Color Theory in Fashion: A Vogue Editor's Guide to Seasonal Palettes

Color theory in clothing applies principles from art, science, and psychology to outfit selection. The color wheel organizes primary (red, yellow, blue), secondary (orange, green, purple), and tertiary colors. Key relationships include monochromatic (single color shades), analogous (adjacent colors), complementary (opposite colors), and triadic (three equally spaced colors). Personal color seasons—winter, spring, summer, autumn—are determined by skin undertones and contrast. Winters suit cool, bright jewel tones; springs prefer warm, crisp hues; summers look best in cool, muted shades; autumns thrive in warm, deep colors. Fashion examples from Marc Jacobs, Christopher John Rogers, Ashlyn, Dries Van Noten, Auralee, Miu Miu, Tory Burch, Willy Chavarria, and Gucci illustrate these principles in runway looks.