Sci-Art consultation: So...I'm a Bright Spring?! What?

nancylee

So, I'm visiting my mom and we had a joint Sci-Art color consultation today to find out just what our colors/seasons are....and to my SHOCK....I was identified as a Bright Spring. Coral, Yellow, Pink, Green! Bright vibrant color!

Huh? I have spent that past year convincing myself that I was a Soft Autumn: Olive green, burgundy, copper, browns. Nope!

I'm so shocked, and confused....but intrigued and liberated, too. I can wear color! The woman who did my analysis is well-regarded and Sci-Art certified so I really believe she know what she's doing. I went in thinking I was a Soft Autumn...or maybe a Soft Summer...and I was very resistant to her initial read on me as a Bright Spring. She was very gentle with me and patient as she redid and re-draped me to show me how the brighter colors actually brought out my features better than the muted fall colors I'd convinced myself were the best for me. And I think she's right.

My mom and I headed straight to the mall after our analyses to try on the colors suggested for us, and I have to admit: I look good in these bright colors that I've been rejecting.

The color analyst said that we often dress for our personality rather than the colors that suit us...and that maybe since I can sometimes be a little shy I've wanted to wear muted colors because they feel more comfortable to me. So, I'm thinking: maybe I need to embrace the bright vibrancy that really is me. Huh. Lots to think about.

Just laying all this out there. I know that a lot of you are non-believers in color analysis, and I also know that you have to take advice like this and combine it with your own comfort level and self-knowledge to make the best color decisions. But I have to say, I feel both gobsmacked and liberated. I'm glad I went for the analysis because it's opened my eyes to new possibilities of color.

More later!

10 years ago

Dressing

14 replies

Latest reply was from Kristin

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Nancy...I have to say...YAY!!!!

In all seriousness, I didn't like to argue with your self-identification. And it is undeniably true that you are low-contrast in your colouring. Yet every time you put on something bright (like a few of the tops that frightened you last year) I thought you looked sensational. Whereas in the beiges and muted autumn colours....not so much. Then I thought maybe it was just my monitor. Colour values are so hard to translate especially when the light is often not the greatest for our photos. So I figured I just wasn't seeing the whole picture.

Now, those bright tops in your closet may or may not have been in your best colours...but they really did bring you alive.

Hmmm. I sense a shopping spree to come! Luckily you can still wear most of your bottoms, right? Right.

Also -- this would explain why you really, really, REALLY do not like grey on yourself. True, grey isn't great for soft autumn either, unless it is a greenish olive grey, I suppose....but still.

You know, Angie has been telling you for a long time that you look great in colour. Heheheheh.

Having said all that -- I think it's important to pay attention to personality when we get dressed, too. Even if a bright colour brings out your eyes or makes your skin glow, if it also makes you feel so conspicuous that you're uncomfortable, you won't walk or move with confidence.

Colour analysis can be a tool in finding our best style, but I think it's only one aspect and needs to be weighed with others, such as line, and pattern and so on -- and yes, personality, too, because even if fuchsia is great on me, it is not going to look good in a frilly mini. If you get my drift.

10 years ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I am very excited for you and understand just how liberating it can be when one of our long held assumptions about ourselves is confronted with opposing information! I can't wait to see where you go with this! (And, just btw, I love your muted style too.)

10 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, how eye opening!

10 years ago

Pawprints

Active Member

Congrats on a whole new window of your style to explore! Sounds like it will be as fun as it is liberating and grounding.

10 years ago

Adelfa

Veteran

I am just *desperately* excited for you! Hooray! It's a very precious thing, to get input or feedback that suddenly highlights something one can recognize as very important--important but unacknowledged. So happy for you.

10 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

I find this all so interesting and I am thrilled you have shared this with us. So what does this mean for your current wardrobe and will a lot of shopping being involved?

10 years ago

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I think Suz is absolutely right colour is only one aspect of how we dress. Proportion, line etc & our personalities are other really important aspects. I think it great that you were open to this experience & look forward to see how it influences your choices

10 years ago

ManidipaM

Veteran

Very interesting. Nodding along to Suz's observations too. Your closet revamp will be one I watch as I struggle with feeling muted and suiting brights too.

10 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

That must be disconcerting at first! I don't even know what I am (some kind of winter according to an evaluation 20+ years ago?) but if someone told me I was a fall or spring instead, I'd be pretty shocked too.

That said, you *do* look wonderful in color! I'm excited to see what your new color experiments bring.

10 years ago

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Oh wow - now this is exciting! A big surprise, to be sure, but it sounds like when you went to try a few things on, the brighter colours looked beautiful on you.

Interesting that your consultant suggested that we sometimes dress for our personality.

Can't wait to see what you come up with! What a great excuse to try a bunch of new things

10 years ago

Anonymous

Honestly Nancy, I am every bit as shocked as you are! I felt sure you were right in thinking you were a Soft Autumn. Well I guess my eye isn't very good! Although I really did love you in that bright coral dress that you got last summer. Maybe it's just that I have a sugar eye for the soft Autumn Palette. My house is decorated in those colors, after all!

10 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Makes sense. You look beautiful in bright colours, Nancylee. And in Autumnal shades.

I'm a Warm Bright Spring in that kind of colour analysis terminology. Although I do not stick to the prescribed spectrum of colours. There is no black, hardly any blue, and no pink either. I wear pink and shades of blue all the time - and lots of black and white. I'm supposed to wear taupe and light grey - putrid on me, unless mixed with lots of acidic citron, tomato red or bright turquoise. They are right in that I can wear shades of white, bright yellows, lime greens, peaches and orange-y reds. But I am so throwing in the pink and the blue.

You might find this thread interesting:

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....or-palette

10 years ago

nancylee

Veteran

Thanks for weighing in, everyone. It's Day Two of my diagnosis as a Bright Spring...haha....and I'm moving out of shock and into a more reasoned acceptance of this whole thing. I have to say I'm still really stunned that I was able to fool myself into believing that I was a Soft Autumn, largely because I love those colors and prefer a muted, low-key appearance vs. bright colors. That said, I'm also energized and happy to know that bright colors are available to me if I so choose to wear them.

You have all given me a lot of support, therapy, and wisdom through your comments. I do think that I'll have to process this and play around with my closet to see what works and what doesn't rather than toss everything out wholesale and start again.

Angie, thanks for reminding me that color analysis is more of a jumping-off point. Ultimately, it is a matter of knowing myself and my own preferences rather than letting a color diagnosis dictate my wardrobe.

Suz, Angie, Janet, Caro, thanks for the support and letting me know that I do indeed look good in color...even if I've resisted it! There will be a lot of fashion soul searching (and probably shopping, Suz!) in the weeks ahead that's for sure.

Rachy, PPrints, Adelfa, Deborah, ManidipaM, VC...thanks for being as shocked and/or excited as I was. It remains to be seen how I move forward with my closet now...stay tuned.

Claire, I KNOW! I'm so surprised, too. Clearly, my judgment is not to be trusted! (And I love the soft, muted colors of Autumn for my home decoration as well. I always thought that was a good guideline for your own wardrobe. Hm.)

I'm visiting at my mom's until Friday, so right now I'm dying to get home and tear apart my closet looking for what does and doesn't work for Bright Spring. I honestly don't ever see my self dressing in brights from head to toe, but I can surely make room for more color in light of all my new information.

10 years ago

Kristin

Active Member

I know I'm super late chiming in, but I'm a new member primarily interacted in conversations around color analysis and all the posts I'm finding so far are rather old! But I'm encouraged/nervous by your analysis revelation. I think I'm a soft summer or autumn, and am afraid I'm a spring!! I say afraid because I've always been drawn to soft, muted colors (with the exception of turquoise - I love turquoise & all things aqua) and find it easiest to dress that way. I fear that being a spring will be much more work and I'm too lazy...but I want to look my very best! How has being a spring for a whole year been going, I wonder?

9 years ago

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