True colours

Not only do we have a fabulous new palette of sorbet pastels to play with; we also continue the spring/summer love affair with vibrant brights – that is, those bold shades of orange, yellow, turquoise,

purple, pea green, rich red and fuchsia that are not glaring enough be put into a neon category, but really do give a noticeable pop of strong, clear, cheery colour, however you wear them.

To update the look for this year, place your bright pops carefully, and make sure you bring shape and texture into the mix.

Teaming with neutrals is a surefire way to create a modern bright look, but try adding texture to your nude and buff tones – for example, try a bold orange shift or tunic dress with a gorgeous suede pale taupe or grey jacket over.

Add a mixture of gold and jewel-bright accessories, and you're off. A great updating tip, if you are wearing a shade such as red, fuchsia or orange, is to near-match your lipstick with an orange piece, try a pinky orange lipstick, which will pick up the colour without running away with it.

For those who really do love their colour, try blocking – teaming together blocks of bold shades that complement each other, like a turquoise skirt or neat slim trousers with yellow top and green jacket.

Each colour has to have the same degree of colour-polling brightness – it just won't work if one is more muted and ordinary than the others.

Having said that, pairing most of these bright shades with navy, rather than harsher black for this season, works very well in bringing out a contemporary edge, so look for navy separates, like jackets and trousers, to mix into your colour-bright wardrobe. Likewise, floral prints, which are again massive for summer, both spring versions and hazy graphic patterns, work very well with a bright colour block piece if the print has a navy base – it just seems to calm the overall effect down, without losing any of the vibrancy.

Finally, when it comes to accessories, have a go at the near-match colour trend (matching accessories to dresses is very now, as we have just seen at the Oscars).

So try a nude-heather jacket or dress with a bright purple bag or shoes – somehow, it brings out the best in both shades.