Let your wardrobe lift your spirits over the coming weeks, as the post-Christmas lull and dreary weather take hold.
Bold, block colour is a tried-and-tested way to bring glamour when there are grey skies.
But according to some spiritual practitioners, colour selection is more than just psychological: it’s said to be an intrinsic part of the chakras — or energy points — that are believed to drive your behaviour and personality.
With seven of these energy points in the body, each assigned a different colour and set of traits, could dressing for your chakras help you achieve more this year?
We asked Jayne Wallace, founder of Psychic Sisters — the in-store spiritual haven at Selfridges, London — to explain what kind of promise is held in each hue.
Maybe that gorgeous green coat or pillarbox-red jumper will earn you a lot more than fashion points in 2024.
POSITIVELY SUNNY
Dress, £399, jasperconran.com; earrings, £95, merola.co.uk; ring, £100, monicavinader.com
It takes a certain style confidence to wear head-to-toe yellow, but there’s no doubt it brings joy to you and everyone around you.
‘Yellow is the solar plexus chakra, and it’s all about confidence within yourself,’ says Wallace. ‘It represents positive energy, especially around work and business ideas — it’s a great colour to wear if you want to generate energy.’
With all-over yellow, choose a chic, feminine piece, like this Jasper Conran dress.
Think sassy, not brassy.
GRATITUDE IN GREEN
Dress, £119, zara.com; cashmere jumper, £219 and coat, £339, baukjen.com; earrings, £95, merola.co.uk
Bag, £385, demellierlondon.com
After a year as fashion’s most popular hue, green, has everything — it’s sophisticated, calming and flattering.
It’s also the colour of the heart chakra.
According to Wallace, that means it’s about accepting yourself, knowing yourself and connecting with your emotions.
‘It’s a healing colour,’ she says. ‘It’s worn by counsellors, who teach others to love themselves and work to vacuum up their troubles.
‘It’s also about courtesy and gratitude.’
INSTANT ENERGY
Jumper, £129, baukjen.com; trousers, £180 and scarf, £84, essentielantwerp.com
Hat, £32, colourfulstandard.com
Orange, with its perfect combination of warmth and freshness, is an instant energy lift for winter days.
According to Wallace, orange represents the sacral chakra, which sits at the lower abdomen, and is a colour of contentment and happiness — as well as sexuality.
‘It’s uplifting and gives you that little moment of you,’ she says.
‘And wearing it can almost deflect your emotions, making you feel more stable.
‘Appreciation is the word I associate most with orange.’
CALM BLUE SKIES
Roll neck, £95 and shirt, £35, marksandspencer.com; jumper, £75, albaray.co.uk; earrings, £250 and ring, £100, monicavinader.co
Ice blue always looks chic in winter, bringing a little serenity to your look — and it represents the same mood as the colour of the throat chakra, says Wallace.
‘Blue evokes calmness, tranquillity, inner peace and happiness,’ she explains. ‘It helps you feel good about yourself, but also inspire others. It’s the colour of creativity, self-love and self-worth.’
QUIET POWER
Cashmere jumper, £85, and trousers, £11, marksandspencer.com; blazer, £279, baukjen.com; trainers, £85, schuh. co.uk; earrings, £95, merola.co.uk
Red has long been the colour of power and passion, and this extends to the root chakra.
‘Red is confidence, power, the passion to go and achieve — but also safety,’ Wallace says. ‘Even if it’s not your colour, try to wear a bit of it — even if it’s underwear — to give you that “I can do this” sense of power.’
Avoid the power-dressing cliche, try instead, a more relaxed blazer and trainers combo.
INSIGHTFUL INDIGO
L-R: Shirt, £22.99, zara.com; coat, £139, whistles.com
More nuanced than navy, richer than royal blue, indigo is one of the most versatile colours in your wardrobe, and as it goes with almost anything it’s a great choice for a coat or separates.
That versatility is reflected in the third-eye chakra, says Wallace, who adds: ‘Indigo is about insight — knowing your own truth, working your third eye. It’s all about being aware of your energy and that of others.’
VA-VA-VOOM VIOLET
Jumper, £91, marksandspencer.com
We tend to think of purple as a grand and regal colour to wear, so it comes as no surprise that violet is the colour of the crown chakra, which sits at the top of the head.
But it’s not about airs and graces, says Wallace. ‘It’s about understanding other people — listening, paying attention, absorbing. It’s a spiritual colour, naturally nurturing as well as perceptive.
‘People in purple are diplomatic, in control — you know that they’re trustworthy and wise.’