Green Is the Trendy Spring Shade I Keep Styling Like a Neutral

I’ve loved a punch of red in my outfits ever since I was little, when my mom told me it looked good on me. That’s all it took for it to become a favorite shade. Around the holidays, though, I felt cornered. Red suddenly felt too literal. It didn’t feel special anymore. So I needed a quick adjustment to my go-to accent color.

Around that same time, I was at No.6 Store in Nolita with a friend and came across a knit tee in the most perfectly mossy shade of green. It’s never been a color I’ve gravitated towards, but it felt spring-ready, like a premature nod to a (warmer) future at a moment when I was already completely sick of winter dressing. Naturally, I bought it.

I’ve worn that tee to death over the past few months, especially now that nicer weather is very much here. Much like yellow, which I severely over-indexed on last year, this particular corner of the color wheel—which sits on the yellower side of green—feels especially happy and optimistic to me. Just look at the runways at Prada, Conner Ives, and Dries Van Noten. Green was set to be one of spring's most in-demand shades.

Ahead, I broke down exactly how I'm styling the shade right now. Whether you wear a simple green accent or go full-on monochromatic, green is my answer to breaking out of your end-of-winter outfit boredom.

I’ve already touched on dressing in New York’s favorite color: Black. Pairing green with black creates an entry point into an otherwise heavy-feeling outfit, breaking things up without making the look feel overly colorful.

You can also lean into green’s inherent earthiness, pairing it with tans, browns, and khakis for something that feels grounded but still fresh. It's lighter, brighter, and perfect for spring.

Here, green is the pop of color, but it’s less jarring than if I had chosen something like red. It complements the taupe pants and duster, and dispersing the color across the outfit keeps the eye moving instead of landing in just one place.

Another styling tip I love is using green alongside colors that sit opposite it on the color wheel. Think: reds, purples, or rusty tones. It's a built-in lesson on color theory. When the contrast is strong, the outfit feels more intentional, even if the pieces themselves are simple.

Or, go all in. I’m always a fan of a head-to-toe monochrome moment. This is a photo I found of myself on Pinterest, originally posted on Instagram in 2019, wearing a set by Mr. Larkin. The green is bright but not overwhelming, which keeps it from feeling costume-y. I even coordinated it with matching loafers, which felt right at the time and still does. For 2026, mixing textures like nylon and cashmere (courtesy of Tibi) is another great idea.

The hue can also act as the quiet element in an otherwise loud outfit. Here, I used it to anchor a cowhide-printed jacket and a few brighter accents, giving the whole look somewhere to land.

Or, a green piece can be the loudest part in an outfit. Here, I borrowed my boyfriend’s jacket and, with a belt and a few brooches, turned something sporty into something more stylish.