Colour harmonies are systematic combinations of colours that determine which colours will work together most cohesively.

Contrast is the degree of difference between colours and shades. Contrast affects expressiveness and visual perception. The greater the difference between colours, the more striking their combination appears. When the differences are minimal, colours are perceived as softer and lower in contrast.

Too much contrast — or too little — can lead to visual disharmony. Excessively contrasting combinations can overwhelm the eye, while insufficient contrast makes a look feel visually flat and indistinct.

The concepts of colour harmony and contrast are closely linked: colour harmony defines which colours can be combined, while contrast determines how striking that combination will be.

It is important to understand that when creating harmonious colour combinations, you cannot rely solely on personal intuition. Colour can be described through objective physical parameters. Objective analysis is independent of vision, whereas the human eye evaluates colour only at the level of perception and can produce inaccurate results.

One of the key principles when choosing colours for clothing and accessories is achieving the right level of contrast.

Closely related to contrast is the concept of colour induction.

Colour induction is the way one colour shifts the perception of another. The strength of colour induction depends on several factors:

▶ the closer two colours are to one another, the stronger their mutual influence;

▶ the higher the saturation and/or brightness of a colour, the stronger its effect on an adjacent colour;

▶ the larger the area a colour occupies, the greater its influence on neighbouring shades.

Let us explore the different types of contrast and learn how to take them into account when putting together outfits and building a wardrobe.

It is worth noting that several types of contrast are always present simultaneously; some may simply be more pronounced than others.

Hue contrast is the difference between the colours themselves (their hues) — that is, how far apart they sit on the colour spectrum.

Single-hue contrast — where the hue remains the same but differs in brightness and/or saturation.

We can also identify contrast by brightness and contrast by saturation.

Brightness contrast is the difference between colours in terms of their brightness.

Saturation contrast is the difference between colours in terms of their saturation.

It is worth bearing in mind that these types of contrast do not exist in isolation — they always appear within the context of other contrasts.

Achromatic contrast is the difference between black, white and shades of grey.

Achromatic-to-chromatic contrast is the difference between achromatic colours (black, white, grey) and chromatic (coloured) shades.