Color blocking first came onto the scene in 1965 when Yves Saint Laurent released a dress collection inspired by the neoplasticism art technique. Every so often the trend re-emerges, as fashion does, and this Spring/Summer season is no exception! What exactly is color blocking? Well, it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like- color blocks. It is typically styled using a color palette of two or more solid colors, usually brights, that has a “blocked” look. I most often see it on a single piece; a turquoise maxi dress with a large stripe of purple at the bottom, for example. You can also achieve this look by combining single-colored pieces, as I have done in the set above. This is an easy way to transform your basics into a bold, fashion-forward look!

In the above set, I styled a look featuring the color blocking style technique. I chose complimentary colors, navy and yellow, and a tertiary color, green, to make up my color palette. These colors combined have a really nice, classic look to them. It makes for a very sophisticated look! I paired a white pencil skirt from Nordstrom with a yellow sleeveless blouse from Target and a navy blazer. The pencil skirt has a really pretty green bow belt on it, which ties in our third color. I accessorized with a yellow Modcloth bag, yellow ASOS dome earrings, and a multi-color Antik Batik floral bangle. The main “rule” of color blocking is to stay away from prints. This takes away from the blocked effect, however, I really liked this bangle because it contains each color of our palette. 

Do you like color blocking? How do you style it?