I avoided purple my whole life... then I had a change of heart.
Making my peace with this season's unexpected hero color
If you grew up in the 90s, a McDonald’s birthday party was a flex, and I wanted one badly. You got your own party area for an hour. You got games. Every kid who showed up got a Happy Meal with a free toy, which felt like winning the lottery without spending a single penny.
I finally got my wish on my 5th birthday. My friends and I were deep into our Happy Meals and everything was going exactly the way five-year-old me had planned it. Then, out of the blue, two unexpected guests walked in for a special apperance: Hamburglar and Grimace.
Nobody told the birthday girl that they were included in the package.
I was so terrified I wanted to leave my own party. Grimace freaked me out the most — seeing a dancing ambiguous purple blob with limbs and creepy eyes was quite disturbing. (Did you know it’s supposedly an engorged taste bud?? EW.) But I hadn’t had my birthday cake yet, and I wasn’t about to miss my moment, so I stayed. Reluctantly.
And that’s the origin story of my life-long aversion to the color this entire letter is dedicated to :)
I’m going to channel Rose Florence for a moment, the brilliant gal behind The Rose Period, my favorite art history Substack. She writes about art in such an accessible way, and I always feel smarter after reading her letters.
Did you know purple used to be worth more than gold?
Tyrian purple, the original dye, came from crushing thousands of predatory sea snails for a single garment’s worth of color, which meant only royalty could afford it. Priests wore it too, and since royals were considered divinely appointed, it became a symbol of both status and spiritual authority.
Apparently it’s also the lucky color for my Sagittarius placements, so I’ll take that as one more reason to come around.
Perhaps my default pop of red has been feeling stale as of late — or maybe I’m just overexposed to the trend cycle. I did check out the Matisse exhibit at the MoMA a few weeks ago, and stood in front of Femme au chapeau for way too long. It also doesn’t help that my notes feed has been nothing but dopamine-inducing color inspo lately (Ritika is a major inspiration to me).
Either way, I’m embracing the color I’ve been avoiding most of my life. Shout out to free will.
We all know fashion has a track record of dragging back the trends we spent years side-eyeing. Purple, naturally, has cycled before — 2018’s Ultra Violet was this deep and enigmatic shade, and by 2022 it had softened into periwinkle, aptly named Very Peri by Pantone.
I noticed this color starting to build again in 2025 with Prada leading the charge across its last few collections. And it wasn’t the soft pastel that shows up almost every spring but rather, a deeper, saturated purple.
In 2026, that loud, majestic shade of purple is IT. After years of subdued neutrals à la quiet luxury, color is finally clawing its way back — and royal purple is where designers are testing how far.
Trends usually come back around with a fresh spin, and this time purple isn’t showing up solo. Red and purple kept popping up as a duo across the SS’26 runways at Prada, Celine, and Stella McCartney, then again at Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Balenciaga couture debut this summer, where he sent out tomato-red trousers with a sheer lilac tulle top and purple leather opera gloves.
Just weeks ago, Auralee closed its SS’27 show in Paris with a bright red coat over electric purple trousers. I’ve been fangirling over Auralee’s color execution for a few seasons now, and that final look confirmed my instinct on this pairing.
Tints, Shades, Tones
For the record, you don’t have to wear red and purple together, or even the ultra-saturated shade of the season. It’s bold and loud, and it’s not for everyone.
The key to exploring a version you’d actually want to wear comes down to tints, shades, and tones. Adding white, black, or gray to purple pulls it in three directions — and if you know your colors, one will sit better against your skin tone than others.
I don’t really believe in “style rules” — but if there’s one rule I want you to internalize, it’s this: wear what you feel good in, period.
If you take your color analysis seriously and want a starting point, here’s how each one plays out.
White + Purple makes a tint = lilac, lavender, mauve. These lean cool and low-saturation, which tends to favor lighter, cooler undertones. If you’re a summer or a light spring, this is your entry point into purple.
Black + Purple makes a shade = eggplant, plum, indigo. Deep and saturated, these need contrast to hold up against your coloring. Winters and deep autumns can wear these close to the face; lighter coloring usually works better with it as an accent.
Gray + Purple makes a tone = muted, dusty, low-contrast hues (Ring 3 if you speak Tibi). This is the most forgiving of the three since gray-based colors tend to sit gently against most skin without fighting it. If you’re not sure where you land, tone is the safest place to start.
How to wear it
Purple isn’t the color you’d typically reach for in high summer and that’s exactly why it feels fresh right now. Most people tend to pair it with white or black, which isn’t wrong, but it’s predictable and those pairings make a harsher contrast than you’d expect. Every look below is a more interesting way in.
Whether you’re just dabbling in pops of color or feeling inspired to expand your pairings, I broke it into levels so you can choose your own adventure — dip a toe in, or dive all the way to the deep end.
Level 1
One pop of purple through accessories
Not exactly revolutionary. If you’re already rocking a pop of red these days, just swap it out for any shade of purple.
For the color-averse, accessories are the lowest-risk, lowest-effort way to try it. You’re not committing to anything, it still moves the needle, and you can take it off if it’s not working.
A light amethyst choker against a gray tee gives you a subtle pop, barely-there color. If you want more contrast, go for a more saturated gemstone instead (I love this if you’re feeling more playful). An earring works too, if that’s more your speed.
If you’re not sure about wearing a new color so close to your face, start with a bracelet. Or just get a purple mani (or pedi) and call it a day!
If you’d rather stick to your classic gold or silver jewelry, find your splash of purple through a bag or a shoe instead. This pastel purple mini bag adds a soft pop against cream and black, with the calf hair adding some texture.
Level 1 Takeaway: Accessories are the lowest-risk, lowest-effort way to try a new color. If you already love a pop of red, swap it for purple instead.
Level 2
One purple element on top or bottom
We’re taking it up a notch here, introducing purple as the main character alongside a supporting cast of colors. I’ll explain the rationale with a little bit of Tibi-speak.
A quick primer if this is new to you: the Tibi Color Wheel sorts colors into four rings: Ring 1 is black, Ring 2 are classic neutrals, Ring 3 are your “no-color colors” (gray-ish, brown-ish, purple-ish, etc.), and Ring 4 covers saturated and pastel hues.
The theory behind Tibi’s Color Math is that the closer two rings sit to each other, the calmer the pairing feels. The farther apart, the bolder the statement.
Color communicates mood, and which one you reach for depends on how you want to feel that day. Low contrast pairings read calm, easy, and approachably confident. High contrast reads bold and energetic, like you mean business.
For level 2, we’re exploring combos that live somewhere between high and low.
The taupe-y gray tank (ring 3) grounds the mauve-y pink skirt (ring 4). The pendant cord necklace adds a subtle touch of purple to echo the skirt without competing.
Since blue and purple are adjacent colors, the dusty blue suede tote doesn’t read like a random choice. The buttercream sandals as the single warm note in this look keeps things from feeling too cold overall.
If all of this feels too advanced, take it down a notch by swapping the shoes and/or bag to grounding brown tones. On the flip side, go for black or white to create a more graphic contrast. Black adds some edge whereas white tends to feel more directional.
We’re using the same ring logic plus a second consideration for this look: temperature.
Lavender (ring 4) against khaki brown shorts (ring 3) and chocolate suede sandals (ring 2) is still a mid-contrast pairing by the numbers. But there’s also contrast between top and bottom in temperature: the tank, earrings, and sunglasses stay cool from the shoulders up, then everything flips warm below the waist, including the green leather pouch.
Level 2 takeaway: Black and white create a starker contrast against purple, whereas warm neutrals (ring 2) and -ish colors (ring 3) soften and blend.
The whole outfit doesn’t have to agree on temperature, but try to commit to a clean split instead of scattering cool and warm throughout.
Level 3
Purple as the main character, paired with pops of saturated color.
The trick to wearing multiple saturated colors is two-fold: bridge the bold hues with a splash of neutrals (ring 2) or an -ish color (ring 3), then let scale do some of the work.
In practice, this means one saturated color should lead, usually the piece with the most surface area, while the rest should be smaller in scale.
We’ve got two completely different examples here: first, a complementary hue takes the lead while purple supports, then royal purple will have its main character moment too.
Technically, yellow is purple’s complementary color but that combo can easily veer into Lakers territory. So, skip the true yellow. Go for a yellow-adjacent shade like marigold instead to get the same effect, minus the mascot energy.
The dress is the main character, claiming the biggest surface area and setting the tone for the whole look. The swimsuit plays the supporting role, just showing through the sheer dress for a soft contrast.
Adding the striped tote creates a bolder contrast against the marigold at a smaller scale. The brown stripes bridge the two saturated colors, while the sunglasses echo the warm tones.
The rest of the accessories (translucent earrings and jelly sandals) are interesting on their own — specifically through shape and texture — without competing for attention.
Finally, royal purple (ring 4) leads as the loudest element in this outfit. The ivory shorts read warmer than white, which keeps the purple bold without reading too stark.
Cobalt blue (ring 4) sits analogous to purple, while emerald green offers a vibrant contrast. Both are just as saturated as royal purple, but used in smaller doses, they punctuate the look instead of competing for the lead.
Level 3 takeaway: When mixing saturated colors, the one with the largest surface area takes the lead. Everything else should be smaller in scale.
The examples above are your foundation for wearing purple.
For paid readers, I’ve put together six bonus looks where each level goes a half-step further, including two monochromatic purple outfits that don’t scream Grimace, plus a bold print-mixing moment for the maximalist.
If Grimace could see me now….
That’s everything I’ve got on purple. If you try any of these combos, I want to see them! Tag me or slide through my DMs.
xx Angela
this reminds me of how I wore a purple monochromatic outfit to elementary school! I don't own anything purple anymore, but I've been craving deep reds (my birthstone is garnet!) and I wonder if that's my version of purple. also, I saw a lady in paris yesterday wearing purple poplin pants !!
Omg yes to this color, and so many fun ways to wear it! 💜🙌🏾