The Most Divisive Colour Is Back in Fashion

You see pink as practically a neutral, head-to-toe red as something that will inevitably come during the A/W 17 season and yellow as the hue to buy a summer dress in, but purple? Well, that's another story, isn't it? For some reason, this colour—once the most regal and sought-after of shades—has been edged out of fashion. The last time it was popular, as I recall it, was when I shopped at Tammy Girl aged 12. We were experiencing Peak Britney Spears and wearing pedal pushers that were probably lilac rather than deep gemstone purple. It's one of those brights that divides a crowd, but with our colour-blocking skills at an all-time high, it's no big shock that designers have landed on it as the next trend to try.

From Balenciaga to Preen, purple has been powering up the runways. Stores like Mango have already responded to the coming colour trend, putting violet dresses and accessories within their summer offerings. The punchy hue is yet to fill our social media feeds in the same way that, say, orange has on Pinterest, but we predict that it's only a matter of time. And a matter of getting used to wearing it, which is why we've pulled together a handy how-to.

Here's what you should wear purple with now, if you think you're up for the challenge.

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1. Purple tailoring is the perfect tomboy option.
(Image credit: Style du Monde)

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2. Deep purple with white looks clean and modern.
(Image credit: Style du Monde)

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3. Go tonal in lilac; then ground with black leather.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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4. Pick one purple dress, and let it do the talking.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Related: Revealed: The Best Colours to Wear for Your Skin Tone

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5. Nervous? Just add a jolt of purple via accessories.
(Image credit: Style du Monde)

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6. Deep purple and bright red are the dream colour team.
(Image credit: Rex)

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7. Purple works well into winter with black and dark prints.
(Image credit: The Urban Spotter)

Shop our purple picks:

Related: 6 Colours That Always Look Incredible on Blondes

Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the editor in chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits.

Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.