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

Mustard yellow is intriguing.

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

It is found in particular on tops: t-shirt, sweater, shirt.

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

Here is the item of clothing in question:

Teca Mustard Shirt ,Portuguese Flannel

It's the kind of color that you say to yourself that there's a way to do something with it but without really knowing what.

Here are my tips for making it your own.

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

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

We are referring here to a panel of yellows tending towards ocher:

Yellow is a rather warm color.

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

Styling Tips

What matters most is choosing the right colors.

1. Colors to avoid

I do not recommend 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 entire outfit (top and bottom) is quite visually aggressive.

A bit too many strong colors 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 brings out the yellow 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 rely on gray .

White as well as 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, respecting a few simple rules:

• Choose a rather dark shade
• Do not hesitate to place it far from the shirt : on shoes for example
• Don't wear green and burgundy on an outfit that already includes a yellow shirt. Only 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 pretty well in his Panache video on the cargo ship :

We can note in this look that the shirt is worn tucked into the pants and that a brown belt separates the two garments quite clearly.

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

Outfit suggestions

Outfit 1: we're off to a good start

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

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

The wool overshirt is dark green . If the green was 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 little character.

This character is welcome with the raw jeans and the wool overshirt.

Outfit 2: sportswear style

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

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

This is why I chose a sweatshirt which will cover the shirt and whose gray color will soften it. You can let the shirt stick out at the bottom.

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

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

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

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

Outfit 3: chic layering

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

Here's a slightly dressier outfit.

The turtleneck goes under the shirt. Yes, it’s an original association .

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

Plus, 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 pretty houndstooth pattern. It is a visually rich material and color.

The shoes are called half-width 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 like the contrast between this bright yellow and the black of the leather perfecto , very intense.

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

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