Color Guide for Crossdressers: Tips to Create Perfect Outfits

Every feminine dresser wants a large wardrobe. Filled to the brim with beautiful clothes for all occasions and shoes of every color. Even a nice full wardrobe needs some thought for its contents. A good starting point is color. Some colors work together, and some don’t. Here are some tips to help you start thinking about how colors in fashion work.

Understanding Color Theory in Fashion

Sadly, a little bit of theory work can go a long way. Don’t fear the theory work, though; it will lead to our outfits looking perfect!

The primary consideration is the color wheel.

This wheel illustrates the colors our eyes perceive and how they interact with each other in terms of contrast. Contrast refers to the sharpness between colors, specifically the difference in intensity between two colors. These colors are called complementary. Complementary colors generally work well together. This is due to the sharp contrast between them. Complementary colors are important when combining different colored items.

Common pairings of these colors are prevalent in Western culture. Red and green together are often used as Christmas colors. Outfits worn at Christmas are often red and green, symbolizing the spirit of Christmas. Caution should be taken when matching these colors outside of the festive season. This also allows us to play with the shade of the colors to avoid this aesthetic.

In the case of red and green, wearing darker shades of green or red can help break the Christmas appearance. Good pairings of this would be outfits with dark green tops and burgundy pants or skirts. Playing with the tone can help us avoid overused pairings.

How Color Temperature Affects Your Outfit

We have examined colors and their complements, but what about colors on their own?

One way to think about this is by considering the temperature of the color. We associate colors with temperature by considering where we often see that color. Think about the Sun in the sky, and ask yourself what color it is. Do you see red, yellow, or perhaps an intense white?

When we dress in these colors, we, much like the sun, become warm. A red dress with yellow on the shoulder or along the base may look like fire and seem very warm. We can enhance this look by adding hot-colored makeup, such as red or yellow eyeshadow. We can even tone down the outfit’s color with cooler colors, such as blue.

This temperature also helps determine the optimal environment for wearing an outfit. If the weather is cold, wearing a warm color outfit would make you and your outfit stand out more. The hot red contrasts with the cold blue, which seems to dominate the color palette when it is cold. Likewise, wearing a cold blue outfit in this environment is likely going to be enhanced by the weather and blend in.

Balancing hot and cold temperatures in an outfit allows you to adjust the overall feel of the ensemble. Don’t be afraid to contrast the colors and temperature of the outfit and environment. But consider the balance of temperature when putting the outfit together.

Seasonal Colors and How to Style Them

In addition to colors having a temperature, this also ties into the time of year. Seasonal trends are common in fashion.

Relating your outfit to the time of the year can be a good way to help blend in if you want a more subtle presence in public. You don’t have to match the season exactly, but it’s a good idea to be aware of the colors that are in style.

As an example, we can cover winter. Most associate winter with being cold in some way. Not every country experiences the same winter, but we can consider fairly common themes for winter to help shape outfits for this time of year in terms of color.

Considering that blue is a relatively cool color, blue outfits are well-suited for winter. Combinations of cool colors, such as blue, navy, or burgundy, work well with light neutrals like cream and white. Burgundy is a shade of red, but it is quite dark and works well as a colder color.

In winter, given the cold, outfits are typically made of stiffer and heavier materials. I’ll cover that another time, as this is a focus on color.

The Role of Neutrals in Fashion Color Combinations

Seasonal outfits are a great way to express yourself and showcase your fashion sense. One tool that can help elevate any clothing item with a lot of color is complementary neutral pieces.

Neutral colors and pieces are those that can work with both warm and cool temperature ranges. They also don’t have much color. Neutrals are things like pale yellow, cream, and white.

Neutrals also include darker colors, such as grey and black. While a color like white can be considered cold, like white snow or ice, it can also be as bright as the sun.

Neutrals, therefore, work by matching the other colors of your outfit. White will work with blues and metallic gold to create a cold, regal look. Creams can be paired with cold burgundies to create a rustic fall combo.

Metallic colors can also serve as neutrals. Metallic colors are those like gold, silver, or bronze. These are more common colors for jewelry, but some clothing may still incorporate these colors. Silver tops are popular and can be paired with cool blue to create an icy or frozen aesthetic. Bronze can be added to the burgundy-black pairing to enhance the rustic aesthetic.

In general, with neutrals, neutrals of similar shades can clash. As said, cream and white are both neutral. But because they are both so similar, they shouldn’t be paired together. Cream is a very pale yellow. This also suggests that any color can be made more neutral by using a pale version of it.

Using Color Accents to Enhance Your Outfits

Accents are neutrals or other colors used in small amounts to create a shape within an outfit. For example, a blue and white outfit can be paired with gold jewelry and a gold chain handbag to create subtle accents of gold along its length.

Accents should still not clash completely with the main colors used, but will complement most colors paired with them.

Final Tips for Building the Perfect Outfit with Color

Using all the things covered, it’s time to apply them to your wardrobe. And that is to say, don’t stress too much! Pairing colors, neutrals, and accents is more intended for those who are chasing a specific aesthetic. Combine some color, some neutrals, and a touch of metal, and you’ll have an amazing outfit!

Let’s cover a summary of things covered:

• Colors have complementary colors, and they look sharp with

• Colors have a temperature that indicates how warm they look

• Seasons also have associated temperature that encourages wearing certain colors

• Some colors are neutral and can be used with anything, but not themselves if they are similar

• Some color or metallic accents can be used to enhance an outfit further

Combining these allows us to build outfits with color in mind. Do remember that color isn’t everything. A very colorful outfit will hide interesting shapes and accessories that don’t interact with the color of the outfit.

And finally, and probably the most important, have fun! Making outfits is personally my favorite part of being a crossdresser. I spend a lot of time selecting colors and ensuring everything works to some extent. Experiment with colors, as there isn’t a wrong combo. The use of color is more about creating a particular aesthetic and expressing oneself.