How to Wear Yellow: The Guy's Guide to a More Colorful Closet

Prime your closet for more color with this series of guides for bold shades. The team at SG HQ is breaking down how to wear stylish hues (like yellow!) with easy color combinations and outfit ideas.

Yellow is one of those colors that can feel tricky to incorporate into your wardrobe (apart from a rain slicker, anyway), but don’t give up so fast! The sunny hue is surprisingly versatile. Plus, spring is a great time to incorporate it into your wardrobe.

Below, learn how to wear yellow in more outfits:

What colors go with yellow

Luckily, you’ve got plenty of color combinations to work with when it comes to yellow: it looks great when paired with sage, light blue, pink, and even lavender. You can combine shades through color-blocking, or mixed into patterns.

Just like there are few things as refreshing as a glass of cold lemonade on a warm day, there are few colors that refresh your wardrobe like splashing it with a dose of yellow.

How to find a yellow that suits you

Those of you with warmer skin tones, take note: a bright lemon-y yellow is your color. For you, this shade really pops. When you have lighter to fair skin, a mustard or dark yellow will best complement your coloring. Pastel yellow can work on you as well, but make sure you don’t end up looking washed you out. For those with darker skin tones, congratulations! You can wear pretty much any yellow, from light to dark.

How to wear yellow

You can wear yellow in a foundational piece of an outfit (as in, a sweater or pants) or as an accent (hello-o-o-o fun socks!). As the weather warms up, a pair of laid-back shorts or a linen shirt in bright or muted yellow will look and feel just right.

Just remember: Yellow is a “one and done” color. Wear only one piece at a time in the shade, or you’ll wind up looking like the Man in the Yellow Hat from Curious George. That’s a look best left for Halloween.

If incorporating yellow feels like too much for you, start small with doses of yellow in a tie, pocket square, or socks.

// How to Wear Yellow at the Office //

 SG Says: For a more formal workplace, incorporate yellow in your accessories for a subtle injection of color without going overboard.

// How to Wear Yellow on the Weekend //

SG Says: In the summer, a seersucker shirt in yellow and white pairs nicely with sage or army green chinos and a colorful, nautically-inspired bracelet on your wrist.

SG Says: When the temperature drops, yellow is still a great outfit option. Swap out the seersucker for a sweatshirt in a deeper shade and a heavy fabric. Add some hiking boots and dark denim, and you’re good to go.

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Ready to add some more color to your closet?

If we’ve convinced you it’s time to level up your color game, but you dread the thought of shopping for new clothes… Why not let Team SG shop for you?

Let us rescue you from shopping fatigue and sartorial apathy. With our online personal shopping service, we can promise the kind of dedicated attention that will make you feel like the best, most stylish version of the awesome guy you already are! We’ll also help you figure out how to wear your new clothes with the things you already own.

If you’re ready for a shopping plan that’ll save you time, energy, and your sanity, give us a shout.

Our Spring Style Guide was presented in partnership with Uniqlo USA. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Style Girlfriend possible!