I have been looking through fashion magazines and on websites at the new Fall offerings recently, and have noticed a heavy lean toward an entirely black outfit, from head to toe.

While that is a nice, clean, look that I would have embraced back in high school when I used to sit and listen to the Cure in a darkened room, nowadays, I like a bit of color. In fact, I think most of us like a little variety in our wardrobes. It’s very easy to incorporate some color while still keeping the overall outfit black.

Throw on a brightly colored coat over the black outfit:

Above: B.B. Dakota Coat found at Lulus.com.

Add a bright t-shirt as a foundation piece and make it the burst of color in your outfit:

Above: LnA tee found at Bluefly.com.

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Color, color, and more color! After the drab and dark days of winter, I am so happy to see bright, fun colors taking over my favorite shopping spots.

I wear a LOT of monochromatic colors like black, gray and white, with the occasional pop of navy or taupe, but I am determined to wear a lot of fun colors this spring and summer. And why not? Just looking at the page above from People Style Watch makes me feel better about my day. Imagine a double-page spread of black clothes? Not nearly as exciting.

Check out some of my favorite (and, as always, affordable) finds for spring.

Blue

My favorite spring shade is an eye-popping cobalt blue. Blue with black is no longer taboo, so feel free to match these separates with black accessories or other items at your heart’s content.

Jackie’s Favorite Blue Picks: These deep blue Forever21 slingback platforms are super-inexpensive and have a great glossy patent finish. These could be worn with jeans, pencil skirts, dresses…they’ve got a really versatile quality. I also love this cobalt blue peacoat. Since it’s still a little cold in DC, I’m still gravitating towards warmer clothing!

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According to Vogue, bold, saturated colors are in for spring, as laid out in their Neon Bible.

Since interiors are known to follow fashion, I looked for evidence of the trend and there it was in my mailbox in the form of a Pottery Barn catalog. Have you seen it? I swear it was so bright, it would be visible in the dead of night. How do you feel about this trend of bright, bold colors? Trends always make me a bit nervous, because inevitably there will be a homeowner who falls in love with a photo and looks to recreate it. This can be a good source of inspiration, but I always caution. Questions I would ask are: Is this really your personality? Are you this “bold”? When this trend passes, which thankfully most do, will you then be sick of the room? We all like change and want to feel we are in on the latest, so let’s explore adding a bit of brightness without having to completely commit.

This is a fabulous example room from William Sonoma Home. I like the neutral sofa and by adding splashes of color with the area rug and the throw pillows it will be easy to change out as the trend passes. The darker wood pieces also help keep the bright green grounded. It’s bold, but not overpowering.

In this picture from House Beautiful, designer T Keller Donovan adds the warm orange Marais stools from Design Within Reach. They provide the perfect pop of color to this stark kitchen. I might add a bit of wall décor in the same tone and mix in some yellows just to pull it together further. It’s a great example of going with the trend, but not spending a fortune to do it.

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