Itten's Color Wheel: How to Use It Correctly and Color Harmonies in Clothing
The Itten color wheel (for clothing) — a circular diagram of the interrelation of colors and shades. It's a spectrum of tones that form good combinations with each other. The wheel features a classification by primary and secondary colors, warm and cool tones, and wavelengths.
The classic scheme consists of 12 sectors. At the center are 3 primary colors, which when mixed produce secondary colors (orange, purple, green) and tertiary colors. A single wheel is not enough to create harmonious combinations. For this reason, a more comprehensive tool is used — a large wheel with an n-number of shades of the original color, which also includes achromatic tones. This is more convenient because the colors are additionally distributed by saturation and lightness.
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16.05.2025
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How to use the color wheel to choose clothes
There are 8 rules of Itten's color wheel in clothing. They help you use a stylistically useful tool wisely:
- Complementary scheme. The simplest option — use 2 complementary (i.e., additional) colors that are located opposite each other in the color combination wheel. How this works in practice: decide on the base color and look at what is located opposite it. For saturation and lightness to match harmoniously, count the sectors from the center to both sides. They must be equal.
- Classical triad. It is formed by 3 colors equally distant from each other on the combination wheel. If you need a harmonious and slightly contrasting look, use 2 main shades in clothing and the third as accents. In practice, it is used like this: apply an isosceles triangle to the wheel with shades, i.e., choose 3 colors and leave one for accentuation (for example, red — lipstick, shoes, gloves or clutch).
- Contrast triad. A method of split-complementary color combination, where 1 shade is the main one, and the other 2 are additional (adjacent to the opposite one). The look collected according to this scheme turns out balanced and interesting. In practice: apply an isosceles triangle to the wheel with shades to choose 3 colors. Leave 2 for accentuation, and the one pointed to by the vertex of the triangle will be the main one.
- Square scheme. An additional method that allows using equally distant shades for a fashionable look. The method is no more complicated than the previous ones: 1 dominant color, 2 additional ones and 1 more accent. In practice: apply a square to the wheel with shades to choose 4 colors and distribute them by roles. The look will turn out bold and contrasting.
- Monochromatic combination. Using colors from one sector. To do this, choose one sector, select from 2 to 5 shades and distribute them between accessories and main wardrobe items.
- Analogous scheme. Choose 2-5 colors located along the circumference (next to each other horizontally). Draw a line along the wheel, capturing only the nearest colors, select 2-3 main ones and combine.
- Rectangular scheme. Like the square one, it consists of four colors: 1 main, 2 complementary shades and 1 accent. Compared to the square, the combination is less contrasting, but also memorable and juicy.
- Hexagonal. More complex than the previous ones, but often used in combination. Inscribe a hexagon with equal sides, which will immediately give 3 pairs of complementary shades. This scheme has their maximum number.
- You can apply the color wheel to combine colors in clothing with items already in your wardrobe and later when shopping.
Rules and recommendations for combining colors in clothing according to the color wheel
These 4 useful recommendations will help you create the perfect look:
- as an additional and main color, it is better to choose shades of a single circle (outer, middle and inner);
- the accent color can be darker and more saturated than the additional and main color;
- white color goes with all shades;
- black color is universal and can be incorporated into any palette. The combination of black with warm saturated shades is considered optimal.
The ability to assemble a wardrobe by colors is an art. The first steps to acquiring such a useful skill will be the use of Itten's color wheel and many experiments with it.
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