Colored Pants: A Refresher Course

I get a lot of questions about how to wear particular items of clothing purchased on clearance.  This week I got an email from my friend Laura, who wants some help styling a pair of bright purple pants without looking, as she put it, like a very tall child. 

Her email made me realize that although every store in the mall seems offer slim cut pants in a rainbow of colors, I don't see that many people (who don't write fashion blogs) wearing them.  I've done lots of posts on styling colored pants over the years (see here, here, here, here and here) but I thought a quick refresher course wouldn't go amiss.  So here we go!

Colored Pants 101 - Pair with neutrals, stripes, and lace
You could swap out the purple pants below with green, bright blue, red, pink or orange and the outfits would still work (though maybe not with red stripe sweater, but you get the idea).  A black (or white) top, be it button down, sweater or peplum will work, as will a neutral blazer or dressier blouses.  Easy!

colored pants refresher by cardiganjunkie featuring kut from the kloth

Colored Pants 201- Pair with a pattern
As before, the purple pants below could be any other color and plaid, dots, leopard, floral or chevron would work.  Neutral color palettes are easier to balance, but something in the same color family as the pants is also pretty foolproof. 

colored pants refresher 2 by cardiganjunkie featuring vintage shirts

Hopefully I've convinced you to dust of your clearance pants and wear them with something besides a chambray shirt or a white button down!  What's your favorite way to wear colored denim and corduroy?