Ask Aaron

The Weekly’s resident stylist Aaron Kok dishes out helpful advice to deal with your style woes

The Weekly’s resident stylist Aaron Kok dishes out helpful advice to deal with your style woes

Q I’ve worn safe colours like black and grey all my work life, but I’m getting bored of these colours. How can I go about mixing in brighter colours and prints? – Soo Lin, 40

A Firstly, give yourself a pat on the back for deciding to take on brighter colours for your workwear! If you’re feeling shaky at first, try working colour in small doses. Start with a bright red bag or a pair of fuchsia heels. Once you get confident with these little pops of bright hues, you can gradually work in more colourful pieces. Secondly, while black and grey may err on the safe side, in this situation, they can be your best friends. Whether it’s a black blazer or a grey skirt, use these neutral tones to anchor your look and balance out the vibrancy of your coloured pieces. I recommend investing some time in front of the mirror, experimenting with your clothes and finding the colour combinations that work best for you. Prints are also great styling tools, because the texture does help balance all the colours. Opt for something simple, like white stripes or a muted checked pattern.

"Invest some time in front of the mirror to experiment with your clothes to find the best colour combinations that work for you"

COLOUR LAWS

Need some ideas on the colours you should be wearing? Get your inspo from these looks

Left to Right: Michael Kors Tip #1 Layer different patterns and shades for an easy tonal look. Céline Tip #2 Neutral tones help add more visual impact. Christian Wijnants Tip #3 Master pattern mixing by picking two prints with a common theme and colour. Bottega Veneta Tip #4 Work colour into your look through your accessories. Givenchy Tip #5 Mix cool and warm tones, such as blue with red.

Top down: Bracelet, $2,060, from Tiffany & Co. Bracelet, $3,100, from Pomellato. Celine

Q I own a lot of jewellery pieces that are either gold or silver. Is there a way that can I mix them together? – Mabel, 33

A The easiest way to mix your metals is to start with an anchor piece. Find a design that features both silver and gold – that’s half the battle won – then, build your layers around that piece. Deciding on the look you’re going for will help narrow down your options. It’s an easy temptation to pile on as much as you can in the hope of finding a combo that works, but, unfortunately, that rarely succeeds. What you’ll end up with is a mess of colours with little order. Identify the mood you are aiming for – whether it’s bohemian, high glamour, or casual and fun – and pick out the pieces that embody that mood and start experimenting. When all else fails, try injecting only one jewellery piece of a different colour. For example, let’s say you’re used to wearing four gold bracelets to the office. In this case, I’d take one of them out, and add a silver one instead. There’s no real equation here, it’s all about trying and seeing what works best for you.

"Find a design that features both silver and gold – that’s half the battle won"