What are the best colors to wear with pink shoes?
We recently received an email from a follower with a question about matching a pair of fuchsia pink shoes she has never worn. She loves how fun the color is, but they are sitting in the back of her closet as she doesn't know how to wear them. She instead reaches for the old standbys, black or beige shoes as they go with everything.
Below are ideas on how to match your outfit with pink shoes, whether they are a bright and bold fuchsia or more understated and muted pale pink.
You can use this style guide for pink shoes or anything else pink in your wardrobe.
Pink is so versatile; it works with many colors. There are plenty of ways to wear pink shoes to look stylish. And it can give you a pop of color and a break from those neutral-colored shoes you always wear.
We know that some colors go well together, but for most of us, we're not sure why. There is an art and science behind it based on the color wheel.
While we won't go on a deep dive into color theory, the color wheel is the basis of color theory as it shows the relationship between different colors.
Colors that look good together are called color harmony. The color wheel describes color combinations that are harmonious and visually pleasing.
Fashion designers use the color wheel when deciding the color schemes for their designs.
You can use the color wheel as a guide to mix and match colors in your wardrobe that you didn't even think were possible.
One note about the color wheel: pink is not on it. Since pink is a pale red, red, red-purple, or red-orange is the base color, depending on the shade of pink. With that said, here are some key color combinations for pink based on the color wheel:
COMPLEMENTARY COLOR: GREEN
The complementary color is the exact opposite color on the color wheel. Find red, red-orange, and red-violet on the color wheel and look at the color that sits opposite. The complementary color of pink is green.
While both colors are in high contrast, together, they are balanced and harmonious – think of all the pink/green pairings you see in nature.
ANALOGOUS COLORS: ORANGE, PURPLE
Analogous colors are three colors that sit side by side on the color wheel. For pinks, that would be orange and purple color schemes. These colors work together because they are from the same section of the color wheel and naturally blend into one another.
You can wear all three colors in an outfit, but that can be overwhelming. Keep it simple and style your pink shoes with one other analogous color.
TRIADIC COLORS: BLUE, YELLOW
Triadic colors are three colors equally spread out on the color wheel. A triadic pink color scheme includes blues and yellows. This combination is quite colorful, but because the colors are equidistant on the color wheel, they balance each other and create harmony.
You can, but you don't have to use all three colors in an outfit.
NEUTRAL COLORS
Neutrals are not found on the color wheel as they lack color - brown, white, grey, and black fall into this category. Neutrals pair well with almost any color.
While colors such as light blue, navy blue, and khaki green are not technically neutrals, they are considered so because they match almost everything.
Note that blue denim often is treated as neutral. You can wear it with any shade of pink, and it looks great.
Here are a few more style tips for pink shoes:
- If the color combinations above, like pink and purple, feel too loud, break it up with neutrals – for example, wear a dark purple top with a navy blue bottom and fuchsia shoes.
- Go monochrome and wear different shades of the same color. For example, match fuchsia shoes with a lighter pink outfit. The look is very modern and easy to pull off.
- If a print or pattern you wear has pink, your shoes can be any shade of pink.
Keep in mind that the above is just a guideline. They are suggestions if you want to try something new or break out of a style rut. The best colors to wear are more a personal choice than absolute rules. Wear colors that make you feel confident because feeling great should be the highest priority.