Color-Blocking With ‘A Dictionary of Color Combinations’

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Viv Chen

This past winter, I was browsing Pegasus Books in Berkeley when a book the size of a Glossier bubble-wrap pouch caught my eye. Intrigued by the color-blocked cover art overlaid with Japanese characters, I picked it up. The English title read A Dictionary of Color Combinations, by Sanzo Wada. I flipped it open and was hit with instant chromatic euphoria — pages of vivid color swatches tickled my brain in the best way. As someone whose style has always revolved around niche, highly specific color pairings (think lacquer red, kelly green, kabocha orange), I knew this book was coming home with me.

Since then, this book has been popping up everywhere. Fashion insiders like Corinne Fay, Em Seely-Katz, and Heather Hurst have recently referenced the book on their platforms. It’s part of a bigger wave of color-combo mania: Currently, there are over 19 million search results on TikTok under the book’s title, mostly featuring creators who use it as a guide to getting dressed. So why are we experiencing a surge of interest in wearing color? I think it comes down to beige fatigue. We’re tired of the neutral minimalism that’s dominated fashion (ahem, “quiet luxury” and “clean girl” aesthetics, I’m looking at you!). The pendulum has swung toward pigment, and I’m totally here for it.

For a few months now, I’ve been using this book as a color-combo cheat sheet of sorts. I’ve learned how to wear specific shades of red and green together so I don’t end up looking like a Christmas tree. Never wonder what to wear with chartreuse or violet ever again — this book has all the answers. In Sanzo Wada we trust.

The brand I’ve had the most success with for colorful basics is Le Bon Shoppe. Everyone loves its socks (my entire sock drawer is bursting with them), but don’t sleep on its tees and pants. Its cotton tees come in relaxed, vintage-inspired cuts in colors like sea green and dried rose. Its Arc Pant is a frequently mentioned item in Substack chats like mine and Harling Ross’s Gumshoe.

Loup is the answer to the elevated work-from-home sweatshirt that comes in punchy shades. I have one in purple, and I want to style it with brown pants for a peanut-butter-and-jelly-inspired outfit.

Brooke Callahan’s whole website looks like a page out of the color-combinations book. Consider this sweet little scoop top or the best-selling tie pant.

For sexier basics in saturated colors, look no further than the El Tigre tops and bodysuits from Gil Rodriguez.

Lastly, I think everyone should own a cozy knit in their favorite color. Mine is ugly-chic green, à la Prada, and this wool cardigan from Toast is a nice variant.

Photo: Viv Chen

Step 1: Choose one colorful item from your closet you would like to style but often get stuck on. For example, I’ve got this amazing orange Issey Miyake dress with a bubble print. It’s one of my most cherished vintage pieces, but it’s admittedly tricky to style with other colors because the pattern is so bold. In the past, I’ve worn it as a stand-alone piece rather than getting funky with layering.

Step 2: Since I am working with an orange dress, I’m looking for combinations (in sets of twos, threes, or fours) that include orange. So flip open the book, or use this handy online tool that has all 348 combinations catalogued. I find this so helpful because you can visualize how these colors will look without having to rummage through your clothes.

Step 3: Pick a color combination, and bring it to life with pieces from your closet! For example, I would never think to pair orange and teal, but I was actually very pleased with the results once I nailed the right mix of textures, patterns, and materials. A pair of ribbed teal socks was the perfect pop to bring out the blue in the dress, while a fuzzy angora knit dressed the look down.

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