Accessorizing Formalwear with Color

As I mentioned in a recent Weekend Reads, I love awards shows, including the Emmys, which took place recently. My favorite look from the evening was also the person whose speech I loved the most—Candice Bergen. I love how she was accessorizing formalwear with color.

Bergen's look is a favorite because it's really easily translated into real life. It consists of a formal dress that isn't black and an unexpected earring that elevates the entire look. With a sparkly dress and statement earrings in a contrast yet complementary color, it had such a beautiful yet powerful effect that there was no need for fancy makeup or hair.

I often write about what to wear as a wedding guest or to formal events, but I find from your comments and emails that the hardest thing isn't necessarily finding the occasionwear look but knowing how to accessorize it.

If you look at Candice Bergen's Emmy look, she paired a brown/bronze sequined dress with turquoise earrings. The dress was sparkly, so the earrings were not. The dress, while sequined, was a very simple design. In contrast, the earrings were decorative and added interest. The whole look was about balance and proportion and complementary colors.

The default for formalwear is black for shoes and bags and crystal/diamond sparkle for jewelry. While these options still work, a way to modernize your look is to pair color with color. If this sounds overwhelming, there is a tool out there that makes choosing complementary color combinations quite simple: a color wheel.

Accessorizing Formalwear with a Color Wheel

You may have used a color wheel at another time in your life—in art class, when picking curtains for your newly painted dining room, or possibly when conducting a color analysis. It is a classic tool, but using it for style, especially for formalwear, can create a very modern yet stylish effect.

Find the color of your garment on the color wheel, and the color directly opposite is a perfect complementary color. For this article, I am focusing on earrings as an accessory for formalwear, but this advice can be used for shoes, bags, and even cosmetics.

You can find a variety of color wheels online, you can also purchase color wheels to have at the ready when shopping or coordinating items in your closet.

The key is using the complementary color for ONE item. Earrings, or bag, or shoes, or bracelet. When you incorporate too many pieces of the color, the sophisticated and modern aspect disappears. For the accessories not in the complementary color, consider a neutral or metallic close to your skintone, or when it is fall and winter, black is still a solid choice.

Examples of Complementary Colors for Accessorizing Formalwear

Below I share a few formal and cocktail looks with contrasting earrings to provide some inspiration. You can also take these color combinations and use them for work and weekend attire. Playing with color like this can extend your existing wardrobe and breathe life into your closet.

Orange with Blue

Shop the Collage:
one-shoulder dress | long-sleeved sheath dress | two-tone maxi shirtdress
flower earrings | turquoise and yellow crystal earrings | blue and green drop earrings | turquoise three-stone earrings

While Candice Bergen was wearing bronze, it is still a color that is complemented by shades of blue. Choosing lighter blues, or blues tinged with green will prevent you from looking so much like a sports team and opens up so many more semi-precious stones and crystals that are available for purchase (or may be in your jewelry box right now).

Green with Pink

Shop the collage:
green satin dress | green sheath | green velvet dress
orange and pink earrings | pink drop earrings | pink and purple multi-stone earrings | dark pink flower earrings | light pink flower earrings

Green and pink can read preppy, it is also the color combination of the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha (as well as Panhellenic sororities like Kappa Gamma). But pink and green are complementary colors that can make quite a statement when one is the accent and the other is the main story. Also, you can play with shades of pink and green to get the vibe that feels right for you.

Dark green is a big color this season, and with the holidays around the corner, you may be considering a green look for a winter gala or other event. To keep from looking like a Christmas tree, consider pairing your green ensemble with a pop of pink, from baby to berry.

Purple with Green

Shop the collage:
lace dress | one shoulder dress | belted dress
three stone earrings | two-stone earrings | crystal hoops

I remember when dressing for an awards ceremony in middle school, my mom loaned me her jade green bead necklace to wear with my purple outfit as they were opposites on the color wheel. It looked great then, and looks great now. Green is an unexpected combo with shades of purple but gives a very elevated and sophisticated effect.

Blue with Orange

Shop the collage:
navy satin wrap dress | teal off the shoulder dress (link to plus) | blue pleated dress
orange “feather” earrings | small carnelian drop earrings | multi-stone earrings | flower earrings

You do not need dangle earrings or a sequined dress to look stylish in occasionwear. This contrast can also be done with smaller earrings (including clip-ons), with lipstick, with glasses, with your bag, your nails. The key is to veer from the classic clear crystal/CZ/diamond sparkle earrings or the matching earrings. These are old style rules, and in the 2020s, breaking a style rule elevates the chicness of an ensemble.

Brown with Blue

Shop the collage:
chiffon wrap dress | one-shoulder dress | cape-top shorter dress
two-stone blue earrings | four-stone dangle earrings | turquoise multi-stone earrings | green and blue earrings | three-stone turquoise earrings

Just like Candice Bergen, shades of brown and copper look fantastic with shades of turquoise, aquamarine, and blue. This is a great concept for those who are mothers of the married and need to wear a neutral but want a bit of interest to jazz up their gown. This is a great combo come spring to style tan and khaki and a way to wear turquoise jewelry in a modern manner.

Red with Gold

Shop the collage:
jumpsuit | sequin dress | midi dress
three-ball earrings | teal and gold earrings | flower earrings | multi-stone earrings

Red can be styled with a range of colors, but the wrong tone or shade and it can feel like a costume. Red and green are directly across on the color wheel and that can feel extremely Christmas, but veering towards the blue or the yellow can feel more modern. Here, I chose gold which feels formal and lets the red sing.

Get Candice Bergen's Emmy Look

Shop the collage:
Top row: one | two | three | four | five
Bottom row: six | seven | eight | nine | ten

Since we're talking about Candice Bergen's Dolce & Gabbana sequined dress, you may wish for one of your own. Having sleeves and length to keep you warm in the winter, this is an elegant look and way to look formal without having to show legs, cleavage, or wear heels or a complicated bra. As for earrings, consider some of the ones in the collage above and finish the look with black or metallic shoes and hair and makeup that make you feel confident and true to yourself!