The Best Color to Wear With Purple

White works well with light shades of purple.
... Maria Teijeiro/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Purple is tricky. On the one hand, it’s such a pretty color, and on the other, it’s not the easiest the wear for most people. Worn correctly, purple draws attention in all the right ways; it's majestic. Worn incorrectly, purple can easily take on a childish or inexpensive tone.

1 Keep It Neutral

There is no one “best” color to wear with purple, especially when taking different skin tones into consideration. It is safe to say, however, that neutrals are your safest bet with purple. Black, white, gray, tan or even a pair of jeans give some space to the intense tone of purple. If you tend to go for lighter shades of purple like lilac, violet or periwinkle, mix with pale neutrals like white, cream or light gray. Black, charcoal and tan set off deeper shades of purple. Stay away from other bright colors to avoid looking like a rainbow and definitely don’t go for head-to-toe purple unless it’s an evening gown.

Sophie Southern has been a freelance writer since 2004. Her writing has been featured in "JPG" magazine and on Zlio.com. Southern holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from the School of Visual Arts.

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