Black is safe. Every woman feels comfortable with her go-to black skirt or jacket knowing that it’s simple to throw on, will go with everything and blends in with the crowd– it’s the easy choice.

But leaving black and going all-colorful once in a while can be an utter thrill.

If you read fashion magazines, you probably see the very fluorescent and very unwearable color combos being promoted. Pairing a red top with a pink skirt might work on the runway or the red carpet – but it’s not the most practical.

I’ve talked about color in the past on my blog with “Lighten Up: Dressy Dresses That Are Not Black”, “The Bellabusta’s Guide to Colored Tights” and “Knockout Color Combos for Fall”.

In this post, I aim to show how to make wearing a colored outfit (without a stitch of black!) easy and pretty conservative, too.

A couple of simple things:

•  It’s so important to pay attention to your coloring, skin tone and hair color, etc. I know in the past I’ve bought colors I LOVED on their own but looked horrific on me (a helpful note for those with yellow skin undertones: mint green will not do you any favors!) The right color can look amazing, lighting up all your features – so when you buy something colored pay attention to how it actually looks on you.

•  One reason black is always easier is because you can match it with so many things. But I find that if you buy neutral skirts that aren’t black, you can use them just as you would black – while making for a much more satisfying outfit. Examples are eggplant, gray, navy, and dark green skirts.

 Outfit #1 - Picture this yellow sweater with a black skirt…

 Outfit #3 - Picture this printed top with black accessories…