How to wear a mustard yellow shirt? – CDL#89

Mustard yellow intrigues.

It is an original color and rather flattering for the retina.

It is found in particular on tops: t-shirts, sweaters, shirts.

Vincent, a reader, recently asked us about such a shirt:

Here is the garment in question:

Teca Mustard Shirt ,Portuguese Flannel

It's the kind of color that you think you can do something with, but you don't really know what.

Here are my tips to help you make the most of it.

Analysis of the piece: What makes it difficult to wear?

Not too much suspense here: it's the color, yellow, that's not basic.

We are referring here to a range of yellows tending towards ochre:

Yellow is a rather warm color.

We will see how we can calm him down or supplement him.

Style tips

The most important thing is to choose the right colors.

1. Colors to avoid

I advise against wearing other very strong or very bright colors such as orange, pink, electric blue, tomato red.

And even more so on pants, because in this case, the whole outfit (top and bottom) is quite visually aggressive.

A little too many strong colours here

2. The colors to favor

Blue is your first ally. It softens the yellow and complements it.

Black is a good option too. The contrast is strong and makes the yellow stand out well.

Brown , rather dark, will also work. We will avoid combining black and brown in the same outfit.

For the neutrality option, you can always count on gray .

White, ecru or cream also have their place. I'm thinking of the white t-shirt under the shirt for example, which works every time:

Photo from COS

Here are three complete outfits applying the principles mentioned:

Blue, white and brown accompany the shirt. Everything is fine

An inspiring casual outfit spotted on Albam

Black calms things down nicely. Shirt found on Mr.Porter

3. The case of green and burgundy

You can wear green or burgundy with yellow, by following a few simple rules:

• Choose a rather dark shade
• Don't hesitate to place it away from the shirt : on shoes for example
• Don't wear green and burgundy over an outfit that already includes a yellow shirt. Just one of these two colors is enough.

4. The case of beige

I'm rather hesitant about combining beige and yellow because I find the colors a little too close , which makes it more difficult to read the silhouette.

That being said, Jordan did it and quite well in his Panache video on the cargo ship :

We can see in this look that the shirt is worn tucked into the pants and that a brown belt separates the two items of clothing quite clearly.

Let's just say it's not an easy association .

Outfit suggestions

Outfit 1: we start on a good basis

Maison Cornichon T-shirt, Cotton Society overshirt, Edwin jeans, Sawa sneakers

A simple outfit to start with: a white t-shirt and raw jeans accompany the mustard shirt.

The wool overshirt is dark green . If the green were too bright, the top of the silhouette would be harder to read, with two fairly strong colors side by side.

Finally, I chose white sneakers but in a not too refined shape : the few details present on this pair of Sawa (contrasting stripe on the side, stitching on the upper, logo on the tongue) give it a bit of character.

This character is welcome with raw denim and a wool overshirt.

Outfit 2: sportswear style

Save Khaki United sweatshirt, BonneGueule jeans and raincoat , Aigle sneakers

As mentioned in the previous part, one can choose to wear a mustard yellow shirt without showing it too much.

That's why I chose a sweatshirt that will cover the shirt and whose gray color will soften it. You can let the shirt hang out at the bottom.

Then I think of a nice washed pair of jeans . The combination with the heather gray sweatshirt is simple and effective.

On the feet, we have more original sneakers : the upper is khaki (brown green) and the sole which rises slightly is olive green.

These visually stronger shoes have their place because they are kept away from the shirt and separated by two neutral garments : blue pants and a gray sweater.

Finally, to protect yourself from the elements, put on a gray raincoat , darker than the sweatshirt to create a little contrast.

Outfit 3: Chic layering

Turtleneck From Future , Suitsupply pants, Officine Générale jacket, Meermin derby

Here's a slightly more dressy outfit.

The turtleneck goes under the shirt. Yes, it's an original combination .

I could have chosen gray but I prefer to leave this color to the pants, in wool flannel.

In addition, this deep green goes perfectly with the brown of the jacket and shoes.

The jacket is unstructured, in a wool that I suspect is tweed , and has a lovely houndstooth pattern. It's a visually rich material and color.

The shoes are called half-hunt and have a beautiful, slightly marbled brown color.

Outfit 4: Like a Rock

Falcon Garments jacket, Nudie jeans, Pete Sorensen boots

This last look is more unexpected.

I love the contrast between this bright yellow and the black of the leather perfecto , very intense.

I then choose a pair of faded black jeans , to provide a slight contrast with the jacket.

On my feet, black leather boots would have been the easy option. But I decided to go a little further: I stuck with the idea of ​​ankle boots but in tobacco suede leather . This medium brown makes an interesting bridge between the colors light and dark of this outfit .