The Return of Colour

Working With Trends Without Losing Your Style

Now that the neutral palettes many of us built our wardrobes around are slowly shifting out of the spotlight, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the resurgence of colour and why it doesn’t mean you need to get rid of everything you own and start over. Trends move in cycles, and colour is no exception. What’s changing isn’t the value of neutrals, but how they’re being used. Instead of being the entire story, they’re becoming the foundation, a quiet base that allows colour, texture, and personality to step forward.

This moment isn’t about chasing every new shade or dressing louder. It’s about learning how to work with trend cycles rather than against them. Understanding where colour fits into your existing wardrobe, how much of it feels right for you, and how to introduce it without disrupting your sense of comfort or identity.

Style, at its best, isn’t about constant reinvention. It’s about evolution, knowing when to add, when to pause, and when to see familiar pieces in a new way simply.

When conversations around the return of colour start to feel overwhelming, I find it helpful to look at people who have been doing it long before it was trending. One of the clearest examples of this, for me, is Carla Rockmore.

In her recent wardrobe tour, what stood out wasn’t the volume of clothes or even the boldness of her colour choices — it was how calm and intentional everything felt. Her wardrobe is full of colour, yes, but it’s also deeply repetitive. The same silhouettes reappear. The same colours are worn again and again. Nothing feels disposable or trend-led.

That’s the part I think many of us miss when colour comes back into fashion. The assumption is that embracing colour means starting over — decluttering aggressively, shopping impulsively, replacing entire wardrobes built on neutrals. Carla’s approach proves the opposite. Colour doesn’t replace a wardrobe; it layers onto it.

One of her most useful reminders is that colour can function like a neutral when it’s worn consistently. A red coat, a green skirt, a patterned blouse — when these pieces are repeated enough, they stop feeling bold and start feeling familiar. They become part of your visual language rather than a seasonal experiment.

Another key takeaway is her refusal to separate “statement” from “everyday.” Pieces that might feel intimidating on a hanger are worn casually, often with simple basics. Colour isn’t reserved for occasions; it’s normalised through repetition. That’s what makes it wearable.

What I appreciate most is how her wardrobe resists panic. Trends come and go around it, but the core remains intact. Instead of asking What’s in right now?, the focus stays on What do I already love, and how else can I wear it?

And that, to me, is the most useful way to think about the current resurgence of colour. Not as a call to abandon neutrals, but as an invitation to re-engage with our wardrobes — to add, adjust, and evolve without erasing what already works.

Style doesn’t need reinvention every season. Sometimes, it just needs a little more confidence.

Style Lessons From Stylists

• Treat colour like a neutral
  When you wear a colour often enough, it stops feeling bold and starts feeling familiar. Repetition turns colour into part of your baseline, not a seasonal risk.

• Rewear statement pieces until they feel ordinary
  Pieces don’t become “too much” — they become comfortable through use. The more casually you wear them, the more natural they look.

• Build around silhouettes, not trends
  Her wardrobe works because the shapes stay consistent even when colours change. Trends move; proportions endure.

• Style more, shop less
  Instead of replacing items when trends shift, she revisits what she already owns and asks how it can be worn differently. Confidence comes from familiarity, not novelty.

If You’re Colour-Shy, Start Here

You don’t need to wake up one day and suddenly become “a colour person.” Most people don’t. The easiest way in is to treat colour as an accent, not a personality shift.

• Start with one layer
  Introduce colour through a single piece — a scarf, a bag, a knit, a pillowcase, a duvet cover. Keep everything else familiar.

• Choose softened tones, not brights
  Look for colours that feel slightly worn in: sage instead of emerald, rust instead of red, dusty blue instead of cobalt. These sit comfortably alongside neutrals.

• Repeat before you expand
  Wear or use the same colour again and again before adding another. Familiarity builds confidence far more effectively than variety.

• Anchor colour to a neutral you already love
  If your wardrobe or home leans beige, grey, or white, let that stay your base. Colour works best when it has something calm to rest against.

• Let comfort be the final filter
  If a colour feels distracting or unsettling, it doesn’t belong — at least not yet. Style should support ease, not demand courage.

Colour doesn’t require reinvention. It asks for patience, repetition, and a willingness to ease into something new at your own pace.