Hello sunshine

Manpriya Singh

Happy, bright and best paired with white—a little yellow goes a long way. While the colour has always been good news for people who can pull off contrasts, there are reservations galore for the tricky shade.

Does it go well if you are a redhead, dusky or with bright green eyes? Designer Shruti Nijhawan, owner of the Dubai-based brand Soshru, throws a styling tip that’s a general rule of thumb with yellow. “Style yellow with denims or a cream skirt and chances are you can never go wrong.”

Like we said, it’s best paired with white.

“Followed by beige, browns and gold family. Though it further depends on whether the outfit is Indian or western,” shares Nehal Dogra, Chandigarh-based prêt designer. She adds, “For instance yellow and beige or any shade of gold is a classic combination when wearing Indian formals.”

Match it to your complexion

Olive skinned women should stay away from cool hues of yellow, for instance, light lemon yellow or pastel yellow. A mustard or canary yellow is likely to do more justice to those in the medium to tan complexions. As for shocking yellow, well, depends completely on how it is carried.

Careful with the accessories, please

Yellow colour family is unexpected and striking. Therefore any hint of the colour needs to be incorporated carefully into the outfit. “It’s a good idea to pair a tan coloured belt, shoes or clutch with yellow rather than black accessories,” adds Nehal. “Similarly any accessory in yellow means the use of colour should be limited in the outfit.”

What to avoid

Avoid co-ordinating yellow with blacks, or even navys for that matter. While a yellow outfit stands apart on the red carpet from among a sea of blacks, it is hardly a good idea to pair yellow with black.