Orange is the New Black!!???

So, guess what I just found out when I was looking for fall fashion trends to write about for work?  Apparently the fashion gods decided that this fall, much like the television program, Orange is the New Black … you have no idea how excited I am, because I am going to rock the shit out of this trend xD

Orange is definitely my favorite color, mostly because it’s loud and I think it looks good with my complexion, and I love to wear it even when it isn’t trendy.  Which sometimes gets me looks, but if done tastefully, orange can really be an awesome pop of color in an otherwise drab or dreary outfit.  I recognize that some people can’t wear orange; unfortunately, not a lot of people recognize that they can’t wear orange when they want to … So I’m writing to sort of give some ideas for ways to wear the color without totally overpowering the outfit if you aren’t really able to wear it, and even if you are, because looking like a citrus fruit walking down the sidewalk isn’t cute either. xD

First, we’ll start off by carrying over a trend from earlier in the year – orange lips.  Orange lipstick became super popular in the beginning of summer, and everyone who is anyone is making guides on how to wear the lip.  (So I must not be anybody because I didn’t make a video on this xD)  It’s a really good way to say “BY THE WAY LOOK AT MY LIPS” if you want to draw attention there.  However, use with caution; this lip really needs to be worn with a very subtle make up look on the rest of your face, because otherwise it will look unbalanced.  It can definitely be loud, depending on if you go with something particularly crazy like Morange from MAC, but it can also be a really fun statement if you wear it right.  Look around on YouTube if you want to know how; there are millions of videos.  Or, if you want, leave me a comment and I can jump on the bandwagon and film something.  (I’m never above requests, no matter how already done they are).

Next we have orange nail polish (pictured is Osaka to Me Orange is OPI, which is my favorite orange polish) in case you don’t know if you can pull off all of that orange on your face.  Nails are a great accessory that a lot of people don’t think of, and it only takes at most ten minutes to throw on two coats of color and a clear coat, (and that’s if you are watching TV or something while you’re doing it) and if you use a fast drying top coat, you’ll be set in a few minutes.  Quick nail art can always spruce them up a little more nicely as well – if you just take a sponge and some dark brown polish, you can make a quick ombre gradient down your nail, depending on how long they are, and a little blit of glitter can draw attention with some glitz and glam.  It looks like you took a long time planning, when really you were just watching your favorite TV show the night before!

Now we have Taylor Swift as a model for the next idea for a pop of orange; a scarf.  Especially with the months getting colder, a scarf is the perfect accessory to add a little orange into your ensemble.  Paired with a solid tone neutral coat or jacket, and it really draws the eye.  However beware, if you don’t have a good complexion for orange, rather than wearing a solid  colored scarf like Taylor is, try and find a patterned scarf that has orange accents in it.  That way you won’t have all of that orange right up against your face if it happens to clash with your skin tone, but you’re still incorporating some interest with the pops of bright color against then neutral tone of your coat.

If you really want to keep the orange away from your face, then orange shoes might be what you should look for.  A flash of color with a drab outfit, if you are wearing the majority of a neutral color, like black, white, brown, or tan, especially in an office setting, then a killer pair of shoes is a good way to introduce the flare of fashion into your life.  Actually, the most popular thing for this season are calf high boots like cowboy boots, so if you can find an orange pair of those, more power to you!  I think it might be a little much, but no one can say it isn’t fashionable for this fall season, that’s for sure. xD  Otherwise, simple strappy sandals can be enough to add a hint of orange while not overpowering then lower half as well, or a peak of orange from some sneakers underneath your jeans.

Next on the list of accessories is an orange purse, which can either be solid like this picture example, or it can be patterned with splashes of orange as well.  And, if you are using a clutch like this or a handbag, you can decide how close to your face it gets.  Hold it at your hip if you aren’t sure whether or not orange is all that flattering to you, or keep it up near your face like in this image if you are sure your complexion screams “MOAR ORANGE PLZ”. xD  A bright piece like this could be paired with a dark dress or pants suit for the office, or as in the picture, a bright contrasting color like a deep blue for an even more dramatic color combination.

Finally, we have my favorite fashion trend of the year, paired with this new orange hype – the over sized coat.  I could write a whole post just on how to wear the coat, but this is definitely one of the most versatile options for wearing orange if you can pull off the color in large doses.  Since I love wearing orange, I think I can (or at least, I hope I can!) and would love a big warm sweater like coat like this to keep me warm on the particularly blustery days in the Big Apple.  If you really want to wear it but orange isn’t exactly the right color for you, make sure you leave it undone and wear a contrasting color to offset it, like the black outfit in the picture.  Or, if you need to do it up because Baby it’s Cold Outside, then you might want to consider wearing a contrasting color scarf and belting it with a contrasting color, like a thick black belt, to break up the block of orange.

As you can see, I’m pretty excited about this development, and I can’t wait to see more orange clothes in stores in the months to come.  It’s an excellent color right alongside black imo, so the only thing that I’m personally surprised about is the fact that it’s taken this long for orange to become a fashion trend like black!

Until next time,

❤ RaeynnBeau