7 Redheads Spill Secrets to Look Great in Red

It seems an eternal debate whether or not redheads can wear red. This post provides an answer to the question “Does red look good on redheads?”. Seven fashion and style bloggers with real or dyed red hair spill their secrets about how they pull red off. Read how to wear red as a redhead, and you can do it too when you plan to go red.

Contents

Red Hair Is Fascinating, But Does Red Look Good on Redheads?
My Mom Faked Being a Redhead in Her 30s
The New Way for Stylish Redheads Is No Fear of Red
Ditch the Old-Fashioned Rule: No Red for Redheads
How to Look Stunning in Red as a Redhead
- Linda Cassidy
- Jessica Jannenga
- Suzanne Carillo
- Catherine Summers
- Martina
- Anna Shirley
- Jennie
Wrapping Up How to Wear Red as a Redhead

Red Hair Is Fascinating, But Does Red Look Good on Redheads?

As a kid I was always fascinated by the hair color of a little redhead – a strawberry blonde – in our class. She could wear a monochromatic outfit in all gray, black or whatever neutral color and always looked stunning. It was the pop of color from her hair that made these looks friendly and “hey, look at me!” However, the closest color to red she wore was brick.

My Mom Faked Being a Redhead in Her 30s

I am glad, I inherited my dad’s hair with respect to getting gray. He got his first grays in his early 60s, while my mom already was 50% gray in her mid-thirties. That was about the time she started dying her hair mahogany red instead of bleaching her ash brown to a gold blonde which was the phase after dying her hair in bluish black. At that time, she stopped wearing red.

Keeping the red hair color vibrant required maintenance. In the late 1970s, she chose to have gray hair. The reason was that then and in the early 1980s, mahogany and/or henna red were the It colors of feminists.

Ditch the Old-Fashioned Rule: No Red for Redheads

While during her black, blonde, and silver fox phase she was an avid wearer of cherry, cardinal, wine, etc., she avoided wearing red like the plague when she was a fake redhead. She followed and believed in the (old-)fashioned rule

Redheads can’t wear red and should wear brown, green and blue.

Of course, doing so was how redheads dressed back then.

The New Way for Stylish Redheads Is No Fear of Red

A lot has changed in fashion since then. Today, a lot of fashion rules we 40+ women have been taught by our mothers, aunts, teachers, and maybe grannies, look so Old Lady and Yesteryear. Today the answer to the question “Does red look good on redheads?” is no longer a No. Instead, it is a Yes, it all depends on the right red.

Therefore, I contacted seven awesome ginger head fashion and style bloggers and asked them

What is your most important advice how to wear/style red for redheads?

I also asked to show an example outfit.

How to Look Stunning In Red as a Redhead

So, what is the right red that does look great with this hair color?

Linda Cassidy

I love being a red head and wearing red. The key for me is dressing for your skin coloring not your hair coloring. Red for me is staying on the cherry/blue tones which provides for better impact.

redhead wearing a red cardigan and red blue plaid dress with leopard print booties — Linda Cassidy, blogger at A Labour of Life

Jessica Jannenga

Redheads should not be afraid to wear red. Jewel tones are very complimentary to a red head’s skin tone. Finding the right shade of red , ( whether more of a red-blue hue or red-orange hue depends on the skin tone. Warm tones are more flattering, as too much orange-red can be too stark against the pale skin. Make sure there is enough of a difference between the red of your hair and the red of the garment. This Fall: try berries, burgundy, rich red, brick shades.

mature redhead wearing a little red dress with leopard print clutch — Jessica “Jess” Jannenga, blogger at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish.

Suzanne Carillo

Finding the correct shade of red to work with your hair and skin tone is important. I prefer blue based reds that are highly saturated, almost a blood red. If you have an issue with wearing red next to your face just move it to the bottom half of your body.

redhead wearing red — Suzanne Carillo, blogger at Suzanne Carillo wearing a little red dress, a red pencil skirt, and a maxi statement dress with various reds in the skirt.

Catherine Summer

My tips for wearing red as a redhead is simply to forget the notion that you’re not “supposed” to wear it. If you like red then just go for it – experiment with different shades until you find one that suits you and that you feel confident in. If you’re worried about any potential clash between red pieces and your hair, go for red accessories or wear it away from face. However, nothing quite has the power that a red dress has – it’s the ultimate head-turner!

Martina

In my opinion, the red color you wear should have the right undertone to be in harmony with your skin tone. How do you know? Well, you just feel it, you just feel so damn sexy in that right red dress!

Anna Shirley

I think the red color is not forbidden. On the contrary. This color could be perfect compliment for the read headed people. If I have red hair, I would use the red color more for bottoms. Is it possible to use red color for top as well. But in this case I would put something between the hair and the top – the scarf or statement necklace for example. Or the cold shoulder top will work perfectly as well.

Jennie

When it comes to wearing red, I say embrace it and make a bold statement! Because wearing a bright red is unexpected, it immediately draws the eye and makes a powerful visual declaration. I always receive an abundance of compliments when I take this uncommon route.

mature woman with red dress and hair — Jennie, blogger at A Pocketful of Polka Dots.

Wrapping Up How to Wear Red as a Redhead

As these incredibly stylish bloggers showed, your hair doesn’t clash as the old fashioned rule suggests. It’s all about the right hue. You also may like to read how to look great in this fall’s hair jewelry trend.