Q. Hi Jordan! I’m going to a wedding this June with my boyfriend and his family. He just bought me a pair of shoes (unheard of for him!) and he is SO proud that he picked them out that I just have to wear them in front of his family. Any ideas for a great dress/color palette that would go with cobalt shoes and make a great impression on his family?
A. What a nice guy! And that’s really sweet of you to build an outfit around the shoes he bought you. I can tell already that his family is going to love you.
You know, I have a pair of shoes that are sort of purple-cobalt, but I didn’t wear them a ton for the first year I had them because I wasn’t entirely sure what they went with, until I realized that the answer is…kind of anything. And the bolder the choice, the more the shoes will stand out and get raves. I actually wore my shoes to Fashion Week, which isn’t a place where I tend to be the most well-heeled person around by any stretch of the imagination…and I couldn’t take three steps without being interviewed (yes, interviewed) about them.
Summary: cobalt shoes are good.
POSSIBLE PALETTE PAIRINGS
This dress is pretty wedding-perfect, if you ask me – demure enough to be appropriate to wear around your boyfriend’s family, but super-fashionable (especially with your new shoes!). It’s DVF and so fairly pricey, but a pretty, reasonably-priced black-and-white dress shouldn’t be too tough to find.
Some more options for you:
L to R: Banana Republic ($98), C. Luce ($69), The Limited ($90)
Those aren’t too bad, right? I especially love the C. Luce in the center, maybe with a pale gray wrap (a little more unexpected than black or white) to cover up a bit in the evening.
Silver and rose are pretty, subtle options to pair with your cobalt – just make sure that the shade you choose isn’t too pale, lest you veer into wearing-white-at-another-woman’s-wedding territory. One note: in my opinion, pale shades like these are worth spending a little more money on, because a cheap cut and/or fabric are tougher to get away with when you’re dealing with such light colors.
L to R: Ports 1961 ($368 on sale), Banana Republic ($198), DVF ($385), French Connection ($328)
And finally, you could try my favorite idea: a super-bold citrus hue. Orange, pomegranate, and mustard shades will all look spectacular with cobalt shoes, and get you big fashionista points. Just make sure to keep your accessories simple so that the focus stays on the color pairing and the whole look doesn’t become overwhelming.
L to R: Asos ($134), Antik Batik ($173), Asos ($43), Romeo & Juliet ($150)
Hope that helps! Enjoy the wedding.
More cobalt shoes for the rest of us:
Clockwise from far left: Gucci, Nine West ($140), Kate Spade ($328), Jessica Simpson ($80), Dolce Vita ($150), BCBGeneration ($98), BCBG ($80 and a decent ringer for those Guccis, no?), BCBG ($115)
