5 Tips for How to Wear Green

The Psychology of the Color Green

Before we jump right into how to wear green, let’s pause for a moment and consider the psychology of the color green. That is, what emotions does the color green evoke? What does the color green symbolize? What is the meaning of the color green?

Well, let’s start with you… How does the color green make you feel? 

In general, green is associated with nature, and thus it evokes a sense of vitality and well-being. Green conjures up ideas of health and wellness. It’s restful, soothing, and cheerful. Green symbolizes growth and optimism and movement forward.

Just think of all the green items in your daily life! Traffic signals, trees, grass, leaves, vegetables, plants… I could go on and on, but you get the picture. There’s nothing lazy or lethargic about green! Onward and upward, so to speak!

Green is natural. Green is positive. Green is growth. Green is fresh. Green is alive!

Tips For Wearing Green

Here are five abiding (and alliterative!) allotments of advice to consider for wearing green…

1. Choose Complementary Colors

Complementary colors (those colors opposite on the color wheel) are usually a good idea from a color harmony standpoint.

But in this case, with red being green’s complementary color, that combination should be avoided for the most part (except in the month of December) for the obvious Christmas vibes it invokes.

The way to work around this is to vary your shades. So play around with shades other than Christmas tree green and Santa Claus red, and you might stumble onto something fun and unexpected! This dress and this headband both illustrate this color combination beautifully – in a “non-Christmas” way.

2. Freshen it up with Fun Florals

Florals for spring? Groundbreaking, right?

But really, what goes together better than florals and greenery? They are a natural fit together! Create a spring-ready look by pulling in florals with green to create a fresh spring look. After all, the whole world is abloom in spring. So why not add some blooms to your outfit?

This can be accomplished via a floral shirt, for example, or accessories, such as the scarf I wrapped around my waist in the above photos. My favorite way to wear springy florals is in the form of a dress – like this one, this one, or this one.

Carrie’s look: MDS Stripes Peasant Dress and Floral Scarf

3. Attempt the Analogous Angle

Analogous color combos are those combinations of colors that are adjacent to one another on the color wheel. These combos create natural color harmony. For green, yellow and blue are its analogous colors.

And this doesn’t have to necessarily mean that the colors are next to each other in the particular piece of clothing/outfit you’re wearing; it could simply be a combination of them throughout your look.

As you can see above, the MDS Stripes dress on the left does the work for you with all the colors already in the pattern, and in the look on the right in my Halston Heritage dress, she did this by way of her accessories. If you want to let an accessory do the analogous color mixing for you, this scarf is a great option!

Carrie’s looks: MDS Stripes Tiered Tank Dress and J.Crew Cardigan / Halston Heritage Cold Shoulder Ruffle Dress

4. Bring the Black & Go for the Gold

Style a darker green with black and gold accents to create a mature, sophisticated look. This color palette exudes serious, almost somber, vibes, lending itself well to business meetings and other professional settings.

You can try this with your accessories, such as gold bracelets or gold earrings, or in the way of a beautiful dress.

Carrie’s look : MICHAEL Michael Kors printed chiffon dress

5. Ponder the Power of Pastels

For a more relaxed vibe, opt for pairing your green with pastel hues. This can allow for a more casual look, too, especially if you pair your look with sneakers.

Think soft pinks and blues. Against the crisp, bold color of green, it’s a beautiful contrast and makes for a refreshing, delightful color combination. In fact, when I think of this color combination, I think of Lilly Pulitzer.

Carrie’s look: Sacai shirtdress and Golden Goose sneakers

Green Street Style

Now, let’s take it to the streets!

We loved finding inspiration photos of how some of our favorite fashionable women have worn green. Some head to toe, some just in their accessories, and some with other colors. Keep on scrolling to see!

Images borrowed from: Atlantic-Pacific / Collage Vintage / Garance Dore / Harper’s Bazaar /  Style Charade / StyleCaster / The Style Scribe / Vogue Mexico / Vogue Spain    

How You Can Wear Green

If you don’t own any green (or even if you do!), we recommend adding it to your wardrobe. We love the color, especially this time of year when the flowers are going to soon start to bloom. It’s truly perfect for spring (and well beyond St. Patrick’s Day).

Keep on scrolling for some of our favorite green pieces you can shop right here.

Bonus + Your Thoughts

For even more tips on wearing green, check out our how to wear mint green article. Believe it or not, this article is one of our oldest yet most popular posts ever!

Fun fact: if you search for “how to wear green”,  we are number one on Google! So, let’s keep that going. Share this article with any of your friends who want to avoid getting pinched on St. Patrick’s Day!

So, do you own any green pieces? Anything you’re eyeing from above? What do you typically wear on St. Patrick’s Day? Let us know in the comments below and have a great rest of your day!