Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: primary colours are back, but styling them isn't child's play

"And yet they are weirdly tricky to wear. They can feel shouty and basic: the getting dressed equivalent of speaking loudly without saying anything particularly interesting, which is not what any of us are aiming for. Muted colours have dominated fashion for a decade. Navy, grey, black and denim have been the backbone, with highlights of butter, olive green and soft pink the shade of a freshly plastered wall."

"At the Celine show at Paris fashion week, there was a rugby shirt in blue and red with a white collar; also, a blue shirt tucked into a yellow miniskirt. At Alaia—the home of chic, inky black—there was a red skirt-and-top two-piece and a yellow trench. At Prada, there were practical boxy jackets in cheerful yellow and green, the sort of coat shades that would look more at home hanging on animal-themed pegs outside a nursery classroom than on the Milan catwalk."

"Adding an in-between colour—in the form of the classic work-shirt blue of the sleeves—serves as a bridge. This jumper here is just red, no fancy qualifiers."

Primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—are making a comeback in fashion after years of muted palettes dominating the industry. Despite their simplicity and familiarity, these bold shades are surprisingly difficult to wear well, often appearing loud and basic without careful styling. Fashion week showcases demonstrated primary colors across major designers including Celine, Alaia, Prada, and Loewe, featuring rugby shirts, trench coats, and pop art-inspired dresses. The key to successfully wearing primary colors involves using intermediate shades as bridges, such as pairing red with classic work-shirt blue to create visual balance and sophistication rather than a childish appearance.

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