You are not alone, this color looks awful against most skin tones in my opinion too. It sure does on me.

I just looked through the new issue of ELLE magazine and it is filled with tan. I like your excellent tips on how to make it work, but I won’t be buying this color for myself.

ick Ick ICK! This is one trend I’ll definitely be passing on. I do have a short tan Zara trench, as well as khaki pants, but other than that I won’t be embracing the tan trend. It’s a color that looks awful against your skin – makes you look dead n’ drab – unless you have a tan.

I’ll pass on this one too… if I have to go to that much trouble to make a color work for me, that’s a hint that I should just stay away

It’s not my favorite but I don’t discriminate against neutrals. I am determined to make tan work in my wardrobe. Thanks for the tips!

I completely agree that tan looks good on darker skinned ladies. I also like the idea of tan bottoms. Angie, I just discovered your site a few days ago and have spent way too much reading your old posts!

So timely! I just bought a tan jacket from J. Crew knowing that I have to have color near my face to make it work. It fits beautifully and also comes in navy. Now I’m wondering if I should exchange for navy, because I don’t have to work so hard to make it look good. Hmmmm.

I agree that this is a very unflattering shade on most. While my hair is quite dark, I have the pale complexion of a natural blonde or redhead and blue eyes. I feel extremely blah in tans. It just seems like a waste of money to invest in an item that will make me feel and look unattractive. There are plenty of neutrals that suit me better.

Sooo true about this being a hard color to wear well, especially for us pale skinned ladies. My silvering dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes don’t help either!

I’m not saying bye-bye to black or gray though. I will just wear what works on me, not what fashion believes it can sell me based on what it thinks I don’t have in my closet.

You are however spot on about what we can do to make this tone work should we wish to make the effort.

(I will add that if one wants to wear tan, I would think a darker shade might be something that could work, like the mushroom you mentioned. We should be mindful of undertones too – how much red, blue or yellow is in any given brown can make a difference in how it looks on us.)

I agree that tan can make many complexion types look a mess! I definitely go the dressy tan skirt/pant route more than trying to incorporate it into dresses, blazers, or tops.

Thanks for the tips Angie! I have a bit of a thing for tan bottoms but could never make it work before. Now I see why. It’s all about the fabric, texture and drape!

Tan is a brutal color. I try to keep it below the waist with a strong color on top.

I’ll take a black Burberry trench instead of a tan one.

I had already noticed that this color, together with a nude one, was everywhere! The spring is neutral.
I guess is also cultural, we portuguese don’t like too much colors and prints, we stick to black, white, cream and tan.. but most women here have dark hair and olive skin, so we wear these colors well.

Oh no, just as I was phasing out my the last beige items out of my closet, and now beige is back! I accumulated a lot of them in the 90s when Banana Republic used to carry mostly beige and black. I am definitely going to be more mindful with it this time.
Speaking of Burberry trenches – I love their styling, and would consider investing in one, but neither black nor beige excite me enough to take the plunge, at least at the moment. I have an old tan Zara trench that I’ve always worn with a black scarf, and I could never figure out what else to pair it up with. Thanks for the ideas

Well, I thought it was just me–I dislike tans and khakis because they look awful on me. It’s comforting to know I have company.

With dark skin and hair,I still look sick wearing this tan color.
I’ll be sticking to my caramel shades instead:-)

I really do not like this color. I have tried my darndest to liven it up with other colors, pretty scarves, textures, etc. But I just don’t like it. I have dark hair and medium skin coloring and I find it makes me look pale and sick. Wearing it on the bottom does nothing for me either. Anything from the khaki/tan/beige family looks ultra conservative when worn on the bottom to me.

I make an exception for shoes. That is really the only way I’d consider wearing these colors.

This is such valuable information, Angie. I’m sure it will save many of us from making expensive mistakes. Thank you for the timely post.

Wow, so little love for this color! I really like beige. I tend to wear it more in skirts and pants than anything near my face. It gives a crisp summery look when mixed with white, brown or black. It makes a great contrast with a brightly colored sweater or blouse.

I have a beige pencil skirt that I love and wear a lot. I also have beige skinny cords (I know, another not-too-popular fabric choice) that will probably be getting more play this spring. I also have a beige pants suit and I love wearing it with a robin’s egg blue blouse, a black blouse, or with a crisp white blouse and colorful jewelry.

Great tips. I absolutely agree with the “looking washed-out” issue and don’t own anything tan. But I still kinda like the color, it has something sophisticated about it, and I like it paired with black. So tan bottoms might be the way to go, and I’m thinking a tan pencil skirt might be in my future

Ooh, I remember when this colour was everywhere, including in my wardrobe. Terrible mistake! I have light skin and light hair, and wearing tan, from a distance I looked like I wasn’t wearing a shirt. No joke. Definitely not for me!

Angie, for years this was the only color that my mother-in-law would wear. EVERYTHING was either tan or beige! Then, when she was in her late 70’s she grew tired of it, and started to incorporate lovely colors into her wardrobe. I often wonder if the poem “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple” was what brought about her color metamorphosis. I remember seeing a little book by that name on her coffee table around the same time.

I love how JCrew uses it with pale petal pinks and whites (love the trousers you posted) BUT whenever I try this look it looks AWFUL on me. I’m on the fairer side and it doesn’t do me any favors.
It sure does look pretty in the pictures, though.
I used to always have khaki pants in my closet, but I haven’t owned a pair in several years now and I don’t miss them.
I may try a skirt in the summer, but my fingers aren’t crossed.

I have never looked good in this color and I don’t wear it anywhere near my face.

There is a suble difference between tan and taupe, with taupe being more grey and even a little purple. I can wear taupe much better and I sought out a trench in that color. It still looks best with something contrasing near my face.

In the old Color Me Beautiful book from the 80s, taupe was the only brown color they recommended for a Winter (which I am). Laugh as you might but that book is spot on with color choices for us Winters.

Not my thing either. I just cannot do tan…even tan slacks. Being a light blonde I agree with Angie…cream and white!

It’s disappointing that the neutral of 2010 is tan. I guess since I’m dark, I can wear it? I’m intrigued but I feel that I can do better with white and cream.

I always love the idea of wearing tan in the summer (particularly paired with black as in your middle photo) but it never works out. I put it on, look in the mirror, and then take it off and wear something else.

I’m also not keen on tan skirts or pants because I’m bigger on the bottom and it makes me feel huge to have a light color down there.

I agree that skin tone makes a huge difference. The model on the left looks great in the color compared to the other model.

Thanks for the post, Angie. I honestly thought that it was just me who looked washed out and sorry in tan. I’m beginning to think that the solution to just about anything is a colorful scarf worn near the face.

It is unlikely I will be adding this shade to my wardrobe for the spring, but never say never!

And the reason why I will never say good bye to black:) It is the only color I wouid mix with these awful neutral colors.

So helpful! I always thought this was one of my colors because I am a brunette with medium olive skin and dark brown eyes, and I wear all the warm earth tones. After reading today’s post, I went to my closet, held up different tan fabrics to my face, then compared the effects to the deeper browns and rust colors, and holy smokes, Angie’s right again! It’s amazing how it deadens your complexion.

I actually like tan/beige, especially paired with a warm, bright colour and gold jewellry. I normally don’t wear it close to my face unless I have a suntan, though.

Sadly, I really adore tan trenchcoats, camel winter coats, etc, but they do not love me. It’s going to be hard, but I will steel myself from buying any this season.

I do love me a tan trenchcoat, or a safari-inspired coat. I think it is best to wear it with a bright color shirt, with the collars out so that the brighter, more flattering color, stays next to my face, otherwise I look blah! I also love khaki pants and skirts, but the skirt, only in the summer, when my legs are tan. A tan pant would look great with a denim jacket.

Oh no! I’m pale skinned and mousey-haired and have been labouring under the misapprehension that beige suited me. Thanks so much Angie for making me have a good long hard look at myself.

Is wearing ‘natural’ the same as wearing a shade of tan for example Michael Kors natural jeans. Or is that shade just off-white? Curious?!

Wait a minute now. There is no need to ban all beiges, anymore than banning all greens or blues. The wrong green can be just as unflattering as the wrong neutral. You have to have some neutrals, they anchor the wardrobe, and look really classy done right. There’s one way of knowing which are YOUR beiges and that’s with a real correct colour analysis. It will identify the exact shade of every colour that makes your skin the most perfect, and every single colour group of the 12 has some form of beiges, but they’re all really different. The warm Seasons have more choices. Cool Seasons have to be more careful. Everyone can wear some shade of every colour, it’s just knowing which one. Looking amazing isn’t about what you do or don’t spend, it’s about what you do or don’t buy.

I’m not sure how I feel about tan. But these suggestions will be helpful in figuring out how to try it.