How To Wear Bright Colors In The Winter When You’re Pale AF

It’s the dead of winter, my skin is so pale you can almost see through it, and I work in New York City where black is, and will always remain, the default clothing choice for 90% of my fellow humans. And yet… I simply refuse to abandon all my brightly colored clothing until spring. I won’t do it. At the same time putting together winter-appropriate outfits with say, a pair of pink pants is a struggle. Aside from the fact, my most vibrant clothing doesn’t tend to be my warmest clothing, I’ll try on a bright red sweater, see my super pale face popping out of it, grimace, and change into something else immediately.

In the words of every infomercial ever made, there has to be a better way. Naturally, a big part of wearing bright colors in the winter when you’re pale revolves around what type of pale your skin is: warm or cool. Yes, pale skin can have warm undertones. If you have pink, red, or blueish undertones, you’re cool (Not like that, though I’m sure you’re also supafly). If you have yellow, peach, or golden undertones, you’re warm (This time yes, I mean sexy). For the cool gals, you’ll want to choose something in the purple or blue family, and if you’re warm, you’ll want to stick with yellows and oranges.

Here are a few tips for incorporating them into your winter wardrobe.

Wear a bright statement coat over your neutral outfit.

How fabulous and not washed out at all does Gigi Hadid look in this amazing coat?? See? Cool skin tone + Purple = Match made in heaven. Vibrant solid-color coats are my personal favorite method of wearing bright colors in the winter. Come on, aren’t you sick of walking around in black all the time?

Try a standout purse.

I saw this woman on the subway yesterday with this massive bright purple purse and just stared, hoping the intensity of my gaze would compel said purse to float towards me. Unfortunately, it didn’t, but I am inspired to make my next big purse purchase a bright one. Even though Khloe Kardashian has never been pale, that royal blue is an excellent choice for extra-pale wintery skin.

Pair navy and bright pink.

Navy and bright pink go together like Kim Kardashian‘s bare ass and my grimace. Seriously, the navy balances out the pink while still allowing it to shine. In fact, at this very moment, I am wearing pink pants and a navy blazer, and I am about as pale as you’ve ever seen a very dark-haired girl be. And I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but I look fantastic.

If all else fails, rock a red lip.

If there’s one thing my girl Tay has taught me—ha, try everything I know to be true in this world—it’s that pale girls can and should rock a red lip as often as humanly possible. NARS Dargon Girl seems to be working for her, so if you’re looking for a good shade and have Tay’s pale pink coloring, start there!