I'd Give Up Neutrals in a Heartbeat for These Vibrant Winter Outfits

If you actually count, there are probably more hours of nighttime than there are hours of sunlight at this point. Couple that with the dreary winter, and there are plenty of reasons why it'd feel natural to cover yourself in a sea of soothing neutrals. But even though the weather is lacking, that doesn't mean it's a wrap for color. Actually, I'd argue there's no better time than now to embrace the vibrant side of the spectrum—consider it the sartorial equivalent of a SAD lamp.

Conveniently, strong, saturated color is having a bit of a moment, so it's easier than ever to try your hand at full-scale chromatic dressing. Over the past season, Zara released a collection full of bright, colorful pieces, including a midi dress in a shade of juicy tangerine and a Bottega Veneta–green tailored suit. More brands have joined in on the fun, too, so if you're ready to give neutrals a rest, keep scrolling for nine brilliant outfits to get you there.

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(Image credit: @emnitta)

Set off a matching set with a plush winter accessory like this hot-pink scarf. 

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(Image credit: @sasha.mei)

It may evoke connotations of Sprite, but yellow and green are a tried-and-true color combination. To avoid looking garish, choose more muted tones.

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(Image credit: @emilisindlev)

Who knew magenta-colored corduroy pants would have such an impact, but that's precisely what's happening with Ganni's latest winter staple among the fashion set. 

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(Image credit: @maryljean)

A more beginner-friendly way to adopt strong colors is to try a winter topper. You can always layer it over a low-key, neutral outfit, like a pair of jeans and a basic knit sweater.

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(Image credit: @mariejedig)

Matching sets always come in clutch when you don't want to expend brain energy figuring out what goes well with what. I'm particularly tempted by this cool shade of pink.

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(Image credit: @soleneoj)

If you can't eat your greens, you can always wear them.

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(Image credit: @linneklund)

Yellow and red are an unconventional pairing, but they work so well here because of the varying textures and the type of tones chosen. The leather and velvet play so nicely off of each other.

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(Image credit: @aude_julie)

A good rule of thumb when styling color: stick with one color family throughout the entire outfit.

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(Image credit: @cristinamusacchio)

It's pretty much a fact that colored leather is a surefire hit.

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Up next: 17 Casual Winter Outfits That Are Elite in Every Way

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.