Let’s Talk Neutrals – What They Really Are and Why They Matter…
Neutrals are one of the most important building blocks in any wardrobe – they create calm, balance and versatility in your outfits.
But what exactly are neutrals?
In simple terms, they’re colours that don’t appear on the colour wheel, so not your rainbow hues like red, orange, yellow, green, blue or violet. Neutrals are created either by being achromatic, meaning no colour at all, like black, white or grey or by blending lots of colours together until no obvious rainbow/true hue remains, giving us beautiful brown tones like sand, camel, honey and beige.
Neutrals examples would be grey, black, navy, white, cream, camel, tan, olive, taupe and brown just to name some.
These are the more understated, less memorable & versatile colours. They blend with other neutrals easily & effortlessly harmonize with the colours in your palette.
Neutrals are made in three main ways:
1. By adding grey (toning) this mutes a colour, softening it and making it softer and duskier. Think khaki, denim, camel and cognac, they all sit beautifully in this category and are easy to mix and match.
2. By adding black (shading) – this deepens the hue, making it darker and less obvious. Deep shades like navy, dark olive, deep burgundy and aubergine are perfect examples. They often read as neutral because you can’t quite tell what colour they originally were.
3. By mixing complementary colours (those opposite on the colour wheel, like red and green or blue and orange). When you blend these carefully, the brightness disappears and you’re left with a more subdued, wearable neutral tone.
Each season, we see thousands of new neutral pieces come through but they’re not all created equal. Some have a warm undertone, while others are cool, and this makes a huge difference to how flattering they are on you.
Warm neutrals typically include khaki, olive, camel, cream, warm brown, rust and tan.
Cool neutrals commonly include grey, black, navy, white, deep chocolate, burgundy and rose beige.
Knowing your undertone is key, it helps create harmony and ensures your neutrals make your complexion glow beautifully. If you’ve had your colour analysis done, you’ll already know your best versions and if not, it’s the perfect place to start. The right neutrals will make everything else in your wardrobe work harder and can help you feel effortlessly pulled together.
