The three-colour rule for outfits, explained simply

What counts as a colour

People apply the rule in slightly different ways, which is where most confusion comes from. These are the usual conventions.

• Neutrals. Black, white, grey, navy, beige and denim are often left out of the count, or counted as one. A white, navy and red outfit can be seen as one colour on two neutrals.
• Shades of one colour. Light and dark blue together usually count as one colour family.
• Prints. A print counts by its main colour, or by the two colours that stand out from a distance. The small accent colours inside it do not each count.
• Accessories. Shoes, bags and jewellery count if they are in a strong colour. Metal tones and plain neutrals do not.
• A hijab or scarf. Counts, since it sits next to the face and draws the eye.

Applying it to a kameez, trousers and dupatta

A three-piece suit already has three parts, so the rule maps onto it neatly. The kameez is usually the 60 per cent, the dupatta the 30 per cent because it covers so much of the upper body, and the trousers plus any trim the 10 per cent. A teal kameez, an ivory dupatta and mustard trousers is a clear three-colour outfit.

Printed suits are where the rule helps most. Pick the main colour of the kameez print, then choose plain trousers and a dupatta that come from inside the print. That way you add no new colours at all, even though the print itself contains several. Our guides to pairing printed and plain pieces and matching dupatta and trouser colours go into the details, and monochrome and tonal three-piece suits shows what happens when you use just one colour family.

Applying it to a Western outfit

In a Western outfit the 60 per cent is usually the largest piece: a dress, a long coat or a matching top and trousers. The 30 per cent might be a jacket or trousers, and the 10 per cent a scarf, belt or bag. A camel coat over a cream jumper and brown trousers uses one colour family plus a neutral and reads calm and finished. Navy trousers, a white shirt and a red bag follow the classic split exactly.

A dress in a print counts the same way as a printed kameez. If the dress already shows three colours, add only neutrals: plain shoes, a matching cardigan, a bag in a colour taken from the print.

When to break it

Festive outfits often use more colour, and multicoloured traditional prints are designed to be worn together as a whole. Tonal dressing, on the other hand, uses fewer than three. The rule is most useful on ordinary days, when you want to get dressed quickly and look put together.

When you design an outfit with us, you can plan the colours of each piece in advance. Describe them, or send photos, with your design request through Send Your Design, and we agree the fabric and colours in your written quote before cutting. The colours for modest outfits article has further palette ideas.