The neutral color palate- our classic basics when it comes to fashion. It’s a girls best friend right next to diamonds. Our beiges, whites, creams, and blacks give us a sense of soft femininity and elegance.

But what if we want to give the neutral factor a little more oomph? Some attitude, some of our own unique personality? Neutral color, meet texture!

Finding elements of texture in an outfit is an instant way to reinvent your look and get that oomph and wow. I love staying with a color and making the texture stand out. Having a solid color base makes the lace, tulle, or soft pattern really stand out. When you have a pattern or fabric that has a lot of volume like this, too many colors end up looking busy. No one wants to look like a confused mess, so make it simple and stay with a one color theme.

THE LOOK:

Layered Tulle Dress (Coffee)  from MELISSA on yesstyle.com

In this tulle dress from Melissa I found on yesstyle.com, you have all sorts of texture on a single color theme- brown. See how the layers of the tulle skirt give volume and depth, then the fitted top stays within the brown/cream color theme and uses lace as the pattern and texture. Neutral has personality now, and it is fabulous!

And because I’m staying with a single color theme, this gives me the opportunity to use a bright colored lip to really stand out. You never want to have your make up match your outfit, and when you are wearing a lot of color then you want to keep the make up simple so as to not compete. But when you have a neutral color base as your look, then you can be more adventurous with the make up!

The tulle of the dress makes me feel like a doll, so I wanted to keep it chic with a classic bright red lip. You can see how the lip really stands out with the dress, and isn’t over the top. Because brown is such a soft and neutral shade, I could go even further and play with a purple or deep burgundy lip. This is a great thing to consider for those of you who love to play with make up.

Remember, neutral doesn’t have to mean boring. It is a whole new opportunity for you and your look!