Trends for Spring Summer 2011

Orange can be a tricky color. But, if it's your color, you are golden in 2011 because orange is one of the hottest trends for spring/summer 2011. If you don't look good in orange-orange try pinkish tangerine or a lighter, muted shade of this hue.

Can't Wait for Spring!

I have an orange purse from Paris - wow, they are so fashion forward in France. I think I got my purse four years ago at Le Bon Marche. Also, my Beverly Hills daughter gave me a Hermes (an Hermes?) headband scarf in orange.

To lighten up your dark clothing, you should rummage through your closet and your jewelry to find anything that is orange, pumpkin, tangerine, or yellow orange. Maybe you have a red-orange trench coat...that would be perfect.

If you don't think you can wear orange, try holding some different shades or tints up to your face. Try these:

• Deep, red orange of Carlos Miele
• Softer, delicate orange of Carolina Herrera
• Spring summer oranges of beautiful Marc Jacobs

Okay, c'mon...tell me that these juicy, sexy orange colors don't rev up your pulse and make you long for a Piña Colada by a turquoise blue pool, ala David Hockney? Can't you see yourself in that picture?

Orange Won't Bite You

If you are a teen, you've never had any fun playing with orange. This hue goes with a surprising number of colors. In fall, I pair a pumpkin orange with deep violet. So do not be afraid to try something different.

The only way you can mess up orange is to pair it with too much black, so that you look like you are ready for Halloween or NASCAR.

If you know your colorwheel, it might help you play with orange and give you combinations other than orange and white (try not to look like a Creamsicle by adding something unusual) or orange and beige. If you clicked on the link, you saw a rainbow circle, known to artists and normal folk as a colorwheel.

Many Americans use different names for the colors. I always say, "Purple," instead of, "Violet," but they are basically the same. I think it has to do with which box of Crayola Crayons you had as a kid.

The reason you can pair orange with blue or turquoise is because blue and orange are complementary colors. And, when they say, "Opposites attract," that's the theory behind blue and orange:

• French girl in orange with blue shoes
• Turquoise, orange, and red outfit from Costume Nationale S/S 2011 (I would call the purse red-orange.)

I threw the sunflower print in to help you open your mind to the many ways you can mix orange into your everyday wardrobe. Look to the Impressionist masters for more inspiration. And, if your clothing combo looks too hot...as in blinding or glaring...add some white or a neutral to keep the hotter colors from burning you up. And, then you are ready to blast off.

Even weddings are getting juicy. If you use just a dash of orange with a blue or green theme, it can turn out lovely. Orange and/or yellow can add a small amount of snap to a boring color scheme.

Here are wedding color trends for 2011 (from mypersonalartist.com). The colors, as if reading from left to right, are apple green, mauve, lilac, hot pink, slate grey, celadon, aged gold, coral, red, violet purple, mocha / chocolate / brown, navy, emerald / pine green / dark cyan, clementine orange, and yellow. You can use orangey wedding colors in a Mod Op Art manner to spark up an ordinary color scheme.

Just check out all the websites that are adding orange for a fresh touch. You're going to love this color.