Clothes Color Matching

One of the most common problems people have when dealing with their wardrobe lies in knowing what colors go together. Will this blue blouse work with this orange skirt? Can I pair my maroon Capri pants with a yellow blouse? (For the record, the answers to the above questions are "No" and "No".) The concept of color matching is one that some people seem to have no ability to get a handle on, while others seem to have a sixth sense about it.
However, the concept behind color coordination is simple: colors have natural associations that either strengthen or soften them. This is based on the color wheel - the graphic representation of the way colors are formed - and once you understand the color wheel, combining and matching colors into pleasing pairings becomes easy. Well, maybe not "easy" but much less mysterious.

The Color Wheel:

Every color can be broken down into combinations of two of the three primary colors, plus lightness and darkness, reflecting the intensity or faintness of the color. The three most basic colors - the primary colors - are red, blue and yellow. The addition of light and dark to these give us shades from robin's egg blue, pale pink, and butter yellow, to lapis lazuli blue, blood red, and sunflower yellow. It is from these primary colors that all other colors are formed.
When you mix any two primary colors in equal measure, you get
a secondary color. Mixing red and blue creates violet. Mixing blue and yellow creates green. Mixing yellow and red creates orange. Adding measures of light or dark to these colors creates varying shades of
the colors as well.
Tertiary colors are created by mixing a secondary color with its adjacent primary color. For example green can be mixed with blue or yellow to create blue-green or yellow-green; orange can be mixed with red or yellow to form red-orange or yellow-orange; and violet can be combined with blue and red for blue-violet and red-violet. By adjusting the amounts of the primary colors with the levels of lightness or darkness in the color, you can create any shade of color found in our universe.
Learning at least the basic layout of the color wheel is important for matching colors because doing so allows you to understand the relationship of these colors. Once you understand the relationship of the colors, you will be better able to determine how well these colors will work when paired with one another.

Color Relationships:

Now that you understand the color wheel and how colors are formed from the primary colors you can understand the two basic relationships we talk about when we look at matching colors. Primary and secondary colors that sit side-by-side on the color wheel are considered to be Analogous to one another. (Example: Blue's Analogous colors are green and violet, while orange's Analogous colors are red and yellow.) Analogous colors tend to work well with one another and often have the effect of causing each color to appear subdued.
Primary and secondary colors that are positioned opposite one another on the color wheel are considered to be Complimentary colors. Blue is Complimentary to orange. Violet is Complimentary to yellow. Red is Complimentary to green. The reverse is also true for these pairings. Complimentary colors are named such because the colors they compliment appear to stand out and seem bolder than either color appears separately.
Analogous colors make good choices for color matches when they are matched according to the levels of light and dark present in the respective colors. Complimentary colors can be paired when the goal is to create a bold statement. However, matching Complimentary colors is a very tricky business. Certain shades of Complimentary colors will not look good together, while some shades of Complimentary colors can look better than either color looks on its own.
Finally, lighter and darker shades of the same color can often look good when matched, forming a monochromatic effect.
Specific Colors and Matching Guidelines:

Matching Black and White
Matching Reds
Matching Blues
Matching Yellows
Matching Greens
Matching Violets
Matching Oranges
Combining Patterns

The idea behind color-matching is to pair colors that will flatter one another, or be pleasing to the eye when combined. By using the rules above, you can be assured of making better choices in combining the colors of clothing in your wardrobe. The result will be a better looking you in whatever situation you find yourself.

Matching Black & White

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While we call black and white colors in their own right, they are actually not. Technically speaking, white is the complete absence of color combined with a maximum of lightness. Black, on the other hand, is a combination of all colors with a maximum level of darkness. Both white and black can be combined with any color (even themselves) and work well. These "colors" are considered exceptions to the rules of color matching.

Matching Reds

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When matching reds with other colors it is easier to work with darker red shades, such as brick red. Since red has violet and orange as analogous colors, shades of these colors often work well, especially when the colors are kept away from opposing levels of light or dark.
The compliment to red is green, and can make for a reasonable color match so long as you keep the colors muted. Otherwise you create an ugly clash as the colors make one another stand out far too much, or in unpleasant ways.
Be especially cautious in attempting to match red with blues and yellows.

Matching Blues

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Matching blues is also better accomplished when you work with darker or more muted shades as opposed to bright shades. Green and violet are the analogous colors for blue and when paired in lighter shades with darker blues create nice matches.
Orange is the complimentary color for blue and when paired with blue will create an intensifying effect in the color, causing it to stand out.
Be especially cautious in attempting to match blue with shades of red and yellow.

Matching Yellows

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You should always bear in mind that yellow is always difficult to match because of the tendency of yellows to be bright. It is therefore necessary to make sure to use muted shades of yellow or else stick to pastel shades of yellow. The analogous colors to yellow are green and orange, and should also be muted or soft shades for best effect. Avoid going for dark shades of the analogous color to prevent making the yellow appear even brighter than it is already.
The compliment to yellow is violet, and must be treated with special care because of the intensifying effect of the complimentary color match. In the case of yellow-violet matches, try to keep one color restricted to the status of accent color to prevent either color from being overpowering.
Be especially cautious in attempting to match yellow with red and blue shades.

Matching Greens

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As mentioned with other colors, the key to matching green with other colors is selecting the proper shade of green. If you use a shade of green found in nature nearly any color will work with it. The analogous colors of blue and yellow look good paired with green, especially when the colors are paired according to levels of lightness and dark.
The compliment to green is red, and this color also works well, provided the colors remain within the natural spectrum. However, when you attempt to match overly bright or intense shades of these two colors, an unpleasant clash will occur.
The same caution should be used when attempting to match green with violets and oranges.

Matching Violets

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Matching violet works along the same lines as matching blue. In other words, you should use darker or more muted shades of violet. The blue and red shades analogous to violet work best when kept at or near the same levels of light and dark, especially when violet is the "darkest" color being used.
Yellow, as a complimentary color to violet, can work when you can keep the yellow shade pale or muted to prevent an unfortunate clash.
Be especially careful when pairing violet with green and orange.

Matching Oranges

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Orange is another hazardous color for matching because of its tendency to be bright and somewhat garish. Keeping the shade of orange muted will help. Match orange with pale or muted shades of it analogous colors, red and yellow.
The compliment to orange is blue, and must always be kept subdued to prevent clashing colors.
Be especially cautious in attempting to match orange with green and violet.