The many shades of red are stepping to the side, as this year’s throw-back, bluish-toned retro red is coming to the fashion forefront once again. This recognizable retro hue is the cool red found on metal Coke-a-cola signs from the 1950s. Color and style continuously revolve through a fashion cycle, with popular trends resurfacing time and again. Style gurus rely on contemporary artists and fashionistas to recycle those once-great ideas, making them new and fresh again. Retro red is the “it” color, especially if the month is February. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, La Jollan shoppers and visiting tourists will start to see inciting red-colored goodies among our shops’ and art galleries’ festive assortments — but be sure you know what amount of red is right for you and how to incorporate it into your lifestyle and wardrobe. On the wall If you think retro red might be the perfect color to update your home or office, but your decor is far from vintage, let a local art expert give you a hand. Kyle Sorrell, senior fine art consultant at Martin Lawrence Galleries, located at 1111 Prospect Street, can help you find the best red or inspirational piece of art to compliment your room’s decor or artistic desire. Red is an attractive, bold color that he said appeals to his clientele, but the amount of red, he added, depends on individual preference. Martin Lawrence Galleries offers an assortment of recognizable 20th century pieces, from pop artist Andy Warhol to painter Pablo Picasso, as well as new, fresh contemporaries who combine inspiration from art legends with insight from modern-day issues. Sorrell recommended a painting incorporating the clever use of red, engineered dots and an enthusiastic sense of optimism portrayed by French contemporary pop artist Phillipe Bertho in his painting “The Big Jump.” It is a popular red piece for the not-so-vintage, contemporary art connoisseur. In your closet Thinking retro red might compliment your hair and skin, but your personal style is far from retro? True, that Coca-cola color looks great on many — it compliments pink skin tones, silvery gray hair and is perfect for those with dark eyes and raven hair. Many up-to-date red tops and dresses can be found at Corrine Fine Apparel, a designer boutique located at 7644 Girard Ave. and specializing in contemporary and elegant sportswear, special occasion and eveningwear. Tia Ballentine, one of Corrine’s fashionable and friendly saleswomen, loves wearing Corrine’s fashions and lives for contemporary style, interior design, art and fashion. Ballentine recently recommended a sophisticated, simple dress by Porto. The clean lines and cut flatter the figure, while the red color adds a hint of excitement. It’s perfect for a Valentine’s social event or special occasion. Around your neck If all-over red is too bold for you, try wearing an accessory that incorporates red in a print. Touches of retro red are worn best by those having a fair complexion, aqua-grey or hazel eyes and blonde to ash-brown hair. Lauren Turek, owner of Kerut, located at 7944 Girard Ave., recently recommended a fun, red and light pink, feather-motif, printed 100-percent-cashmere scarf, designed by We Are Owls. She said her clients love the item. The beautiful soft color combination can compliment a wardrobe’s brown, denim or white jacket. The luxurious scarf is super-chic when styled in a bow, giving a sweet look for Valentine’s Day. Color is key in triggering certain feelings. If you haven’t noticed, La Jolla’s atmospheric cosmos connect both color and attitude to transform busy shopping streets into a picturesque vignette painted from a pallet of ocean blues, reds and romance. Enjoy the ambiance, and know that whatever fashion element you reintroduce into your lifestyle, color can be a fun and exciting way update both your look and outlook on life. — Holly Lauren Beedle has been designing for New York City luxury brands since her graduation from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, where she studied fashion and textile design. A new addition to the Southern California fashion scene, Beedle has worked for Isaac Mizrahi, Bettye Muller, Coach, Macy’s Inc. and New York & Company. She is an instructor at Fashion Careers College of San Diego.