We All Started Dressing the same.
Our wardrobes have been filled with monochrome, dull earthly colours for a while now. People started wearing the same colour globally, and some people have blamed it on colonization, especially British colonization. The explanation being, in order to be taken seriously by British authorities during colonization, you had to dress the part. Most British wealth came from fabrics and it was easy for them to export their textiles cheaply all over the world, hence having the same style of dressing.
Since the rise of social media trends in the late 2010s to 2020s, fashion has been influenced by the trending fast fashion normcore aesthetic, whereby wearing hoodies, sneakers, and leggings is cool. This globally standardized culture replaced the glamorous, stylish, colourful local fashion with the trending uniformity of dressing the same globally.
Social Media as an influencer to homogenization
Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok during the 2010s and 2020s have been the biggest influencer in what people wear and also determining what is on trend globally. This instantly makes people all over the world copy what they have seen as trending on the social media platforms.
How Casual Wear Became the New Normal
From the 1960s, 1970s to the 1980s people started leaning more on comfortable clothing which was casual wear. The shift from formal wear to casual meant losing suits and getting into more versatile clothing like jeans and sneakers that could be worn anytime at any place. The 2010s to 2020s introduced fast fashion and digital trends, uniformity was made easier as retailers like Zara and Shein cloned trending social media styles and making specific fashion style easily available and reachable to the masses.
The late 2010s shifted fashion to the normcore look, an intentionally basic “dad-style” look in an attempt to reject the unique trends set by social media.
When Did Beige Take Over?
Beige clothing became popular around 2019 with the influence of big brands like Fendi, Burberry and Mara. Beige clothing highlights quiet luxury through texture and tailoring instead of color. The beige clothing trend became a dominant post-pandemic, year-round staple, symbolizing understated wealth and comfort.
After the pandemic beige was used in fashion as a minimalistic home fashion highlighting coziness and soothing neutrals during tough times.
Beige is also historically associated with khaki workwear and safari clothing, they have been worn by both English and Afrikaans agricultural workers for decades and now and still continuing even now.
The South African Wardrobe Has Always Loved Colour
Just like their flag, South Africans have always been a colorful nation. Every tribe has their own cultural clothing full of vibrant colors, patterns and designs. South Africans are deeply rooted in culture and have embraced their multicolored cultural garments as part of their wardrobe even on a daily basis. Even though South Africans prefer vibrant colors for cultural and artistic expressions, a significant trend towards earthy neutrals such as sand, beige and soft browns still remains a strong part of their everyday fashion.
Starting Small — One Colourful Piece at a Time
To claim back colors in your wardrobe, you have to start small and ease into it by introducing colorful accessories like belts, bags, jewelry and shoes. Start buying neutral adjacent colors like sage, navy and focus on one colorful piece at a time. 2026 trends suggest that you balance soft neutrals with popping colors like butter yellow, tomato red or sky blue. Pay attention to textures when styling your outfit.
Affordable Ways to Reintroduce Color
- Start with accessories; get statement handbags, shoes, or scarves in vibrant and eye-catching colors like cobalt blue, fuchsia, or sunny yellow
- Introduce colour-adjacent neutrals like olive green, navy, chocolate brown or blush.
- Start buying tops and dresses that have bright patterns that can be paired with beige and neutrals.
- You can keep your base outfit neutral and throw in a colorful jacket, cardigan or blazer to give your dull outfit a pop.
Summer and Spring Color Trends and Pairing In 2026
The trend pairs calming colours with vibrant colors.
- Pairing butter yellow with white, sand or medium-blue denim.
- Pairing tomato red with denim or a soft blush pink.
- Pairing lime green with white, stone or olive color.
- Pairing soft blue with denim, cream, or beige.
The Colours That Work for Every Skin Tone
Colors that flatter every single skin tone sit perfectly in the middle of the color spectrum, not too warm, not too cool. These colors provide the instant balanced glow regardless of your complexion. Colors like;
- Navy blue; navy is a stabilizing color for both dim and bright colors
- True red; balances cool and warm undertones like blue and orange
- Teal; balances well with soft undertones like pink, golden or olive.
- Soft white; provide a flattering, clean and radiant look
- Eggplant; alternative to black color
Affordable Ways to Add Colour to Your Wardrobe Right Now
- Buy pieces that already match some of your existing clothes. Match the color of your bright top or accessories with your shoes to sandwich your neutral outfit.
- Instead of buying full outfits, focus on buying brighter colors of shoes, accessories, accessories, handbags and blazers.
- Experience with new shades and practice layering with bright scarves, layered bracelets, hair ties, or fun watch bands that add the perfect pop of color to your beige outfit.
- To avoid jumping to bright colors and end up not wearing them, test the waters with grounding colors like olive green, marine blue and terracotta then keep getting bolder colors once you get used to it.
- Try prints and patterns e.g stripes, polka dots, or florals, where your accent color is blended with a neutral or white.
How can I style beige clothing in a modern and bold way?
Make sure you keep it simple, wear one bright color and keep the rest of the outfit neutral, for example, a green top and beige pants. This allows your bold color to stand out without looking like a coloring book.
Experiment on textures, combine a silk shirt with suede shoes or a knit sweater to add richness and dimension to your outfit.
Avoid overcrowding and outfit by following the three color rule with one bright color and and two neutrals acting as a base.
Local SA Brands Making Colourful Fashion Easy
- Major retailers like Jet, Woolworths, and Mr Price curate bright, locally relevant collections for South Africans. They create pretty casual, beach style, floral vibrant outfits that are also comfortable, with light and soft fabrics.
- Mr Price often collaborates with emerging local designers to make bright, trendy, and affordable clothing through initiatives like “Local Business Love”. This is where you will find deep rooted fashion statements clothing that are proudly South African.
- Woolworths has always offered elevated, sustainable fashion style with consistent, vibrant colour ranges in their private label collections.
- Jet accommodates the whole family when it comes to diverse, high-energy fashion sense. From baby clothes, kids section, men and women.
- These brands and retailers have mastered the South African style of dressing and they provide high-quality fabrics, bold prints and versatile designs that you can incorporate to update to modern fashion.