Subtle Sprezzatura - Color

I wanted to utilize the Morris Stockholm Spring/Summer 2010 collection to overemphasize the use of colors in a wardrobe.  Colors can add artful dishevelment to an outfit, a bold carelessness that makes an outfit pop.  Mixing non-matching colors in a seemingly nonchalant fashion, is exactly what sprezzatura is all about.  It is making the planned look unplanned, careless and artful.  While Morris Stockholm's use of color is anything but subtle, the lessons are easily learned for one's own wardrobe to use subtly or boldly.

Mismatching colors, textures and styles is often all it takes for an outfit to have that sprezzatura element it needs.  While mixing and mismatching colors takes a strong personal style, it is incredibly powerful and easily makes an outfit a standout.  The outfit above pairs bold red F-You pants with a classic light blue summer blazer.  This is worn over a white rugby shirt with a pink shirt underneath.  It is finished with a blue belt and a navy tie.  Essentially, the outfit is only two colors: the red family (pink & red) and the blue family (light blue, blue & navy) with a neutral white to balance the outfit.  Initially this outfit looks thrown together and the colors look mismatched, but instead they are two complimenting color family, used boldly.

Lets take a look at another Morris Stockholm color juxtaposition.  Here the dark green shoes compliment the sea green shirt while the salmon cardigan adds an additional pop on the outfit, off setting the match and adding depth to the outfit and color palate.  Like the white above, the khakis are used as a neutral that completes the look.  The bold green shoes are an unexpected pop of color for the outfit and they don't directly match the rest of the outfit, while still being complimenting.

With this summer mix, we can see that again Morris Stockholm use colors to add nonchalance to the outfit.  The pink & blue sweater vest, purple shirt, red pants and red pocket square all match, but non of them directly and obviously.  Like above, this outfit is made up of the red color family and the blue color family, which includes purple.  This outfit looks artfully disheveled and unorganized, but instead it is carefully crafted to look just the opposite.

Morris Stockholm continues to use these color principles through out the Spring/Summer 2010 Collection.  Notice how masterfully the colors subtly match and initially look mismatched.  Remember to keep to the color families and have fun mismatching colors in your own wardrobe.