Accent Vs. Accident Colours

Several years ago at some home decor show (back before children when I could entertain such fancies) I heard some designer say that an accent colour is an accident unless you use it three times in the room.  I decided to apply this same concept when styling my teal cardi from VV Boutique:

Cleo cardi $4.90 VV Boutique

I let my 2yo take photos for dress-up, and now she screams till you let her do her "job."

This cardi has some pretty details like a slight ruffle (bilaterally, I would say in my daytime vocabulary) and wide hem band.  It is also in perfect condition and my shopping partner splurge sister that day took home the identical raspberry one!  I have tons of options that would match this teal perfectly, but I'm still inspired to try harder...  When selecting what to wear with it, I thought the slight polka dot pattern of the button-down shirt echoed the pretty ruffle, and the red is across from teal on the colour wheel, following colour-blocking rules!  As for the mustard tank, it is well-established that mustard goes with everything.

 Mustard tank $4.20 VV Boutique, already worn a hundred times

Red polka dot BR button-down $10 VV Boutique

Teal belt, gift but originally $3 VV Boutique

Trousers $9 VV Boutique 

So here we have three colours that don't "match."  To make them "go," I made sure each colour was somewhere on my decor ensemble three times.  Enter accessories.  The bracelets pick up on the teal, yellow and red...

 Bottom bracelet from the ancient archives of my closet.

Top bracelet hand made and designed by my talented sister She Does Create

 

The earrings pick up the mustard and though the diamond stone is more like a marble gray, it looked teal-y with this outfit...

 

My current fave earrings also made by She Does Create.

The last pop of red came in my cap-toe shoes...

By now, I had to coerce my 5yo to put down his skateboarding video game to take photos.

I'm impressed he even took one photo.  Mommy's clothes can't really compete with Tony Hawk.

To recap...

Teal:

1. cardi
2. belt
3. bracelet and half point for the earrings

Red:

1. button-down top
2. bracelet
3. shoes

Mustard:

1. tank
2. bracelet
3. earrings 

I think it works!  No one looked at me funny at least.  My ensemble was interesting and comfortable for a long busy day, and I felt like my style was *no accident*!