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Parting ways with gray (when a color just isn't right for you)

nancylee

Veteran

I noticed yesterday that I have but one lonely gray item in my closet: an Eileen Fisher cascading cardigan that I bought at the end of last winter and have worn maybe twice. I have the same sweater in a lovely marine blue, which I often wear...but the grey? I just don't wear it. I guess I'm realizing that maybe gray just isn't one of my colors.

I'm a medium (highlighted) blonde with hazel (green/gold) eyes and warmish tones to my skin. Blues, oranges/corals, blue-greens, some purples, browns, and even black can work for me. But gray? I'm starting to have my doubts. I'm open to suggestions as to how to make gray work for me, but I'm also ready to just cast gray aside forever.

Have you recently realized that a certain color or color family doesn't work for you anymore...or maybe never did?

Dressing

22 replies

Latest reply was from Lisa

Jem

Veteran

There are alot of shades of grey, so maybe that one isn't the right one for you? Or maybe there is no grey that is. Or, maybe you just don't like it, that's ok, too. I didn't think I liked grey, but have found some that I really like.

sarah

Veteran

Nancy, we have similar coloring, and I'm also coming to the same conclusion about charcoal grey. I tried on a sweater the other day and thought, "meh, not working". Sadly, I have a grey wool toggle coat that I'm not ready to give up on. I'm too practical to get rid of a good wool coat that fits me well and is in good shape just because it's not my favorite color on me. And I wear grey pants and skirts that aren't near my face, pairing them with blues and browns and black and magenta. It's interesting how we've both come to the same conclusion about the same time.

shipskitty

Veteran

There are warm greys and cool greys - something which I'd never really though about until recently. Cool greys work fine for me but warm greys look wrong. You might want to try to identify if it is a warm toned grey or a cool one and try the other kind on in some shops to see if it is all greys or just one type that don't work for you.

But overall I'd say if you don't find grey plays nice with you then let it go. Heaps of other neutrals to play with that will probably do you more justice and you will love more.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Interesting! I've recently come to the opposite conclusion: most medium to dark greys and even some light greys are my friends!

But my skin's undertones are cool. I can't wear camel or any beige except perhaps a very rosy pink beige and even then it would not be a good colour for me, just passable. I've always known this. Believe me, it is really, really obvious.

Victoria

(website)

Veteran

If you don't think gray works for you, wear a top underneath in a more flattering color. Also, wear a scarf next to your face in a color that you like-this way you can still use your sweater but grey is from your face.

Jjsloane

Veteran

It's ok to decide gray is not for you. I have enough to cover you. I'm a grayaholic, but I own one item of pink (I mean light peach or pink) and those are blush pants. It's just not a color I'm drawn to and therefore don't purchase. Plenty of other colors in the crayon box. If you never wear it but want to then mix with scarves and tops in colors you like. If you never wear it and are ok with it then move on.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

Maybe it would work with some of the new orange coming out?

Aida

Veteran

Good insight! Perhaps determine if it's too warm/cool for you? There's no way you could take my grays away from me

Janet

(website)

Veteran

The only grays I'm parting with are the ones in my hair.

I'm just the opposite. I tend to stick with colors I know work on me, and have trouble even considering something in a color that isn't so hot on me (beige, camel, yellow, orange...) even when I could possibly work with it. But I'm eyeing some of the new orange out there.

nancylee

Veteran

Hmm, warm grays. I looked some up on the internet and I can see how a gray that has a little more brown in it might work better for me.

Still debating this one. I'm thinking this gray sweater might be a little too cool for me.

Good observations, everyone!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I indescriminately wear gray, camel, pink, white, maybe I'm color blind lol. Only very warm beiges and yellow are off limits

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

High five! I only like DARK grey on my pale self.

nancylee

Veteran

Suz, since I'm giving up on gray and you're discovering that gray is your friend....would you like to have this Eileen Fisher cardigan? I think it would do a lot more good in your wardrobe than it could in mine! It's a size S (probably a 4-6) and I think it might fit you well since you're a little smaller than me. I'm a solid size 6 in most blouses.

Arghh! Trying to add photos but they won't upload for some reason.

Anonymous

I think it's great to discover you don't like something. Instead of trying so hard to make it work (when you don't love it), move on and enjoy the great clothes in friendly colors that you do have.

I'm trying to think of a color I recently discovered doesn't work for me, but most of them I've known about for a while. Pink might be the most recent. It used to be my most fab party-dress sort of color--a bright pastel pink. Now that my skin is darker and my hair is lighter, the pink doesn't provide much contrast and it's just not exciting on me anymore. A bright pastel purple does the same thing.

rae

(website)

Veteran

If you really loved it, Victoria mentioned some great ways to MAKE it work. But it sounds like you'd be just fine to continue wearing the blue one you love and pass the gray one on. No harm in that! Chalk it up to the cost of a great colours lesson.

Meredith1953

Veteran

I love all shades of gray. Never met a shade of it I didn't like! Course I only started wearing it when my hair started turning silver.

Elly

Veteran

Yep-- it seemed like for a couple of years that GRAY was the neutral. I tried to wear more of it. However, with deep, high contrast coloring (pale warm skin, dark hair) that only charcoal greys look good. I have a hot pink and grey scarf that looks dreadful on me. I thought that maybe it was the pink. No--- definitely the grey!

Louise

Veteran

I have the same problem with brown which is surprising as I have brown hair x

Deborah

Veteran

I find I can only wear a dark grey but even then I don't think it's great. As much I love grey on others I have to accept it's really not one of my better colors.

Would a scarf be too much with the cascading cardigan? Bring some color in around your face might give you more life out of the cardigan.

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I'm just getting into grey, but I do find that the warm "greige" ones are a little too pink for me. I tried some nail polish in this color a year or so ago, when it was super trendy, and it looked really strange because it provided almost no contrast with my skin. It made it look like I had no fingernails, but freakishly long fingertips!

Anonymous

Gray is one of my best colors, so I have a lot of it in my closet. It's my version of black.

I have brown hair, but only certain shades of brown look good on me. I get the shades that blend with my hair. The problem is that those shades are not easy to find.

Lisa

Veteran

I've learned the warmth or coolness of the color really dictates how it will look on me. I'm still weeding out my closet as I figure out which shades are warm or cool. For some items, until I can find a replacement, I wear a scarf near my face to brighten it up.