This is Part 1 of our concept post on wearing neutrals. We didn't really plan to do all grey for this shoot but it turned out all of us had a grey coat on for it sooo...
We wanted to find an orchard for our final photo shoot of the day but ended up at the hill overlooking Cedar Creek Park in the Mission, and the result is these rad photos by Thomas Bullock.
While Liam and Yaw can be pretty daring, Tori and I are huge fans of wearing grey and other neutrals. Neutral colours blend well with pretty much any skin tone and can tone down stark colours in an outfit. Grey in particular is one of the most underrated colours to wear. It isn't as overdone as black, brown, and navy, and is a much subtler blend than those colours. While black and white can be used to balance out colour, they are often bold and distinct, which causes the other colours to be made more stark in turn. Grey and charcoal, however, generally manage to both match and tone down most colours and patterns.
(Photo credit: Thomas Bullock)
If you want to wear grey by itself, it's possible to mix varying shades and textures of it, as Tori has done here. Because of grey's versatility, she could add various other colour themes on top of the grey base and still have a great outfit. Picture her look with tobacco-brown ankle boots and a bag. Now with light blue jeans. Maybe there's some dark green gloves in there, that's alright too. (I feel like Bob Ross, telling people to put some happy little trees in their painting.)
I could go on forever, really, but the take-home message here is just to wear more grey in your life, simple as that. Moving on from grey in particular, the more general theme of this shoot was light, washed out neutrals. The beach on a cloudy day proved to be an ideal location to showcase these airy, soft shades. Admittedly, it can be harder to wear all light colours when you're at work or school than when you're in long grass frolicking with your friends, but it's still doable. We've deliberately overemphasized the soft shades of cream, oatmeal, ivory, grey, etc. here, but in real life we would do more like Yaw has and throw in some denim and some popping colours to balance out the lighter tones. It's also possible to add really distinct colours like neon with black or bright primary colours. Liam's also done a very wearable look here, with a graphic print, sharp black lines to break up the grey, and white pants that make the grey pieces darker and more substantial by contrast. Because of the neutrality of grey, they can pull off bold touches like suspenders, red kicks, fancy sunglasses, and graphic shirts without becoming too overwhelming.
(Photo credit: Thomas Bullock)
Tori and I (Cam) have gone all-in with the washed-out look, but we've incorporated different shades and focused on presenting interesting proportions in our scarves and coats. As with the suspenders example, neutral colours enable you to be bolder in other aspects of dressing, so unconventional shapes and sizes will be easier to pull off in a neutral-based outfit. As well, grey and other neutrals like oatmeal and cream convey comfort. If someone sees you in all grey, with sweaters and scarves on, they'll know you're getting cozy. My sister and I have head-to-toe grey sweatsuits that we wear in times where extreme comfiness is necessary. But as you can see from these fancy pictures amongst wind-blown grasses and overlooking a lake, grey and neutrals can be an elegant, rather than slobby, form of comfort. Next time it's chilly out, have some grey pride and put on a sweater or two in weather-appropritate neutral/grey tones to look cool while being warm. If you need some inspiration, check out this song. Kayne does light neutrals perfectly in it.
-Cam
(Photo credit: Thomas Bullock)
Grey is the staple colour in my wardrobe. I hate to wear colours that jump out at people, so grey seems like a natural fit. I have always been drawn to grey with light pink (probably because I spent a significant amount of time in a ballet studio). To me grey is an extremely feminine neutral, and because of this I always steer towards it rather than black, navy, or brown. I tend to steer away from wearing colour and because of this I prefer grey because colour doesn't seem as harsh with it. While I find grey to be feminine I also love men in grey, as it can also come off as really masculine (think Madmen style grey suits). The crisp-ness of grey wool with a freshly pressed white oxford shirt is about as professional as you can get, and a plain grey tee with nicely fitted jeans is both confident and casual.
In these pictures we have done cozy winter looks, grey also looks unreal when worn in warm weather. To me nothing is better than grey and white with a good tan. Obviously we all love us some grey, they are versatile, classic, and crisp yet can also be edgy and daring. In other words, grey is awesome - wear it!
-Tori
Protip: Wearing grey can come off as boring or safe (especially
according to Rachel Zoe) but it can also look perfectly clean and chic. When
wearing greys try to add in something unexpected. Don't let your greys be
boring. Adding in a colour or an unexpected silhouette is a great way
to do this.
Protip: Wearing multiple shades of grey comes off as rich and well
layered. But not all greys go together, be aware of undertones and texture.
Mixing dark and light greys is the best way to do this, as well as making sure
that you add in interest with texture (like a knit or a wool).
Examples of greys/neutrals in and around fashion shows:
1 comment:
beautiful photography!
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