Do you sometimes struggle to pull an outfit together and wish there was a set of style rules you could follow to look simple and chic at all times, without having to think too hard or spend too much time? Well I may have the answer for you: three colour dressing. Never heard of it before? Don’t worry, nor had I. It’s a well kept wardrobe secret  – one that my friend Sara from Harper & Harley uses to help pull her outfits together, the basic premise of which is not wearing more than three colours at any one time.

Some people do multi-colour outfits really well (ie all of Tommy Ton’s muses) but if you’re like me and are looking for a quick and fuss free way to look good all the time (well, most of the time), Sara’s rules could totally help you to create ensembles that are simple and chic, without having to spend hours planning.

Three Colour Dressing
- Try to wear no more than three colours per outfit.
- Because black and white are technically shades, you can be more flexible about how you integrate these into your outfits. For example, you can wear four colors if one of them is white.
-  For metal jewelry try to stick to one shade for each outfit, either gold or silver, particularly for chunky jewelry like statement necklaces and watches. I sometimes break this rule because I like mixed metal but I think sticking with one shade helps with simplicity.
- Thought busy prints were banned because of the abundance of different colours? No way! But when wearing a printed piece, keep the rest of your outfit simple. If you like you can choose a colour out of the print itself to match with your accessories or another part of your outfit which will help to simplify the palette.
- Matching the colour of your accessories is an easy way to limit the number of colours in your outfit (I admit I do tend to lean towards matching accessories, does that make me a stepford wife?), but you don’t always have to. I like it when people match one of their accessories to a piece of their outfit, like bag to skirt, or go for an outfit with two colours and then a bag or shoes that pop.
- Apparently red lips count! 

Naturally there will always be a million exceptions to the rule. You don’t have to dress like this all the time but I’ve truly found that dressing in three colours can really help when I’m in doubt about how to put an outfit together. Need some proof that three colour dressing actually works? Below I’ve pulled some of my favourite street style looks including Lucy, Sara, Jess, Nicole and Hedvig and shown you how they’ve used the three colour dressing concept (I assume without even knowing it) to look amazing.
 

So it’s that time of year again when the air turns cool, the leaves begin to change colour and naturally our minds turn to cold weather ensembles. The change in season is a perfect opportunity to look objectively at your wardrobe, to cull and edit it so you know exactly what you have, and what you need. In the last week or so I have gone through 3 stages of mini wardrobe rehab (have you checked out the full Wardrobe Rehab process?) in preparation for the fall (or autumn depending on where you live) and winter seasons. Rather than rushing out and buying everything I can get my hands on as soon as the temperature drops, by going through a slower and more methodical process I know I can reuce the changes of buying items I won’t wear, or worse, don’t fit in with my wardrobe. In an era of fast fashion sometimes it pays to go a little slower before diving into the ocean that is Zara or H&M and all the trends pieces they have to offer – it was a trip to Zara that actually (and resulting urges to buy everything!) that fueled the edit. Are you also keen to edit your wardrobe for the coming season? Read on!

Three Step Fall (Autumn) Wardrobe Edit
1. Cull – Now is a perfect time to pull all your winter clothes out from under your bed or at the back of your wardrobe and look over them thoroughly. Are they in good nick or did you wear them to death last season? Go through all your cooler weather clothes like jackets and coats, as well as tights, jeans and boots to make sure they are up to scratch. If you find any worn out items commit to fixing them or put them in a pile for friends or the secondhand store. Freshen up all your winter clothes by washing or hanging up.

2. Review – Now that you have removed all the surplus items you probably won’t wear this fall and winter, it’s time to go through what’s left and start getting into cold weather outfit  mode. How much does it suck when you feel like you get to the end of October and are catapulted into Winter but have forgotten how to put a decent winter outfit together? Take a few hours to plan some colder weather outfits in your head, and decide what is missing from your wardrobe that will be essential for the coming months.

3. Shop -  Put together a list of the items you are missing. In terms of winter clothes, I think you get what you pay for, which is why I like to research winter clothes (like the purchase of the sacred winter coat) or buy vintage where I can. If you buy a gorgeous wool coat and can wear it for the next 3 years like I have done, it’s money well spent.  I also look at winter as a good opportunity to buy a hard wearing basic items that go with a million different outfits – trends may come and go but essential items will always work in your wardrobe. I like to invest in neutral colours like navy, white, black and khaki to get me through winter, and I try to DIY or thrift trend pieces style to pair with basics. In the pics I have added here as Fall/Autumn outfit inspiration  (naturally I will be wearing wool tights with the shorts and skirts!) most of the items you see I have owned for the last couple of years, and have been able to keep and wear over and over, mixing up with things I have made and things I have thrifted. If you stick to basics and essentials for your key pieces and you will never be disappointed!

Spring is officially here – and although in some parts of the world it may feel like it’s been around for a while, and in others it seems as though it might never come at all, the change of season is a great opportunity to overhaul your closet. To reorganise, ditch the rubbish and generally renew your racks so you’re ready for the new season and summer (!).

Spring is a great opportunity to embark on a a full on wardrobe edit, and hopefully you’re acquainted with my Six Step ‘Wardrobe Rehab’ process. If you haven’t fully reviewed your wardrobe in a while no doubt you will be in need of some serious organisation – so head over and get amongst my six steps – I promise you it will help.

Jess from Tuula Vintage | Liz from Late Afternoon