The Meanings of Pink and Red

Before we get into how to wear the colors, let’s first talk about the psychology behind pink and red…

Red is the most alive and powerful color on the spectrum, constantly in motion and demanding recognition. It conveys a message of power, presence, and sensuality. Is it ideal for a first date color? Perhaps in a lipstick, yes, but red can be too forward for a first meeting. The deeper the red, the safer it is as a first meeting option. Think berry, burgundy, or brick red.

As for pink, messages and meanings vary depending on how vibrant or muted the shade of pink is. Soft and light pinks translate as friendly, warm, approachable, and trustworthy. Bright pinks carry the strength of red but translate as fun loving, energetic, and more approachable.

Now, let’s talk about how to wear pink and red. Keep reading for seven practical ideas…

7 Ideas for Wearing Pink and Red Together

1. Be bold with red pieces

Invest in a bold red dress. which is a classic and versatile wardrobe staple. Keep the other items neutral in cream, camel, or gray. Then, bring in a pop of pink with your jewelry — either a necklace or earrings perhaps.

2. Stay saturated or move to muted

When mixing red and pink, go either all-out vivid with hot pink and electric red or move towards the muted tones like baby pink and soft rosy red. Stay in the same realm of saturation.

3. Start small with subtle sizes

For subtle doses of color, wear a patterned scarf in pink and red tones. Try either pink nails or red nails. Finish your look with a bold red lipstick or bright pink lipstick. Expert tip: don’t be afraid to mix the two colors – pink lip with red nails and vice versa.

4. Work it into your wardrobe warmly

If you’d like to bring this bold color combo into a conservative office place, here’s an idea… Infuse pink and red into your work wardrobe with a mauve top and deep brick red shoes and handbag. In other words, go for warmer shades rather than the bold versions of red and pink. The other option is to work in a neutral like navy.

5. Think two-thirds, one-third

When you are pairing two saturated hues, think about making two-thirds of your look one color, and the other third the other color. This red and pink color-blocked dress is a great example of that. This proportion of color-blocking works so much better than a 50/50 color split.

6. Consider color for casual date night

For date night, wear a red and pink t-shirt with distressed denim. Add jewelry, a bag, and fun heels – and you’re ready to go!

7. Brace for bold blocking

Go bold by color blocking a blouse and skirt. Or, better yet, consider a dress that has already done the colorblocking for you like this one or this one! Glossy accessories, cat eye makeup and a bold red lip or pink lip complete the look!

Take it to the Streets

As usual, we love to reiterate our tips and tricks by sharing the outfits of others. So check out the street style looks further feeding our obsession with the  red  and pink color combination.

Details on Carrie’s looks: My Milan Fashion Week Looks / Dodo Bar Or Tasseled Striped Wrap Dress / Vivetta Hearts Dress / Olivia Rubin Red and Pink Sequin Stripe Dress

Street style photos borrowed from : Society 19, Who What Wear, Atlantic-Pacific, Couturezilla, They All Hate Us, Gal Meets Glam, Pop Sugar, Man Repeller, Style Charade

How you can wear pink and red

Are you now excited for this color combo well beyond Valentine’s Day? Good news — I’ve rounded up the best red and pink options from around the internet. So many gorgeous options.

In Closing

The color combination of pink and red extends well beyond Valentine’s Day. It’s a color combination which you can wear all year round! 

If you enjoyed these tips, please feel free to share the article with your friends! One way to do so is to pin the graphic below to Pinterest.

Thanks for reading! And as always…

More color, please!

Carrie