Wearing yellow means brighter days for everyone

Celebs on the red carpet have gone nuts over yellow lately, but you don’t have to be famous to pull off this bright look. Here are some easy tips to help you look your best in yellow!

Wearing yellow is as easy as (lemon) pie as long as you keep a few things in mind. The key to looking good in yellow is making sure you wear the right shade of yellow for your skin tone.

In general, yellow is big in three shades: a buttery pastel yellow, bright canary yellow, and a more sophisticated shade of marigold.

Butter soft

Butter yellow, in my opinion, is the hardest color to pull off. If you’re pale skinned, it can easily make you look washed out. While it looks great on anyone with a nice medium tan, a buttery dress can also be too much contrast for darker skin tones.

Luckily, accessories are always the exception to the rule: if you have dark hair, a pale yellow hat or headband can look very pretty — and a buttery tote or pair of sandals is another way you can’t miss.

If you’re more daring and want to go for a full pale yellow ensemble, it can be done even if you have lily white skin. Cate Blanchett, for example, pulled off this feat when she was dubbed the best-dressed at the 2005 Oscars. Her pale yellow Valentino gown exactly matched her hair color and was stunning! Notice that she also wore a crimson sash and bright lips to break up the color.

Cool canary

Canary yellow is a color that scares many women, but it actually looks great on everyone! The key is to contrast the yellow with color, and white is the natural choice. Whether you chose a hot twist on nautical — a yellow and white striped top or dress — or boldly wore solid yellow, you can tone down the effect by choosing lots of white accessories. A white chunky necklace, bracelet, white sandals, white bag, or even mod white shades will add a little Palm Beach poshness to your look and give you the confidence to go forth in the brightest of yellows.

Another way to tame the color is to have your yellow dresses shot through with silver thread, or worn with lots of silver accessories. This combo is perfect for summer, and a good way to show off a tan.

Tiptoe through the… marigolds

Marigold is an interesting color, and it’s this darker shade of golden yellow that we’re most likely going to see moving into the year. It’s a great color to wear at the end of summer, and lots of breezy linen and print marigold dresses are starting to pop up for just this occasion.

This mustardy hue is also a sophisticated color, and looks beautiful in formal shiny charmeuse silk dresses for parties and red carpet occasions.

Marigold is a heavenly shade on olive and darker skin tones, and stars like Eva Mendes have already rocked the red carpet wearing marigold with great success.

Be careful if you are pale, though, because it can give you a jaundice cast. If you want to wear a solid marigold dress, a navy sweater or wrap is a good way to break the color up near your face.

Mary Jo’s tips on wearing yellow:

1. Figure out the best shade of yellow for your skin tone before you hit the stores.
2. If you want to wear solid yellow, use white or silver accessories to neutralize the brightness.
3. If all else fails, pick up some fun yellow accessories in the form of totes, hats, belts, etc.

Whichever shade you ultimately choose — know that you’re not alone. Come take a peek at celebrities stylin’ in yellow on the red carpet!