Gray color has no color, therefore, from an emotional point of view, it is neutral - it does not excite, does not cheer up, etc. It symbolizes stability, calmness, impartiality. Presented in a variety of lightness gradations from pale gray to dark wet asphalt, gray creates harmonious colors with all chromatic and achromatic tones.
Combinations of gray in clothes
The attitude of women to gray in clothes is ambiguous: some believe that it is nondescript and boring to such an extent that it can turn a beauty into a gray mouse, others recognize it as the standard of elegance.
In ancient times and in the Middle Ages, the poorest strata of the population wore clothes made of unpainted gray sermyagi. However, with the advent of expensive fabrics of silver, pearl gray and smoky shades, this color has become held in high esteem among the upper strata of society.
In modern fashion, gray is actively used in office, business and casual wear. This color is a compromise between black and white, so combinations of bright colors with it look less aggressive than with black and more relaxed than in a duet with white.
Despite the versatility of gray, it's worth considering which colors work best with gray.
Gray and achromatic tones - white, black
The combination of gray and white can be the basis of an elegant look when using a classic style in a suit.
The duet of gray and black looks mysterious and intriguing.
Harmonious combinations of all achromatic colors with each other. In this case, you can use colors in equal proportions, for example, stripes on fabric of the same width, painted in white, gray and black. However, the following proportions in clothes are more interesting:
- a lot of gray and close to it black, little white;
- a lot of white and close to it gray, little black;
- a lot of gray, a little black and white.
Gray and red, burgundy
A duet of gray with red is considered a classic: the combination looks bright enough, but at the same time soft and harmonious - an excellent color scheme for an ensemble of clothes for those who do not want to look vulgar.
Light gray in alliance with burgundy forms a soft contrast: a good combination for casual wear and glamorous outfits!
Matching colors: gray and yellow
Combinations of gray and yellow look stylish, positive and extraordinary! Shades of cold yellow bring freshness in combination with a gray tone. If yellow is bright, pure, then gray will suit it in the form of a dark saturated shade. The pale yellow cold tone is combined with almost any shade of gray, except, perhaps, a clearly warm tone.
Matching colors: gray and pink
Gray forms with all shades of pink, ranging from the pale tone of "ash rose" to the bright pink-purple fuchsia.
The duet of light gray with a pale pink tone looks gentle, quivering and romantic, which is appropriate in both everyday and evening dresses: it all depends on the density and properties of the materials used. In the everyday version, it is possible to combine gray jeans with a pink top, in the evening - a light two-tone dress made of chiffon or lace.
Matching colors: gray color combinations - photo: gray with red, pink and cool green; gray with burgundy; gray with yellow; gray with pink
Gray and fuchsia (magenta)
The deep pink-purple fuchsia color back in 1936, when it entered women's fashion, was called "shocking pink": very bright! Today, this attractive and sexy color is one of the favorites in women's fashion. Gray in tandem with fuchsia slightly mutes its brightness, giving the combination a sophisticated and noble look. The brighter the gray, the more it blends in with the vibrant, pure magenta. For example, clear steel gray, light gray, pale pink gray, and rich shades of dark gray.
Gray and purple, lilac
Light gray in a duet with a purple tone gives the ensemble a noble sound. The presence of shimmer or sheen on gray fabrics contributes to a luxurious evening look.
Dark gray combined with a purple tone looks calm and harmonious: a great option for casual wear.
Gray color is successfully combined with shades of lilac tones, without interfering with the perception of their beauty.
Photo: gray with shades of pink; gray with fuchsia; dark and light gray with bright purple; gray with purple, fuchsia, turquoise and blue; gray with lilac and blue
Gray and blue, gray and blue
The gray color can be conditionally considered cold, since in our minds it extremely rarely has yellowish shades (and even then most often this color is already called not so much gray as gray-brown), therefore it is successfully combined with all shades of blue and light blue.
The combination of gray with a dark blue tone looks calm and strict, therefore it can be used not only in casual clothes, but also in office suits.
Gray color in alliance with blue or deep blue (royal blue) tone creates bright enough combinations that are appropriate in a youth and sporty style.
Gray and turquoise
Gray combined with turquoise tones and aqua green creates luxurious combinations for which there are no restrictions: they suit any appearance and can be used in products for various purposes. Clothing ensembles that use fabrics of blue-green tones in combination with gray materials that have the effect of shimmer, shine or metallization look especially luxurious.
Gray and cold green
Combinations of gray with other cool shades of green are not as effective as with turquoise, but they also deserve attention. The darker the gray, the better a bright or light green will go with it. The lighter and clearer (purer) the gray, the brighter the green will create a harmonious pair with it.
Gray and pastel colors
Neutral gray and dark gray, close to black, make a great backdrop for almost any color, and pastels are no exception. Light gray in a duet with any pastel color will create a delicate, touching combination, while dark gray will look more romantic and fresh.
Dark gray and bright, spectral tones
Dark grays create less stark contrast in combination with pure spectral tones than blacks. At the same time, it slightly mutes the brightness of the chromatic colors, which contributes to the creation of a bright, but harmonious and elegant image. In other words, add dark gray elements to a bright ensemble of clothes, and it will look more elegant and sophisticated! The darker the gray, the three brighter colors harmonize with it. Moreover, including bright warm ones, such as bright sunny yellow and even orange.
Photo: gray with blue and red; gray with turquoise; gray with blue-green; gray with bottle green; clear light gray with muted terracotta and pure orange
Inconsistent colors with gray
Finally, I would like to warn against unsuccessful combinations of gray. As stated above, this is essentially a cool color. Therefore, mixing it with clearly warm colors is not a rewarding and even harmful business. The exception is a very dark saturated gray - it already looks like black which will suit almost all colors. But don't mix cool gray with warm orange, warm yellow, rusty, generally warm browns and warm beige tones. Cool shades of brown and beige with gray are in harmony. But most of the shades of this color still belong "to a completely different opera" than the shades of gray.
Grays are not boring at all if you find the right shade to pair them to get harmonious colors!
Examples of harmonious combinations of gray:
Photo: 1 - gray with black, white and red; 2 - gray with red, blue and burgundy; 3 - gray with pink and blue; 4 - gray with fuchsia; 4 - gray with yellow; 5 - gray with turquoise; 5 - gray with lilac and green