Love them or hate them, purples, mauves, and plums are the newest colors everyone’s obsessed with. Whether you’re getting ready for work, finding the perfect fit to impress a fashion-forward date, or trying to take on the fashion world, you might be wondering – what color shoes to wear with a plum dress?
Lovely to meet you, we’re bringing you the exact thing you need. Plum dresses seem to have taken the world by storm. Power dressing hasn’t been the same since Kamala Harris wore an all-purple outfit at the presidential inaugural ceremony. Plums and prunes have become more than your favorite mid-day snacks.
From runway shows and celebrity outings to Instagram models’ posts, head-to-toe plum seems to be the right way to approach dopamine dressing. Furthermore, Hailey Beiber, Camilla Cabello, and Sofia Richie are proof that you don’t need to wait for autumn to rock a purple ensemble.
With that out of the way, you might be wondering how to build an outfit around a plum dress and what color shoes to wear with a plum dress for the ultimate old-money moment. We suggest you keep doing what you’re doing and read more down below!
How to build an outfit around a plum dress?
Wearing purples, mauves, and plums seems to be the best way to achieve that timeless, effortless pop of color. If you’re not one of those girlies that adore color-blocking and matching the unmatchable, purples might be your best bet to escape the boring blacks and whites.
When you’re trying to build an outfit around a plum dress, though, you need to keep an eye on a few tips and tricks.
While you can’t go wrong with an all-plum outfit, you might be feeling particularly inspired to mix and match. We’re obsessed with the way the plum color pops when combined with red, chartreuse, citrine, and green.
Count on accessories like scarves and belts to add more interest to the items you’re working with. Throw on a magenta cashmere sweater over a plum silky slip and you’re good to go. Stick to the classic black pumps and a black leather handbag or add more color with green stilettos and a beaded clutch.
That being said, you can’t go wrong with neutrals, either. Pairing a plum dress with white or coffee-bean brown elements can be a great way to dress the ensemble down. Put on your favorite nude ballet flats and you’re done.
Play with gold or silver accents, depending on the overall color palette you decide to go with. Make the look more memorable and dramatic by playing with different textures, patterns, and designs, too.
Fashion rules are meant to be broken – wear whatever catches your eye, that’s how you know you’re wearing the right combination!
What color shoes to wear with a plum dress?
1. Black
Black stilettos are made for women who struggle to build an outfit around a certain color.
Whether you’re working with darker plums or lighter lavenders, you can’t go wrong with black footwear. Just make sure you’re on theme with wherever you’re going and you don’t have to bat an eye.
What do we mean by that? When you’re getting ready for a date, for example, you might want to combine your plum dress with black sheer tights and black strappy sandals for the ultimate “oompf.”
When you’re headed to work, though, you might need to switch to black pumps, throw on a black blazer, and tie the look together with a matching leather bag.
2. White
Black and white are your go-to colors when you’re struggling to figure out what color shoes to wear with a plum dress. Before you argue how you don’t want to look basic and boring, there are ways you can make black and white more dramatic.
White sneakers, for example, are everyone’s footwear of choice when they’re trying to be fashionable and comfortable at the same time. Swap them for white espadrilles or espadrille wedges for an elevated ensemble. Make the outfit even more summer-appropriate with some sunglasses, a raffia tote bag, and a straw hat.
White strappy sandals are an option, too, depending on where you’re going. Strappy stilettos can be a great way to dress up a flowy, floral plum dress for a wedding or a date. Pumps might be too bottom-heavy for a summer event, though, especially when paired with a darker color like plum.
3. Gold
Metallics are perfect for events because they’re eye-catching and fun. Wearing gold footwear with a plum frock shouldn’t be a problem – consider the occasion, choose the style, and bite the bullet.
Metallics can be frightening to work with because they’re impossible to ignore, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Gold strappy sandals are a “must-have” for the wedding season because they’re guaranteed to go with everything, from floor-length frocks to sultry, slinky minis.
Gold accents are your BFFs which means you shouldn’t shy away from adding gold hoops, a gold belt, or even a gold clutch to go with the rest of the ensemble.
4. Silver
Silver works wonderfully with plum, too!
When you’re trying to add metallics to your look, you have to follow one rule – choose one color and stick with it throughout the look.
Silver earrings, a silver belt, and a silver clutch are a fashion-forward way to make everything more cohesive. Shimmery plum dresses combined with silver accessories are guaranteed to turn heads, no matter what event you’re attending.
When you’re trying to figure out what color shoes to wear with a plum dress to work, though, you might want to opt for something more simple and subdued. But, but, but – we’d argue that Christian Louboutin Iriza metallic leather pumps are workwear appropriate, nonetheless.
5. Cinderella
Who wouldn’t want to wear Cinderella’s glass slippers?
Whenever you’re struggling to choose the right footwear to go with a formal frock, thank God (or celebrities) that Cinderella’s glass slippers have been made accessible to everyone. Whether you go for the Amina Muaddi $800 ones or the Zara $80 ones, you can’t go wrong with sheer, vinyl shoes.
Where do we even start? They’re absolutely adorable which means you won’t cry your eyes out when you see your bank statements. They’re made to match whatever color you’re wearing because they’re transparent. And, they’re a great way to show off your manicure!
6. Nude
Nude high heels are everyone’s favorite because they’re so simple to style. Whether you prefer the classic, chic color palette or the over-the-top one, you can make nude high heels work for you.
When you’re trying to wear a bold color, for example, you can wear nude stilettos and nude accessories to balance everything out. When you’re drawing inspiration from Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala look, you can count on nude stilettos to make your legs look longer.
Lastly, when you’re trying to wear a plum dress without looking like you’re dressing for autumn, you can count on nude stilettos to save the day. Oh and, other nude footwear works wonderfully, too – nude espadrilles for the beach or nude ballet flats for the city.
7. Plum, purple, mauve
We might have talked your ears off with all-purple outfits at the beginning of the article, but we have our reasons.
Our favorite fashion babes Hailey Bieber, Camilla Cabello, and Sofia Richie have been spotted sporting head-to-toe plum ensembles and we were obsessed with how polished and put-together the three fashionistas appeared.
Of course, you can do the same thing by wearing different shades of purple. Plums, purples, and mauves might be the best for a monochromatic moment, but lavender, lilac, and periwinkle work, too.
8. Navy, teal, turquoise
We might be onto something with navy, teal, and turquoise! We’ll be the first to admit that navy, teal, and turquoise might not be popular footwear shades, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get your hands on bold stilettos or flats to go with your plum dress.
We’re swooning over Balenciaga’s Leopold ballerinas, Saint Lauren’s Tribute woven denim mules, and Prada’s crystal-embellished satin sandals. Whichever work of art you decide to go with, remember to have fun with the accessories, too.
9. Dark, forest, or olive green
We’re nearing the end of the article, but that doesn’t mean that our suggestions are getting boring or basic. Quite on the contrary, color blocking seems to be fashionistas’ favorite way to work with tough colors like plum.
Dark, forest, and olive green complement plum’s cold undertones to a tee, and that’s why you shouldn’t shy away from experimenting with a dark green coat, forest green stilettos, and an olive green handbag.
Now, you don’t need to use all the greens to make a statement. But, you can play with different shades to see what works for you.
10. Ocher, mustard, or marigold yellow
We can’t forget about the brightest color that guarantees to open up your plum gown – yellow. While these two colors might look like they’re going to stick out like a sore thumb, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Ocher, mustard, and marigold yellow brighten up the entire ensemble. Opt for a silky slip dress and you might be onto something. Yellow stilettos, gold accents, and sumptuous silk are a match made in heaven!
