 So I've been watching a lot of these levels videos from wired and it's really cool to measure yourself to see if you're progressing, if you shared any of these said hobbies, which I think is the appeal of these videos, but also it's a great introduction to a topic you're not familiar with. And so how about we do that for color blocking. Now this whole entire video is just my opinion on color blocking, but I am positive if you watch this entire video, you'll have a better understanding of how colors work with fashion. So as a prerequisites, you have to understand the fundamentals and we're not even diving into color combos or any of that yet. This is where you find your personal style and you understand how your body works and what looks great on it, what doesn't. But you can also keep an open mind to unfamiliar areas of fashion because it doesn't matter how good your color blocking skills are if the pieces don't look good on you, right? And this takes time, effort and patience. Now the fundamental pieces to me are always minimal pieces, items that are a part of your culture and identity and items that align with your hobbies. So now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about the first level, level one, and you might think it's all black, but nope, it's not because I actually think all black is harder than you think. I think the easiest color blocking technique is contrast, purely black and white. Your favorite sneakers are designed following this technique. It's the building blocks of your wardrobe and colors in general, which we'll talk about later. And I really don't think you can mess this one up. You're going to hear a lot of other people say that they don't like contrast and I get where they're coming from, but also who does not look good in a white dress shirt and a black suit. Come on. So don't be afraid of contrast. The easiest place to start off is simply black pants, a white t-shirt, maybe a cap or a bag and the contrast sneaker of choice. If you only buy black and white clothes, you're pretty set for the rest of your life, which is why that is level one. Level two is the gray scale technique. So you've already nailed black and white. So let's add everything in between, which is gray. This whole gray scale spectrum is the building blocks to an infinite number of colors. So back to the gray scale, a solid foundation to start off with is an all black base, meaning the top and the pants, white sneakers and a gray top layer or black pants, gray top, white sneakers and a black top layer. These are all good spots to start off at. And what I love about gray scale outfits is there's this gradient effect, which is just easy to look at. It's also tasteful and it looks purposeful. You know, it looks like you know what you're doing without even touching the color. And I've already made a whole entire video about the beauty of gray scale. So check that video out whenever you're done with this one. Now we can talk about all black. And if we're talking about purely all black, that is what makes all black so difficult. You can easily turn yourself into a Mr. Game and watch. And that is why we kind of have to warp our definition of all black. So this is where you have to understand texture, materials and layering, which honestly, I don't even have down sometimes because I think you and I know that almost nobody owns an all black sneaker. And if you do, you're not scary at all to be around or you probably work in the service industry or something. And that is why we kind of have to warp our definition of all black. So you have to mix different fabrics to give your outfit depth. So I'm talking leather, nylon, puffers or knitted materials. This is going to add that necessary separation within your outfit. Just take a look at every product that you own that's mainly all black. You're going to see different textures. There's mattes, there's shiny, there's ridges for grip, or they'll just flat out ignore black, add some color, add some white for contrast so they can read the text. And it makes the product more interesting to look at, which is what I lean towards. So my take on all black is don't wear all black. Add some color, add some contrast, just in small portions. Level four is where we add one item of choice as a color pop. It could be an accessory like a hat or a scarf, or it could be a shirt or a jacket. When starting off, I always recommend this fit that never fails. That's a pair of white sneakers, black pants and any colored shirts. Or you can keep the shirt black and go for a colored jacket. You can get a lot of great fits this way. These are the bulk of my outfits. But I know y'all already got this, so let's keep it moving. Real quick, y'all, this video is brought to you by Express Today's sponsor. And I'm going to be showing you how I color block each of these pieces. So let's check out this orange zip jacket right here. And I did get this in a size medium. I am five foot seven hundred fifty six pounds. And I just love the way this piece feels. It's super light, very airy. You've got a zip up that looks best unzipped or zipped most of the way up. And I know that bright orange might seem daunting to a lot of people. But check me out. You just saw this on the fit that never fails of white sneakers, black pants, a white or black top and then a pop of color, which would be this. You just cannot go wrong with this at all. It's the most simple color blocking that you can do and very spring summer night. Definitely something for a date night, whenever it gets a little bit cooler in the evening. And the same applies to this red jacket that I have right here. This jacket is basically the same thing only that there's adjustable cuffs so that you can taper it or cuff your jacket for a more airy feel. Plus, this inner lining right here is a very cool detail. It's definitely something that radiates summer energy and you've got an inside pocket as well. You can kiss seasonal depression goodbye whenever you rock this. So I'm going to be rolling with the same color blocking and we are going to keep it very minimal. You can't be the minimal jacket. It's going to stay in your wardrobe forever. And as you can see, I'm rocking red and gold right here. So this is a good time for the Lunar New Year for those that celebrate it. And now moving on to the same rayon shirt that I got last month. But this time we got the cream version. The other one was really cool. I love the design and the color blocking on it. This one just follows that same gradient color blocking only with cream colors. So I naturally leaned into it because this is a lighter colored piece. I prefer styling it with lighter items like these cream trousers and white sneakers. And I'm telling you, if you're with a lighter fits but you throw on black sneakers, I think it just throws off the fit just a little bit. You can totally do it, but I think white sneakers would look better. And this is also why I threw on gold jewelry for the most parts. I mean, there's some light brown and stuff which is all within the same color scheme of yellow and orange with a white added to it. And so naturally yellow items would look really good on this fit. Now this gold chain is really affordable and really nice to look at as well. It's just a simple circular pendant. So the light just hits it a little bit different. There's a little bit more texture as well. The dimpled look is something I kind of like and appreciate. But we will talk more about monochromatic color blocking later in the video. And finally, I got the same faux suede leather jacket that I got last month as well. Only this time I got it in a dark brown color. For date night, I'm going to be rolling with a contrast base, white top, black trousers and black boots for a more rugged look. Since I kind of get this vibe with this type of jacket and that is pretty clean to me. And those are my express pickups, very colorful stuff, something that you can incorporate with your color blocking. I'll leave a ton of links in the description where you get to pick these items up. And now because it's warm, I definitely recommend that summer rayon shirt. I got it in cream and I got it in black. Very versatile pieces. But anyways, thank you Express for sponsoring this video. Let's keep it moving. Now for level five, I think it's the understanding of how colors are made. So not even a color blocking technique, just understanding how color works. Once you get this, you're on your way to creating consistent clean fits. So take pastel colors, for example, since it's springtime as I'm filming this. Every single one of these are normal colors mixed with whites to a light gray. So here I am in Photoshop. The left represents whites, the bottom represents black, and teetering towards one side or the other is where gray lies. Hamlin to go blue, for example, for my Better Call Saul fans is a standard blue with mid gray added to it, giving it more of that clay colored look. And this is where olive resides as well, in between white and black. These colors can sway between pairing it with lighter colors or darker colors, which is why I just love gray. But cherry blossoms like this one down my street is a reddish color with a ton of white added to it. And as we move down the scale of colors, look at all that pastel. Now adding black to a color gives it a matte, dark look. This is where burgundy, maroon, navy, forest green, and brown comes from. And like I said, there's an infinite number of colors that you can make. So as a general suggestion, if it's a lighter color, I think it pairs best with other lighter colors. And dark colors go best with other darker colors, but that's just a general suggestion. Don't let that limit you. And if it's gray, you can go either way, or you can just lean into it with more gray. Check me out. We got an olive-based pants right here, a plum-ish hoodie. Both colors are made with the color gray. Sure, this fit might look good with a brighter color. I'm sure it'll probably look good with a darker color. But I say even more gray tops it off perfectly. So understanding colors will set you up nicely. Okay, so here we are now at level six. This is where analogous colors lies. These are colors right next to each other on the color wheel. And believe it or not, you are probably already killing it with this level. You're just probably not even aware of it. So I feel most of us have a pair of olive-green pants and a blue denim jacket. Pair those pieces together, and bam, you are already rocking analogous colors. Blue-green is seen everywhere from iMessage and bullying your Android friends to nature with the sky and trees. It's a very inviting color scheme. But try other colors like the citruses, lime, lemon, and orange. Now, I've used this fit a ton because I was feeling myself when I put this fit together, but this fit consists of a green cap, yellow tie-dye pants, and a hint of orange. Get creative with it. Blue and purple are also great pairings. Now, level seven is the next step, and we're talking about colors on opposite sides of the color wheel. And these are complementary colors. So just think of like Christmas colors or more fashion-related, a pair of brown dress shoes with a navy suit. Can't get any more classic than that. See, navy and brown are basically blue and orange with black added to it. Blue and orange being complementary colors, it just works so nicely. And you can apply that to your other fits. So check out this fit with a brown trucker hat with a navy over-shirt or the same navy over-shirt with brown pants. I would recommend experimenting with other colors you don't see as much. Obviously green and red you still see often. So how about trying yellow and purple? That sounds pretty spicy, so let's give it a shot. Not bad, not bad. So I think the best way to tackle analogous colors and complementary colors is starting off with accessories, like a hat or a bag or rings even. I think it's better to start off with just two colors and the rest of your fit stays black and white, but you can go as you please based off your experience and how you're feeling that day. Now for level eight, we have monochromatic. Honestly, not really a favorite color blocking technique of mine, but this is where you stick to the same exact color for your whole entire fit. You're just messing with the grayscale spectrum within your outfit. Basically, your outfit is a gradient of one color. So if it's yellow, for example, this is where you can add bold yellow, you can add tan, you can add cream, you can even go white. I do see these fits more so in the spring and summertime, which makes sense, there's more color. And depending on how you're feeling that day, you could wear whites, you could also wear black. Because remember, monochromatic colors, if you desaturate it, you get the grayscale spectrum. This generally isn't my favorite color blocking technique because you have to commit to buying a bunch of different color pieces and sometimes you're probably not gonna get your money's worth with that. Here we are now at level nine. This is taking everything we learned and utilizing statement pieces. So statement pieces could be a bold pop of color or it could be a uniquely designed piece, but I'm talking about statement pieces. So loud pops of patterns, patchwork and graphics, these make color blocking a bit more tougher because there isn't just one set color. So with that, the suggested move is to pull from the dominant color of the piece and then applying anything we learned to the rest of your fit. Or you can get creative with it and utilize accessories to compliment a less dominant color. But yeah, you've got free will, which is what makes fashion so great. It's also subjective, so you do you. And now we're at the last level where I think you have to be a certain kind of person, a certain kind of comfortable with color because this is the Saul Goodman of outfits. Basically every garments that you have on your fit is not black or white and that deserves a standing ovation in my book. And those are the 10 levels of color blocking. This is just a quick rundown on my opinion on different color blocking techniques. Make sure you subscribe to the channel for more of these. Give the video a thumbs up. Follow me on my other socials. I hope that helps. And until then, stay fly, deuces.