Start with a colour you already love wearing. Then give it a few good companions.
Choosing an activewear colour is easier when you picture it beside your own clothes. The leggings you wear most, the jacket by the door and your everyday trainers are useful starting points. A shade can catch your eye on its own and still leave you wondering what to put with it.
Try the following approach with pieces you already own, or use it to compare a new colour before choosing it. The photographs show individual Ancarta pieces. The colour combinations described below are styling suggestions, rather than outfits shown in the images.
Find your starting colour
Take out the bottoms, shoes and outer layer you reach for most. Notice which colours repeat. They might be black, grey and white, or brown, cream and navy. Start with what is actually there, including the bright pieces you enjoy wearing.
Choose one of those items as your starting point. Keep it in place while you compare tops, so you are changing one part of the combination at a time. You do not need every piece in your wardrobe to match every other piece.
Decide how much contrast you like
Put a light top beside dark bottoms, then try a top closer to the bottoms in depth. The first combination creates a clearer break between the two pieces; the second keeps their colours closer together. Neither needs to be your rule for every outfit.
The Skye Tank in Storm Navy gives you a deep blue to consider. Try it with a pale layer if you enjoy a light-and-dark contrast. If you prefer a quieter change, compare it with a darker layer already in your wardrobe.
Include your shoes in that comparison. A white trainer adds a light detail at the bottom of the outfit, even when the clothes are close in tone. A darker shoe changes that balance. Look at the whole combination before deciding whether it needs another colour.
Try nearby shades without chasing an exact match
For a softer combination, bring together a few shades from a similar colour family. The Skye Tank in Cookie is described in its product notes as a warm beige-cream. Cream, tan or a deeper brown are colours you could try alongside it.
Lay the actual fabrics next to each other where you can. A deliberate difference between light and dark can be easier to work with than two shades you hoped would be identical. Read each product's colour name and description separately when comparing pieces from different collections.
Use the gallery as a guide, too. Lighting and screens can affect how a shade appears, so a photograph is a starting point for comparison rather than a promise of an exact match to something at home.
Let one colour be the accent
An accent can be pale as well as bright. The Vital Bra in Soft Pink has pale pink fabric with light contrast edging. Try that pink with grey or black pieces you already wear, keeping the rest of the colours familiar.
You could also repeat the light edging with a pale shirt or shoes. That is an option to compare, not something you need to buy to complete the look. If you prefer the pink on its own, leave the accessories simple.
Make a small colour shortlist
Before choosing a new shade, write down two combinations you would actually wear with it. Be specific: which bottoms, which layer and which shoes? If both combinations require several other purchases, try another shade against the same clothes.
Keep a note of the pairings you enjoy. Over time, that gives you a personal reference for choosing colours, without needing a fixed palette or a new outfit for every day.
For ideas on bringing those clothes together, read A matching set, three ways.