Colour blocking: How not to look like a Rubik’s cube

For a fashion junkie this year, the best thing wouldn’t be just picking up a fuchsia pink shirt, a purple jacket and orange pants; it would be teaming them together. Trust the Gods of fashion (pick — Gucci, Jil Sander or Josh Goot) — if you dare to pair, you’d be flaunting colour blocking, the trend of the season.

Colour blocking was the top trend at the recent Milan Fashion Week. The whole point of colour blocking is to sport chunks of colours you never thought you can be seen in. Sarah Jessica-Parker, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba and Rihanna ditched the monotony of ‘matching’ colours this season and stepped out with blocks of colours in smart cuts.

Colour blocking is so inherent to Indian dressing that we needn’t even try too hard to get the look right. We’ve been colour blocking from the times of Chanderi sarees and patiala salwars. Fashion designer Wendell Rodricks says he has been designing sarees using colour blocking since 1992. “In the West, Yves Saint Laurent did colour blocking because of his roots in Morocco. To throw an aquamarine with red is easy for an Indian but for the West it speaks of newness... and it comes from the East.” If you want to stay safe, you may pair pastel shades with each other or with black. Throw in a lilac or pink blazer with blue pants, or a pastel green cardigan with black pants.

The trend, however, really comes to life if you get bolder. Designer Masaba Gupta has colourblocked in all her collections this year, including at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011. “We Indians love sticking to browns, olives and maroons. Colour blocking is just the antidote for that.” Throwing in brown pants with a maroon top and an olive stole would be called colour blocking, too, but if you’re investing the time, stay away from the most predictable shades, she says.

Neon colours, says Masaba, are a rage this season and no trend gives you as much room to experiment with that as colour blocking does. Our wheatish complexion gives us an added advantage because most colours stand out. Pair a rani pink shirt with a jacket in sunset orange and complete the look with purple pants. You can also try a sunset orange skirt with a breezy rani pink top. Another great idea would be to invest in bottle green pants and canary yellow top. Pick a shrug of another solid colour and you’re set at your colour blocked best.

The rule in colour blocking is that there are no rules. So you can pair a coral skirt with a burgundy shirt, and royal blue pants with orange shirts. “I would still advise caution,” says designer Nachiket Barve. Everyone, he says, can colour block to an extent, but if you’re going all out with neons and reds, give your personality some thought. “Draw attention to your quirkiness, but don’t try too hard by pairing every bright colour in your closet. My mantra: Don’t do it if you aren’t sure of it. You don’t want to end up looking like a Rubik’s cube or a Lego block.” Start by colour blocking with monochromatic colours. For instance, a rust colour skirt paired with an orange top that’s 2-3 shades lighter looks fun, too.

Give your accessories and shoes a lot of thought, say designers. Having blocks of four colours in your outfit and three in your shoes will only make you look like a pack of crayons. “If you pick up a colour blocked shoe in blue and mustard, go for a smartly-cut dress in one colour only. Ditto if your handbag is colour blocked. Sport a blingy neckpiece with two blocks of colours in your dress. Trends are about common sense,” warns Barve.

Colour blocking is for all body shapes and sizes. Play with layers if you’re large. If you’re short, don’t wear dresses that cut colours too boldly. “No browns or striking colours if your hips are heavy,” says Barve. Wear colours vertically, not horizontally, agrees Masaba . “If you’re short, I’d suggest a pencil turquoise dress with a block of colour running down your front or the side.”