Learning to Love Orange

February 24, 2017 | Filed in: Your Closet

Orange is a divisive color, often met with an all-or-nothing approach: You’ve either deemed it your signature color (it warms your complexion so nicely!) or you make sure to keep a ten-foot distance at all times (you don’t want to look jaundiced, thanks).

However, we’re going big with orange in this season’s collection, The Fine Line. From a sleek V-neck to contrast lining to a lightweight wool scarf, we’ve incorporated various shades of umber, terracotta, and burnt sienna in ways that are both bold and subtle. The verdict? Call us orange evangelists: Even some of the staunchest anti-orange souls have found a piece (or three) that works for them. Read on for their conversion stories.

Lesley, Social Media Manager 

Lesley wears the Crawford top in galaxy blue and the Cobble Hill skirt in burnt sienna.

Orange outlook: I grew up hating the color orange because I associated it with the University of Tennessee, and my parents are big Kentucky fans. Then, towards the end of college, I got really into warm tones: wearing them, and also surrounding myself with them. I remember buying an orange sweater and realizing how much I loved the deep, rusty shade. Now it’s my favorite color. Some people think those with fair skin should stay away from colors with yellow in them, but I find it’s actually very flattering.

Why it works: Orange is easier to wear than people think. It pairs well with a lot of colors, and adds a nice pop to an otherwise neutral palette. I also think it looks great with denim.

How to wear it: The piping on the Crawford shirt matches subtly with the Cobble Hill skirt in the burnt sienna color. The skirt is definitely a more formal piece, but you can dress it down with a chambray shirt or a simple tank top.

Matilda, Product Developer 

Matilda wears the Stanton cardigan in umber melange, the Fitzgerald tunic in ivory, and the Foster pant in monsoon.

Orange outlook: I don’t own a lot of orange, but I don’t shy away from it, either. Orange makes me feel warm. I think of it as a spring and summer color, but it also lends itself well to fall.

Why it works: To be honest, I was surprised by how much I liked the orange pieces in our latest collection, because I wouldn’t have thought to put them together myself. The deep umber color of the Stanton cardigan can be worn with a ton of things. It has rich brown undertones, rather than being bright and loud. It’s a lot more stylish than I would have predicted.

How to wear it: It’s nice having an orange cardigan, because it feels like an accent piece—it suddenly pulls together an otherwise uneventful outfit.

Makenna, Stylist

Makenna wears the Barton shirt in burnt sienna and the Foster pant in midnight blue.

Orange outlook: I normally wouldn’t wear it, but it’s growing on me. You’ll typically see me wearing all black, but the little pops of orange in our new pieces have inspired me to start incorporating more color into my wardrobe.

Why it works: I was afraid the Barton shirt would wash me out, but the burnt sienna color is surprisingly flattering on my fair skin; I think it brings out the olive undertones.

How to wear it: If you’re orange-averse, I like that some of our new pieces incorporate the color in subtle details, like piping. And this particular shade is great for recent converts, because it isn’t in-your-face. 

Nadia, Senior Associate of Retail Operations

Nadia wears the Deneuve top in burnt sienna and the Greenpoint skirt in russet.

Orange outlook: I’ve always loved orange and gravitated towards it. When I was little, I went to a henna party in Bangladesh, where I’m from. We had to wear clothing in colors similar to henna, and from that day on I became obsessed with that rich, mustardy shade.

Why it works: I tend to wear autumn colors, like greens and oranges, because they pair well with my skin tone. There’s this fear that if you wear orange and black, you’ll look like Halloween, but I don’t think that’s true—orange can be worn as a neutral, year-round. I think of it as my replacement for khaki.

How to wear it: I usually wear orange as an accent color or accessory. I have tons of orange scarves. I also wear it for special occasions, like an orange dress at a wedding. The Deneuve top in burnt sienna is a slightly darker shade than I normally wear, but it’s still versatile enough to wear all the time.