When it comes to dressing for the holiday season, white, red and green might be the first colours to come to mind, but there is no reason to keep your wardrobe confined to the classics. Give your celebration looks a fresh update with unexpected colour combinations that bring personality and a little more fun to your wardrobe.

Fashion creator Catarina Riley (@catarinariley) shows us how to embrace colour this season, from balancing shades to using accessories to pull a look together. Whether you're dressing for Christmas lunch, festive drinks or a summer party, Catarina shows how to make unique colour combinations work.

Combination 1: Pink + Burgundy + Gold

Rather than pairing a statement pink dress with predictable neutrals, try introducing a rich burgundy through your shoes and bag for a combo that feels distinct yet effortlessly polished.

Catarina’s styling tip: Use the sandwich method by repeating the same colour in two or more accessories to frame your statement piece and make contrasting shades feel balanced.

Burgundy grounds pink, delivering an instant high-fashion contrast without feeling over-the-top. It’s the ultimate styling hack to transform a breezy summer palette into something rich, elevated, and undeniably festive!

Accessories are also an opportunity to introduce a third shade. Gold jewellery complements both pink and burgundy while adding a subtle festive finish. Match the hardware or embellishments across your accessories, such as the bag buckle and shoe details, to tie the look together.

Try on Catarina’s colour combination with dresses from Cotton On, then make it your own with gold jewellery from Lovisa.

Combination 2: Butter Yellow + Khaki Green + Gold

Butter yellow is an easy starting point for a trendy take on festive dressing. Try combining it with khaki green for a softer, more unexpected interpretation of seasonal colour.

The beauty of this combination is in the contrast. Butter yellow keeps the outfit feeling bright, fresh and summery, while khaki green adds depth and a more grounded quality.

This is particularly suited to daytime celebrations and summer events. Think Christmas lunch, outdoor gatherings or long afternoons spent celebrating in the sunshine.

If two strong colours feel like a bold place to start, keep your accessories neutral to ground the look. Soft tan, white, nude or metallic accessories can all work beautifully here, depending on how glamorous or relaxed you want the final look to feel.

Catarina’s styling tip: Play with the proportions of each shade to change the feel of the look. Let butter yellow take the lead with subtle green accents or reverse it with khaki green as the hero and yellow accessories.

Bring Catarina’s colour combination into your own wardrobe with blazers from Ally Fashion, then add a finishing touch with gold jewellery from Lovisa.

Combination 3: Blue + Plum + Silver

For your next festive evening event, take a cooler approach to occasion dressing with blue, rich plum and a hint of silver.

At first glance, blue and plum might not be the most obvious festive combination, but that’s exactly what makes it work. Both shades sit on the cooler end of the spectrum, but the richness of plum adds depth without overpowering the blue.

When working with two strong colours, repeat one metallic accent across your accessories to make the look feel cohesive. Rather than keeping your accessories understated, use them as an opportunity to dial up the festive glamour.

To keep the look feeling polished, let the colour combination do most of the work and opt for clean, simple silhouettes. This creates a refined base for the metallic accessories to shine, resulting in a chic take on event wear.

Recreate Catarina’s colour combo with Dotti’s range of skirts and tops and silver jewellery from Lovisa to bring it all together.

Who says festive dressing has to follow the same colour rules? Take inspiration from Catarina, step outside your usual palette and have fun with original colour combinations.

Find everything you need to create your perfect Christmas look at Ellenbrook Central.