Are lilac and lavender the same?
In all honesty, it would be fair to assume that both are the same since they are so similar. However, they're actually not. Most often seen as the lighter of the two, Lavender has a blue tint, whereas lilac has a pink hue. Most people tend to refer to lavender as the flowering plant and lilac as the colour, however, both are colours and flowering plants in their own right.
Finding whether a colour is cool or warm is fairly easy to do. Whilst using the colour wheel, the warmer colours we can see include red, yellow and orange. What's more, colours that have a red, yellow or orange tint are also warm colours. Whereas shades like blue, purple and green are cool colours…. This could then lead you to believe that lilac which does resemble a form of purple, should be a cool colour – when it is actually classed as warm due to its pink tint. Furthermore, Lavender, since it has a blue tint, is a cool colour.
Why should I wear lilac?
As we all know, wearing colour can have hidden meanings. Lighter purple shades, similar to the likes of lilac, as said to be associated with light-hearted and romantic energies.
Best described as a gentle shade, you can wear lilac with a number of other colours without the worry of clashing or overdoing it. Similar musky-toned colours, like mustard yellow or emerald green, can pair beautifully with lilacs. So, for this reason, you should definitely freshen’ up your wardrobe with some lilac.
What skin tone best suits lilac?
One of the top benefits of lilac is that it is a complementary colour to the majority of skin tones. Where a harsh dark colour may flush against an olive skin tone or pale blue may wash out the colour of a light skin tone, lilac blends easily.
How to inject lilac into your wardrobe
Injecting colour into your wardrobe can be one of the easiest things to do to really freshen up your looks. What’s more, with a warm soft shade like lilac you’re not just limited to wearing the colour from your wardrobe. Instead, you can incorporate the colour through means of accessories, like bags and purses, to footwear, makeup and even hair dye. With it being summer, you’ll find that lilac items are easier to come by!
Pictured from L to R: Cranston Pencil Skirt Dress £99 (was £129), SEED Mayfield Pencil Dress £125, Luma Off-Shoulder Dress £115, Donna Short Sleeved Pencil Dress £125, Mariposa Off Shoulder Dress £145.
How to style a lilac dress
Adding to a lilac dress can be a really simple thing to do, but understandably you might be unsure on what to do and/or what not to do. Personally, we would suggest that if the majority of the outfit is already lilac then it’s always a good idea to incorporate a different colour into the mix.
As previously mentioned, lilac goes with the majority of skin tones as well as other colours. However, there are colours that the shade goes perfect with and we’ll go more into detail about those below.
Shades that pair perfectly with lilac include orange, yellow, olive green and white. Additionally, equal hues also work great including touches of grey and rose quartz.
Where you may find that matching accessories are the go-to, you always have the option of adding some contrasting coloured items. For example, lilac with blue can stand out in more ways than one.
Lilac Outfit Accessories
With lilac being a popular, feminine shade it is usually available all year round. Whilst suits, dresses and tops can all look amazing within a lilac colouring, there are also other accessories up for grabs. Here are just a few of our favourites.
Buy now: Topshop Reuben Padding High Mule £33.75 (was£45)
Buy now: New Look Lilac Clear Strap Shoe £29.99
Buy now: Steve Madden Skylar Bootie £90 (was £150)
What colour footwear goes with lilac clothes?
Like many other colours, wearing lilac doesn’t have to stop at the ankles! If you’re outfit already features touches of lilac then there is certainly no harm in including it within the footwear too. Alternatively, we suggest checking out the paragraph above about colour matching to your lilac shade and a different, yet compatible, footwear shade that way!
Our bestselling lilac dresses for summer 2022
Our Luma Off-Shoulder dress is created using our bi-stretch fabric and features a contrast bow around the waist with a sweetheart neckline. Its 3/4 length sleeves combined with the bow waist detail cinch in the waist and allow it to flow to knee level.
Buy now: Luma Off Shoulder Pencil Dress £115
Our Paige Bi-Stretch dress is similar to the Luma Off-Shoulder dress as it also features a bow, however, an additional black seam around the dress accentuates the upper silhouette.
Buy now: Paige Bi-Stretch Dress £110
The Cranston pencil dress is developed using our luxury couture stretch fabric. Featuring both a low V-neck and upper waist detail, the wide band cinches around the waist with the bodice detail adding a final chic touch.
Buy now: Cranston Pencil Skirt Dress £99 (was £129)
One of our favourite swing dresses for the season is the SEED Rio Swing dress. Available in 7 shades, including dusky lilac, this dress features a swing skirt with a high rounded neckline. Its neck slit and sleeveless style flatters, whilst being tailored throughout using our couture stretch fabric.
Buy now: SEED Rio High Neck Swing Dress £135
Our Full Range of 3/4 Length Sleeved Lilac Dresses
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