The 1 Bright Color That's Secretly a Neutral, According to the Woman Who Dresses Olivia Pope

She never had an issue with handling major cases, cleaning up crime scenes, or attracting tons of drama, but Scandal's Olivia Pope played it safe when it came to fashion. Her neutral palette ensured she'd look prim and polished wherever she went, and while we lusted after those Prada bags and large white coats, part of us wished she'd soon switch things up.

And then, for season five, she did. Or rather, costume designer Lyn Paolo did (since Olivia Pope isn't actually a real person). The fiercest character on TV began rocking colors — vibrant colors — all while managing to look as chic as ever. "What's her secret?" we wondered, and we later asked Lyn herself. The key, it turns out, is picking the right bright.

Read on to find the color Lyn says to wear if you're stuck in that rut of black, white, and gray. It's unexpected, but judging from Olivia Pope's latest looks, it totally works!

The 1 Bright Color That Works as a Neutral
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The 1 Bright Color That Works as a Neutral

"We've been using a lot of yellow," Lyn revealed when asked about a bright someone can easily transition into their wardrobe. "Yellow is not the color you see very often in the world, but you can put any other color with it and it works. Purple, green, orange, blue. Navy blue and yellow? That sounds weird, but we've been doing that on the show and it works. Unless you have a lot of yellow in your skin tonally, that’s a color that works for everybody. We’ve also been using orange in that way as well."

The Reason to Add Color Into Your Wardrobe
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The Reason to Add Color Into Your Wardrobe

"Americans are very [much into] the same palette," said Lyn, who is originally from Sunderland, United Kingdom. "Even the cars — everything is white, silver. You rarely see bright anymore and it’s sort of funny how everything’s become a little bit drab. I think we all need a little bit more color in our lives. Maybe we’ll get everyone dressing up in brighter colors this year. Like all of a sudden, there were white coats in every line. Now, maybe we’ll have all these bright things."