result.

This is one approachable way to wear more than one colour. Choose one to dominate and let the neighbour appear in a smaller piece. Add a neutral (white, cream, black or grey) to give the eye a rest.

Earth tones are the easiest analogous family to start with: olive trousers, a tan belt and a rust knit make a useful earthy starting point.

Every colour leans warm (towards yellow and red) or cool (towards blue). Camel, cream, olive, rust, chocolate and gold are warm. Navy, charcoal, grey, forest, plum and silver are cool. Black and white are neutral.

Keeping everything on one side of the divide gives a calm, tonal result. Crossing the divide once, deliberately, gives depth: camel coat over navy, brown shoes with a grey suit, blush blouse with grey trousers. Repeating a colour helps several contrasts feel connected.

Gold introduces warmth; silver creates a cooler note. Either can work with warm or cool clothing. Repeating a metal gives continuity, while mixed metals can add variety.