Which Orange Outfit is Right for Me?

Orange has truly come into its own.

Since 2019, when fashion took a kinder look at earthy colours and began embracing warmer skintones with a wider selection of choices, orange began making its appearance on the high street shops since 2022.

But it is this year - 2023 - that orange announces its arrival with a huge array of offerings. From in-your-face neon orange, to mermaidcore coral, shoppers can go ga-ga with orange but this can also go awry.

Do you ask yourself - which orange looks least garish on me? Then take a look at some of these orange hues as we chat about different orange hues that may or may not work on you.

Side note: Orange for work is still suspect; it is not the preferred colour, according to colour psychologists.

H&M Cropped Linen Shirt £18.99 and Linen Shorts in Bright Orange £17.99

Bright Orange

Some skin undertones thrive on true colours (like true red, true blue and so on…). But is there such a colour as true orange?
One would envision true orange as a pure block of orange, that has more red than yellow undertones, so that it makes the skin look less sallow. Or at least, this is what those with sallow and/or olive skin undertones hope for…
But alas! Unless the orange tends towards blood orange, which is really rather red, the bright orange is a colour better off for very Autumn season types.

Observe the bright orange co-ord I got from H&M (when I was crushing on boxy tops and realised my shape doesn’t fit them, urgh!).

Immediately you can see that bright orange makes my skin look greyer. Even though this bright orange is nearly blood orange red, it still isn't red enough…

Comment below and let me know how you find this hue on you. Are you a Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter season type? (I am a Kettlewell Paintbox Spring I believe…more on that another time…)

DryMove™ Seamless Sports Bra £8 (from £12.99) and Sports Shorts in Orange at H&M £9 (from £12.99).

Light Orange

At the other extreme is light orange.

Now if you thought bright orange was tough to wear, light orange is even trickier!

There is a kind of orange that looks artificial and cannot fit any skin undertone well, and I believe that is this kind of light orange. Maybe because it does not look like a natural orange.

As you can see in the picture above, this light orange washes me out. Without the makeup on, I would look pale and unhealthy. But as the top is a slightly stronger orange than the bottoms, it does not wash out my face colour completely.

Not all orange hues are created equal…

H&M Ribbed Top in Coral £6 (from £14.99)

Coral

Mermaidcore is trending in 2023, and inevitably, coral is flooding the fashion scene! And I am not mad about it. I love coral! Coral is similar to peach, except peach has a more yellow base and coral more red, some would even say, more pink!

And look at how different lighting affects this coral ribbed top from H&M. In natural lighting it looks very orange. But the obvious red undertone makes it more flattering to sallow and olive skin undertones. In bright light the coral looks more milky, towards pinkish red. Whichever the hue, coral, with its red undertone looks amazing on Spring season skintones and maybe on fair-skinned Autumn season skintones.

Same H&M Ribbed Top in Coral but in brighter light - see how much paler it looks against my skin?

Tips on Choosing Orange:

Firstly, I am of the ‘if it makes you feel good, wear it’ school.

Otherwise, I would choose orange hues in two ways:
1) Take photographs
If you ask your friends it can be tricky, as many people don’t like wearing orange. And those who do, wear it. A lot. So take photos and compare them with your other favourite colours to see how a particular orange hue measures up.

2) Dependent on occasion
Is it for a frivolous event, like a party, a festival, a summer holiday? Then go with whatever orange makes you feel fun.
Is it for work, to make a dramatic appearance and wow people? Then choose your orange very carefully. For work, I would almost steer clear of orange, unless you are a True Spring or Autumn season and are very confident in orange.
I kept the orange sports set because the bright, almost digital orange gives me motivation to hit the gym.

Peachy

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Peachy 〰️

From Left to Right:

1) H&M Cropped Linen Shirt Bright Orange £18.99

2) H&M Linen Shorts in Bright Orange £17.99

3) DryMove Seamless Sports Bra in Orange £8

4) DryMove Seamless Sports Shorts in Orange £9 (I sized down for these)

5) H&M Ribbed Top in Coral £6 (I sized up as the sleeves can be too tight on the arms)