The art of colour blocking

The rules to abide by when embracing spring’s trickiest trend. Allow us to fill you in...

1. When contrasting colours, stay within the same mood/richness of the palette (pastels, mid-tones, neons etc) Baby-blue V-neck knitted jumper £165 by TIM SOARbstorelondon.com; pastel yellow long-sleeved shirt with white buttons £16 by TOPMAN 0845-121 4519; light pink stretch chinos £115 by POLO BY RALPH LAUREN my-wardrobe.com
2. Mix tones within the same colour spectrum Purple cotton crew-neck jumper with zebra badge £67 by PAUL SMITH asos.com; dark purple shirt £210 by JOHN VARVATOS johnvarvatos.com; dark purple chinos £125 by PAUL SMITH JEANS 0800-023 4006
3. Use one block of accent colour as a highlight under neutral layers Camel double-breasted mac £76 by TOPMAN 0845-121 4519; yellow crew-neck T-shirt £7.99 by UNIQLO 020-7290 8090; light beige chinos £19.99 by H&M 020-7323 2211
4. Choose opposites on the colour spectrum (red/cyan, violet/lime, yellow/blue etc) to avoid contrasts that clash Orange cotton long-sleeve crew-neck jumper £10 by TOPMAN; 0845-121 4519; electric blue cotton chinos £160 by ACNE my-wardrobe.com
5. Layer blocks of colour in multiples of two or three on top Red anorak with zip pocket £243 by PETER JENSEN 020-7734 6846; electric blue cable-knitted jumper £95 by LYLE & SCOTT VINTAGE lyleandscott.com; mustard yellow cotton long-sleeved shirt £26 by TOPMAN 0845-121 4519; beige neutral chinos £57 by FRENCH CONNECTION 020-7036 7200
6. Use one statement block of colour over neutral foundations Teal blue raincoat £630 by MACKINTOSH 020-7493 4678; long-sleeve chambray shirt £70 by LEVI’S 01604-599735; grey cotton trousers £45 by MARKS & SPENCER LUXURY COLLECTION 0845-302 1234