Am I a Deep Autumn (even though I love colors that flatter Deep Winters)? - YouLookFab Forum

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Am I a Deep Autumn (even though I love colors that flatter Deep Winters)?

smiles33

Everything I've read on-line seems to imply that I'm a deep Autumn. I know I am warm, not cool, as I cannot wear pastel colors and have green veins. I have naturally jet black hair (but it's currently highlighted a lighter chestnut color) and dark brown eyes.

Yet I really do not like traditional Deep Autumn colors (browns, beiges, greens, salmon pink, light peach, terra-cotta). My favorite colors are navy, deep purple, and black.

Here are some photos, 3 of which are with makeup (I only wear it at special events, like our annual family photo session and at my brother's wedding). The martial arts photo (no makeup) is indoors with studio lighting, but everything else was taken in natural sunlight.

What do you think? Am I a Deep Autumn?

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Dressing

18 replies

Latest reply was from Claudia

Sal

Veteran

I am no good at the colour classification thing...so not sure that my opinion is worth anything. I think you look great in the navy blue and the black, I prefer them to the yellow although that is still fine.

However I just wanted to chime in and say what a lovely set of photos, your kids are so adorable. Your whole family is.

Marley

Veteran

I think that to know for sure you would need to see a Color Consultant in person, rather than just going by what you read on line. From your pics, my guess would be that you are a winter - but, I'm no expert! I do know that just because you cannot wear pastels that that does not necessarily mean that you are a warm rather than a cool - it just means that you can't wear pastels! In general, anyone who is classified a 'winter' does not look their best in pastels.

Also - in the end, I'd wear the colors that make me happy - and not get too hung up on the seasonal color theories!

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

I know there are ladies here who can help you with the colours, I am not good at that when it comes to others. But I could not resist saying that you have the right screen name, your smile is beautiful and your family absolutely gorgeous.

Personally, I am a fan of colour analysis and the clarity it had given me. But, even from "my" subset of colours I chose only those that really make me happy wearing them and I have also been incorporating the colours (a few) I was unsure about were from my spectrum, but they too made me happy.

*smiling back* What a beautiful thread to start my day!

Aubergine

Veteran

You and your family are beautiful and look like you're having so much fun!

I'm not sure what season you are, although Deep Autumn and Deep Winter both seem plausible from the pics, but you do look great in black and navy. While I'm not remotely an expert in seasonal coloring, my understanding of Deep Autumn (I think I'm one too) is that it's the grouping for people who can pull off black and other very deep, dark colors as well as warmer, more autumnal-looking ones. So it doesn't mean you necessarily have to wear peaches and browns to look your best.

Do you like burgundy or plum on yourself, BTW? I feel like those kinds of deep purpley reds are a great way to add a little warmth without being too light or bold, if you want to experiment with some more autumnal colors to see if they work for you. And they go well with black and navy!

Alassë

Veteran

Beautiful family pictures! As for colour analysis, navy & black would probably look good on Dark Autumns, too, like Aubergine says. You could still be a Dark Autumn with a preference for the dark colours of your palette. (The navy looks great on you, btw.)

MuseumGal

Veteran

I think you look better in the black and navy than the yellow, which leads me to suspect that you are deep winter. Or course deep winter and deep autumn are pretty closely related, and the whole color analysis thing is not some exact science, so I'd just wear the colors that make you happy.

smiles33

Awww, you all are so kind! I don't always trust my own sense of what colors flatter me, but naturally gravitate towards darker colors. Yet I can think of several baby blue cardigan twinsets and shirts I've purchased over the years, not realizing how sallow and sickly that color makes me look.

I actually emailed the color consultant someone here used in another thread last week but got an auto-reply that she's slammed.

I'm relieved folks think navy and black are still flattering. Those are my favorite colors!

I'm on my cell so I'll come back later to post individual replies. Thanks all!

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

What a cute family! I'm also thinking you're a winter, not autumn. I know that a lot of Asian complexions tend to have more yellow than pink, but I think you might be an exception - your skin in the photos looks cooler toned and I think the highlights in your hair also skew everything toward winter rather than autumn, since they're an ashy brown.

I can't wear pastels either; I need clear saturated colors. But I don't think that's necessarily indicative that you're not a winter - isn't it summers that are the ones that can wear pastels?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Well, I don't know whether you're an autumn or a winter, but I do know you have a great smile and a beautiful family!

And I think you look good in the navy and black.

It's impossible to tell for sure about this seasonal stuff without seeing someone in person -- you get a much clearer sense with the drapings. But often you discover that you were already gravitating towards the colours that suited you most.

smiles33

I'm finally able to sit down and reply, after a long day at work!

Kiwigirl & others who commented re: the yellow: I actually never wear yellow and have nothing in my wardrobe that is yellow. That's a dress from RenttheRunway for our beach photo shoot this year. It complemented a blue/yellow color scheme and I was told not to wear white by a photographer (it apparently can make you look like a floating head on the beach!).

Thanks for the compliment re: how I look in navy & black, as well as of my happy family. We are very happy and often laugh/smile, so I'm glad the photos captured that!

Marley: you make an excellent point about wearing colors that make you happy. I just worried that black/navy/dark purple have become an easy crutch for me because it's so "easy" to reach for dark colors. I also wasn't sure if they really flattered me. My mom (who is much paler than me) loves bright (or is it clear?) light colors and thinks the dark intense colors I wear are too morose. I assumed I was warm because I do have green veins, not blue, and I think my skin is closer to Jessica Alba's warm golden tones than a paler women. Plus I tan very easily. Interesting...

Ornelia: thank you for the kind compliment! The one constant in all my report cards as a child was that teachers always commented on my smile. I am generally a cheerful person and I find folks often smile back if you smile first!

aubergine: I googled a few sites and did not like the earthy colors that are recommended for Deep Autumns. I find myself drawn to the Deep Winter colors, which is weird. I don't wear red very often. To make a long story short, my husband is a fanatic for his college alma mater and literally hates all shades of the color red (including true red and dark red/burgundy) because it's the school color of their arch rival). This is the only photo of me in red, when my girlfriend had me as her matron of honor a few years back. I think red does flatter me, but my husband literally grimaces when I wear it. I know, he's a crazy guy! I do love purple (my favorite color) and usually get a dark eggplant purple for sweaters, dresses, etc. I had a medium purple for a family photo shoot 2 years ago and attached a cropped photo (this was used on my "Am I a rectangle or IT?" thread).

Alasse: Thanks for the kind assurance that navy does look good on me! That's a relief, especially since it's my husband's favorite color so I have tons of free navy t-shirts from his college alma mater (LOL, which I only wear to bed and around the house!).

Museumgal: that's so funny to me that I could actually be a Deep Winter (whose colors I already love) when I kept thinking that would be for paler skinned ladies. Interesting indeed!

Laura: I actually consider myself quite yellow. When I look at other Asians, I think "cool" pink-toned Asians are women like the actress Zhang ZiYi. I've had my hair highlighted for a few years now, as I felt like it was less harsh than the super dark jet black hair I normally have (see the photo of me in the red dress).

Suz: thanks for your input! It is funny to me that I am so drawn to Deep Winter colors. So wishing for it might be enough for me to qualify?

THANKS ALL! I'm feeling much better about my color choices now!

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Elly

Veteran

I'm a deep autumn and navy and black are probably my best colors (I have black/charcoal shades in my eyes and very dark lashes and brows despite having hair somewhere between chocolate and chesnut and those colors bring out my eyes). I look good in some of the winter colors (even deep hot pinks) but the super deep colors look the best. You are very hard to tell. Don't write off autumn colors without trying a variety, but also dont' think you can't wear your favorites just because they aren't yours. For inspiration, look at this:
Dark Autumn Landscapes | 12 Blueprints

Dark Autumn CE and Apparel | 12 Blueprints

Diana

Veteran

So I'm somewhere in between deep autumn and deep winter (seriously, I have both blue and green veins literally right next to each other) but you look a bit paler and less yellow than me, so I think you probably skew more winter. That said, I found that hair color has a big influence. I used to have my hair dyed a warmer red, which would fade to a cognac-ish brown (kind of like yours but more reddish) and it would skew my coloring toward the autumn palette. Recently I've been getting it dyed a cooler purplish red (the dye my hairdresser uses is actually pretty much straight purple but it comes out a dark wine color on my black hair) and it doesn't fade to brown, and this hair color (as well as my natural black) lends itself to winter tones.

deb

Veteran

Surprisingly enough, I am a deep winter. I cannot wear pastels and orange is really bad on me. I had my colors done last year by a 12 blueprints color analyst. The 12 blueprints system covers your hair and does not take it into consideration when draping.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I know nothing about seasonal colors but wanted to pop in to say you are stunning and navy is a great color for you. I think black works too but in the humorous picture #3 it looks like you don't have make up on. If you put on just a bit of lip color I think you can pull off black. As for the other colors you love, I say try and see. If you love them and they make you happy, why not honor yourself by at least trying to see if they work.

Alassë

Veteran

Yes, you look great in red, too.

Aubergine

Veteran

You do look good in red, but I can understand wanting to avoid the husband issues there!

And those dark purples are some of my favorites too. I can see them looking great on you!

BTW, I wear dark and deep colors much more than autumnal browny ones (although I love cognac), so I understand that too.

Jenny H

I think there is a lot to be said about trusting your gut when you tend to gravitate toward certain colors. If they call you so strongly, there's a very good chance that they are great colors on you. I agree with everyone here who has said you look fantastic if the darker colors!

Claudia

Veteran

I am a dark autumn (I think you are too) which crosses over into the winter palette, so your being drawn to the more saturated, deeper colors instead of the lighter tones makes sense because they definitely flatter your coloring.

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