Color Crash Course - Orange and Red

Since I have started blogging, I find myself thinking more and more, how do I do something outside the box. I'm not talking about wearing a sheer dress with little or next to nothing underneath like some glitzy stars might. I'm referring to wearing colors that we don't normally think of putting together or mixing prints. 

I decided on today's color combination because I was thinking about fall. It occurred to me that my favorite maple trees often blush orange and red as they are changing from their summer to autumn wardrobes. I love the look of these two colors on trees, but how would it look on me? That was enough to inspire today's post.

When I told my daughter/photographer the colors I was intending to pair up, she said something like, "Wow! You are really going bold aren't you?" Ha, ha. 

As you can see part of mixing bold colors without looking like some sort of walking torch or neon sign, is to combine differing shades, textures and fabrics into a cohesive and complimentary unit.

I decided to go with the coral jeans for a more muted orange color and a softer texture. The sleeveless blouse contains orange, red, black and even some pinkish, orangish something or other. You can tell I am not an interior designer or a fashion designer. 

Since there is so much going on in the top I decided I needed an accessory that was elegant, simple and a completely different color. I really like this gold and cream three strand necklace. The shortest layer is a simple beaded chain, the middle layer holds a pendant that looks to be made of shell and the longest layer ends in a long cream colored tassel with a gold filagree leaf. The nice part is they are all connected at the clasp point, meaning I can't wear them separately, but I wouldn't really want to.

Of course, I had to get a silly picture in there. But these photos show off the red jacket. This jacket is one of the ones you might have seen in my post on faux leather jackets which you can see here. It is a rich, vibrant red and has a bit of a sheen to it, so dresses up or down. I used the same burnt orange bag that I styled for Tuesday's Pantone Potter's Clay post (see that here).

Since ankle boots are so on trend right now, I wore my suede tan and brown booties. These are comfy with a low heel and easy to get on and off with an inside zipper.

One more look at the whole outfit. So what do you think? Would you wear this color combination? What do you think I could have done differently? Let me know in the comments section below. I love to hear from all of you and want your ideas and input. 

Have a great weekend and Happy First Day of Fall.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping Options:

Red Faux Leather Jacket - Macy's - $104.99

Printed Blouse - 6pm - $24.99

Coral Jeans - NYDJ - $59.98

Tan Suede Ankle Boots. - DSW - $79.94

Triple Strand Gold Necklace - BaubleBar - $42.00