In 2025, it’s time to forget what you know about matching. You no longer have to coordinate the color of your top with your pants or your bag with your shoes. Now, especially this summer, fashion people are experimenting with mismatched outfits, pairing bold-colored pieces with one another. And while it might sound chaotic, the surprising thing is that the outfits all look chic, individual, and elegant.
Let me explain further. Since May, I’ve seen Parisian shoppers pairing blue striped skirt sets with red Mary Janes. Even in L.A., they’ve styled dusty-blue barn jackets with powder-pink shorts. But that’s not all. It girls in NYC are swapping their usual black-on-black ensembles for other color combinations like orange and green or pink and purple.
These colorful outfit ideas showcase how people are making the color-blocking trend feel uniquely their own. Inspired? Keep scrolling because I’ve put together seven color-blocked outfits from stylish shoppers worldwide. Though they seem daring, they’re actually easy to re-create and attainable for anyone—even minimalist dressers.
Orange Top + Green Shorts + Purple Flats
Style Notes: I must say that orange with green is one of my favorite color combinations this summer. The hues are both popular and expected to stick around for fall, which means that designers such as Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Savette are leaning in, offering a selection of luxe items to help create rich ensembles. And then when you add purple on top, like purple flats against green shorts and an orange top, as shown here, it creates a winning look.
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Ancient Greek Sandals
Iro
Blue Skirt Set + Red Flats
Style Notes: In the past, red flats were seen as a bold statement, but more and more experienced shoppers are now wearing them as a neutral. That said, they can be paired with anything, even a blue striped skirt set, as shown here. This is the perfect example of a color-blocked out that reads a bit toned down thanks to the muted blue and red hues.
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Madewell
The Remy Mary Jane Flats
Blue Jacket + Pink Shorts
Style Notes: If you’re already thinking about how to add color to your fall 2025 wardrobe, take a page out of Aimee Song’s style book. A colored barn jacket paired with contrasting cotton shorts and a neutral tee is the secret to her look. To elevate it further and keep your loafers or flats looking fresh, add colored socks.
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Reformation
Callum Denim Chore Jacket
aritzia
Airplush Cotton Sail Shorts
Green Top + Pink Skirt
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Style Notes: At the 2025 Tony Awards, actress Katie Holmes put a high-fashion twist on the color-blocking trend. For the red carpet, she wore an emerald-green short-sleeve blouse with a pink embellished maxi skirt. If you saw these two pieces on a rack, you probably wouldn’t think to style them together, but that’s what makes the outfit work—the unexpectedness.
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Banana Republic
Silky Cotton Mock-Neck Top
Tibi
Summer Acetate Crinkle Maxi Slip Skirt
Purple Sweater + Red-ish Dress
Style Notes: Content creator Grece Ghanem is a color-blocking expert. A quick scroll through her Instagram page reveals endless options of colorful outfits that feel uniquely hers but are also attainable. Take this sweater and maxi dress outfit, for example. While the purple and pinkish combination may seem bold, it’s simple to re-create with pieces that suit your style.
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J.Crew
Smocked Midi Dress
Pink Sweater + Green Sweater
Style Notes: Wearing a short-sleeve sweater under a knit cardigan is an effortlessly cool styling technique, and so is choosing two opposite colors like pink and green, as shown here. I love how content creator Lucy Rae McFadin finished her look with a denim maxi skirt to add structure and contrast from its dark hue and rigid texture.
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Reformation
Clara Crewneck
Banana Republic
Lightweight Cashmere V-Neck Sweater
Pilcro
Denim Godet Midi Skirt
Red Dress + Green Bag
Style Notes: Red and green might traditionally be associated with Christmas, but fashion people are embracing this combo in their summer outfits. The key to styling these colors together and achieving a polished look is by keeping the pieces simple. This means choosing basics without patterns or embellishments. As shown here, stylist and editor Mecca James-Williams wore a simple red maxi dress with a no-frills green leather shoulder bag and casual flip-flops, creating a chic color-blocked outfit.
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MANGO
Bow Back Midi Dress
