Every day, without fail, except maybe the occasional snow day, you have to get up and get dressed. And then you have to go out into the world and be seen by other humans. This, my friends, is the start of the daily dilemma: what do I wear? One easy way to answer the question is to apply the 60/30/10 rule to what you choose. Often used in interior decorating (which will be the subject of another blog), this rule has easy application to dressing and is a quick way to create balanced and timeless outfits. Here’s how it works…
Build An Outfit with The 60/30/10 Rule
With the 60/30/10 rule you can easily build a beautiful outfit by first picking a dominate color that will be your foundation. For example, choose a navy pair of pants and blouse or perhaps a cream sweater and skirt. It will be the color that takes up the most of your look.
Next…
Then you choose a complimentary or coordinating color for another major piece. For the navy pants and shirt it could mean a blazer in a lighter shade of blue or maybe an orange cardigan. In the cream sweater/skirt example, it could be knee-high boots in brown suede or perhaps a scarf, belt and shoes in shades of green.
And then…
Lastly, you add your accent color. It doesn’t overwhelm but it adds the finish. With the navy and orange example, add a great, brown, leather bag. In the cream sweater outfit with the boots, it could be a bold, chunky necklace in shades of burgundy. If the outfit is the 60% cream with 30% green you could add a wrist full of navy bangles for your 10%.
It’s that simple and the math is not exact, EVER. Beecause this is fashion, my friends, not trigonometry. This basic formula is a key to creating beautiful and timeless outfits you’ll wear again and again. I grabbed the image below from someone I follow on Instagram (lafemmewanderer) that I think illustrates the concept really well in case you’re still wondring…
Just remember this:
• 60% main color — the basis of the look
• 30% secondary, coordinating or complementing tone — adds depth and contrast
• 10% accent — the detail that finishes the look
It’s that easy. So have fun with it!
For more on fashion, check out my previous blogs like: The Third Piece Rule and Consignment Shop Best Buys: Fashion. And if you’re looking for some new and interesting 10% items, stop by your local theft or consignment shop, like Consignments Ltd. where we always have scarves, bags and fun jewelry.
No Comments