Color Formula: Matching Top & Shoes - Part 2: Cool Colors for Summer

This is a continuation of the previous post featuring the Matching Top & Shoes color formula for summer. We'll work through some examples from my outfits of the day to see the Matching Top & Shoes color formula in action using the cool colors of the color wheel (i.e., Yellow-Green to Violet) as well as black and grey.

Teal

My teal suede smoking flats don't get a lot of wear in the height of summer, but are a very good option for the transition seasons around summer (as well as the colder parts of the year). I have worn the Matching Top & Shoes formula pairing them with fall-weight teal tops more than with summer tops, but here are two OOTD with a 3/4 sleeve T and a short-sleeved T. Outfit #1 makes me laugh because the way I'm wearing this silk scarf, it looks like a Boy Scout uniform! Outfit #2 is an interesting color combination tied together with a print scarf as a bridge piece; it was a bit out of my comfort zone to try these colors together but I like the result.

Teal Outfit #1 with Neutral Bottoms + Print Scarf (Matching Scarf & Top)

Teal Outfit #2 with Accent Bottoms + Print Scarf: Bridge Piece

Aqua

Yes, more ballet flats from Payless, this time in an aqua/teal color that doesn't quite match the medium aqua peplum top but is close enough. The top + scarf combo is another of those "in the range" combinations as the scarf has both green and blue owls (as well as a lot of other bright colors) but none that are in the blue-green category.

Aqua Outfit with Neutral Bottoms + Print Scarf: "in the range"

Bright Blue

I only have one outfit with the bright blue top + ballet flats (yes, Payless) combination, but I really like it! The bright blue is a nice vivid color for wearing with black and white, and I like how the scarf + skirt print mix turned out. The necklace is a DIY project of two embroidery thread tassels (one solid, one variegated) on a seed bead strand.

Bright Blue Outfit with Print Bottoms + Print Scarf: Print Mix

Medium Blue

This is another example of using a print top in the focal color and white in place of a solid top. The Sofft flats are a nice medium blue with a squared toe, which is not my typical silhouette but I do like it here. As you can see, I like this particular striped top + white skirt + blue flats combination. In Outfit #1, I wore it with a denim shirt as a jacket. In Outfit #2, I wore a lightweight cotton scarf as a topper for a print mix look.

Medium Blue Outfit #1 with Neutral Bottoms + Neutral Topper: Denim & White

Medium Blue Outfit #1 with Neutral Bottoms + Print Topper: Print Mix

Soft Blue

It's also possible to use a low-key print shoe, such as these "metallic denim" snakeskin print flats from Nine West, as part of your Matching Top & Shoes set. These flats coordinate well with both this soft indigo T as well as a slightly lighter soft blue T (which I don't have an OOTD photo for). This is another "in the range" combination in which the indigo isn't represented in the jacket colors, but there is enough variety of blue stripes that I think it coordinates just fine.

Soft Blue Outfit with Neutral Bottoms + Striped Topper: Road Map Styling ("in the range")

Black

You might expect me to have a lot of examples of the black color formula, but surprisingly, for summer, I only have this one with a black tank + black pointy-toed patent leather flats. This outfit was an experiment in combining a cool hot pink cardigan with a skirt that has warm bright pink flowers. It was OK...and the necklace with multiple shades of pink made a valiant effort in tying the pinks together...but I would like it better with a different cardigan that didn't have that mismatched cool/warm undertone tension.

Black Outfit with Print Bottoms + Accent Topper: Road Map Styling (tonal)

Grey

My grey flats with the black ribbon make a Matching Top & Shoes set with both the silver-grey tunic in Outfit #1 (which I stained and then bleached trying to get the stain out) and medium grey T in Outfit #2. The pink situation in Outfit #1 is the opposite of the previous outfit; here the cardigan is a warm bright pink and the bottom has a cool hot pink in the print. But because the floral print on the pants is so small against the black background, the mismatched pinks don't bother me in this outfit. Outfit #2 uses my familiar scarf bridge piece strategy to bring together the grey and rust for an easy late summer/early fall look.

Grey Outfit #1 with Print Bottoms + Accent Topper: Road Map Styling (tonal)

Grey Outfit #2 with Accent Bottoms + Print Scarf: Bridge Piece

Do you like wearing colorful shoes? Do mismatched cool/warm undertones look "off" to your eye?

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