I Tried On This Year's Biggest Colour Trends—These Are the 7 You Need to See

There's something about cold-weather dressing that makes us immediately want to retreat to the sanctuary of neutral colours. Black, white and beige are fail-safes after all (and anything that saves us time getting ready in the morning means more time in a cosy bed), but spring is finally upon us, and there's a strong case to be made for refreshing your wardrobe with some colourful brights. 

I have always loved experimenting with colour, and although I don't own a little black dress, I do have a red one, a silver one, a yellow one and a camel one that I find just as versatile. I find mood-boosting hues can really put the fun back into dressing up. This season, it would appear designers agree, as along with the frills and florals we expect on the runways in time for spring, there was also a lot of vibrant colour. After the year that gave us Barbie pink and hot red, it's time to explore the rest of what the spectrum has to offer. But, I hear you ask, how do we know which colours to pair with each other? We’re still taught that “red and green should never be seen” and that pink and red clash. Oh, and if anyone knows what is meant by “you can’t wear white after Labor Day,” please let me know.

In order to take the guesswork out of getting ready, and to provide you with some new-season inspo, I searched through the spring/summer collections for the exciting new fashion colour combinations for 2023 that you can easily shop now, and have tried on all of my favourites to test their wearability. So get ready for brights, pastels and unexpected pairings that just might make you think twice before you put together another all-black outfit. 

Style Notes: It just wouldn't feel like the beginning of spring/summer without a punchy citrus bright, and this year undoubtedly belongs to orange. Green and yellow will play a strong role (more on that later), but when it comes to the best vibrant shade to announce the start of the sunny season ahead, orange reigns supreme, appearing in no less than 130 S/S 23 shows. But what exactly do you wear with orange? An obvious pairing would be black (after all, we wear black with everything), but according to the runway, the best way to lift such a bold colour is with a soft neutral like camel. The results are a surprisingly understated, polished combo that is perfect for the office and an easy intro to colour for monochrome lovers. 

Style Notes: When I said that orange was everywhere, I meant it, and a high-summer alternative to the orange/camel combo is warm cream and bright white. This fresher palette will come into its own during the hottest months when dark colours feel too heavy, but the easiest way to wear it now is simply swapping out black accessories for white. 

Style Notes: If you watched the Dries Van Noten runway show or just follow Tracee Ellis Ross on Instagram, you will have already seen this dreamy colour pairing and likely not forgotten it. My first thoughts are just how smart and refined sage green makes buttery yellow look, and if you're used to relying on a white shirt and black trousers, look no further for the spring alternative. If you're thinking that finding green anything will prove difficult, trust me—even the high street is catering to the many shades of spring greens that will be coming your way in the next few months, and if sage isn't available, take pointers from Tibi's dark teal and yellow and Coach's forest green and mustard.

Style Notes: If you're determined to avoid going back to black at all costs, grey is the next best thing for smartening up paintbox brights, and as it turns out, grey and canary yellow is one of the dominant fashion colour combinations for 2023. While Burberry opted for light, pearl greys to keep its palette fresh and seasonal, I find charcoal grey just as striking, and the contrast helps to make the yellow the star of the show. As we've all got a pair of grey trousers in our wardrobes somewhere, just flip the look on its head and pair with a yellow knit or bright, sunshine accessories. 

Style Notes: It's only fitting that a pairing between 2022's biggest colours would happen in 2023, and indeed mixing pink with red is having a moment. From cherry reds and magenta to deep scarlets and bubblegum, what was once considered a fashion faux pas is now the look du jour, and honestly, it feels near on impossible to be under the weather in a look this bright. From Del Core's rainbow runway to Janka Polliani's red suit and pink corsage pairing, all signs tell us that this might combination be the bold new evening look we didn't know we needed. Sorry, LBD.

This story was originally published at an earlier time and has since been updated.

Up Next, Spring/Summer 2023 Fashion Trends: 21 Expert-Approved Looks You Need to See