YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 02 May 2026 11:26:12 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Suz on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401963 Fri, 02 Jan 2026 16:48:25 +0000 Suz 2401963@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ That makes sense to me, Angie! That is how it would be for me, too.  So for you: Red is a fashion neutral, brown is a sometimes useful and enriching colour. Whereas for many, brown would be their neutral.  For me, red is also a fashion neutral. (If I wore specs, I'd happily wear red ones -- after all, I used to have fuchsia specs, and red would be more versatile for my style. As it is, I have two pair of sunnies -- one with red frames, one with silver.) Meanwhile, black is most definitely a colour in my closet. Mind you, I don't currently own any black apart from boots. If I were to buy something brown, it would also be a colour.  For Carla, leopard can be a fashion neutral. I think red could be a fashion neutral for her, too, but so far she uses it as a colour. (What do you think, Carla, if you read this?)  Angie on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401957 Fri, 02 Jan 2026 16:32:25 +0000 Angie 2401957@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks, Suz! You are awfully patient and kind to reply so fully to our thoughts.  Welcome to Team Red Is a Personal Neutral! You wear a blue red with the best of them!! Red, as you mention, has the added advantage of pepping us up with its bright integrity. Therapeutic.  Red is definitely more of a neutral to me than dark brown - which you astutely mentioned too.  For example, I recently tried on a pair of brown and cream specs (at home with outfits because I ordered them). Shape was excellent. The colour was jarring! As soon as I put on my red pair of specs, I felt I was wearing a neutral ;)  Suz on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401913 Fri, 02 Jan 2026 04:24:21 +0000 Suz 2401913@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thank you, Angie -- those links are gold! And yes, you see, I learned here -- dark and light neutral and go from there. And also--evolve the style! I didn't wear many colour adjacent outfits until recently. But I have always loved the look on others so I am dipping my toe in now. Red is basically a neautral for my style, too, since it goes with everything and I love it. But it peps me up like a colour. So it is both -- the way bright blues are more of a colour for me, even if I can wear them with just about anything else.  Angie on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401912 Fri, 02 Jan 2026 03:21:31 +0000 Angie 2401912@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ If you've read through this thread carefully and absorbed the content, you're awarded a Masters in Neutrals, Contrast and Pattern Nuances ;)  Many thanks to all the astute contributors!!! Shout out to Suz for her iincredible wisdom and observant accuracy :)  My 2 cents: <ul> <li>Every wardrobe needs neutrals. How you define neutrals is subjective - so there is that! After you've worked through the definitions, you need to CHOOSE at least two neutrals that work with the colour palettes of your wardrobe. I personally suggest that one should be lighter, and one darker. Makes for a more versatile wardrobe. Feel free to choose more. Here are my definitions. Pass on the neutrals that do not work for you. Helena is dead right! </li> </ul> <div><a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/2021/09/16/defining-neutrals/">https://youlookfab.com/2021/09.....-neutrals/</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/2025/01/08/neutrals-and-your-style/">https://youlookfab.com/2025/01.....our-style/</a> <ul> <li>Your complexion plays a HUGE role in making a neutral look and feel good when you glance in the mirror. It can repeat the colours in your hair, eyes, teeth, and skin, or simply complement them. Blue-eyed people tend to feel good in a version of blue. Suz is one great example. They often pick blue as one of their neutrals - navy or denim. My eyes are green on the inside, and blue on the outside. People often mistake my eyes for blue - yet they're green. And while I feel unhappy in an earthy olive as my neutral, I feel smashing in navy, sour blues, and denim. Maybe because my eyes are blue-adjacent? Not sure. I go with what I feel best in. Carla wants to add toffee and caramel tones to her wardrobe because they're a smashing match with her hair. And yes, Carla! leopard print can be your "personal neutral". Bright red is my "personal neutral" Star, because it's as versatile as a neutral for my style. Hence I have bright red specs! They work with almost anything. I'm adding gold as a personal neutral too. (Jaime recently identified that - thank you!) Gold items pick up the honey blonde strands in my hair, and I like the colour repetition. Suz feels similarly with silver. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>There are MANY versions of contrast, as Brooklyn, Suz and Helena brilliantly explain. There are different colours that contrast with each other, and tones of the same colour or adjacent colour that contrast with each other. The contrast that is created can be higher or lower (value). CHOOSE the types of contrast you prefer to wear in patterns and in outfits. Lower contrasts are quieter and less bold. The opposite is true for higher contrasts.</li> </ul> This is why I suggest:  Your wardrobe items HAVE TO RELATE TO EACH OTHER in the ways that you want them to. Do they create the right level of contrast FOR YOU ? Are they sufficiently neutral, or non-neutral FOR YOU? Are you creating the right amount of tension, or cohesion FOR YOU.  That is one important way you create a desired look Personally, I like wearing high contrast, and clashing colours. I also like wearing colour-adjacent outfits (like orange-pink-red), or all sorts of reds together. Know what you like, and follow your feelings. The penny will begin to drop, and you do these things intuitively, if you aren't already!  </div> lyn67 on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401888 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 22:48:16 +0000 lyn67 2401888@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ A great thread about color-learned a lot from comments, too and I recommend this read: <a rel="nofollow" href="https://tibi.com/pages/the-good-ick-color-is-a-language">https://tibi.com/pages/the-goo.....a-language</a>. Suz on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401864 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 19:11:36 +0000 Suz 2401864@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Lisa, yes -- it sounds like you manage it intuitively and do it very well. Many of your outfits are medium contrast in your preferred colours. Also, you have a fairly large wardrobe, which means you have more freedom in some ways. Still, you have obviously bought well because when most anything in the closet could work with most anything else, that's cohesion!  I don't really conciously think about any of this on any given day when I get dressed, either! It's in the back of my head -- it was how I formed the spine of the wardrobe originally, years ago.  Angie, LisaP -- I will split the difference -- I managed til midnight!  Karen, you might find Carla's posts useful because her hair is changing similarly. It could be that camel does not suit you, though (as it wouldn't suit me, either!) No need to wear it then! Or no need to wear it except for accessories, maybe?  Roberta, so true -- the way we talk about neutrals and colours in fashion is not the way they talk about it in art or science! But it helps to know how artists and scientists think about it, too, I mean if you really want to get into the weeds, as you said. Do you have key neutrals, do you think? Which are your favourites?  Carla, the addition of more cream and off-white would be great for you, I think. I can see how it might be hard to source caramel but in my view, leopard can be a neutral! A fashion neutral, anyway. It sure looks good on you! It works with your dark items and picks up the colour of your hair.  Bonnie, thanks for the smile. :)  UmmLila (Lisa) on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401856 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 18:50:19 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 2401856@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I would say I’m more driven by mood — shapes, colors and textures — than by cohesion in my wardrobe. So when I get dressed for the day, I choose a particular piece that speaks to me that day, and build around it. Even applying this magpie-seeming approach, I’m well aware that navy blue is always going to be one of my best colors, as it plays off the color of my eyes and the pink of my skin perfectly. I know my other good colors, too (e.g., most blues and pinks work for me — as long as they aren’t super-saturated and thus overwhelming; oranges, peaches, beiges and yellows are nearly always draining; and giant high contrast patterns generally get a no, even though I will wear stripes.)  What this means for the closet is that I could at this time of year easily pull a random sweater and a random pair of pants out, and it’s pretty likely that I would be able to make them work together, even though they might not convey the exact mood I might otherwise choose. LJP on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401851 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 18:39:00 +0000 LJP 2401851@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ 2:30 am????? I went to bed at 9:30 ! LOL!  Angie on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401849 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 18:35:22 +0000 Angie 2401849@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Partied till 2.30am last night. Need more tea to tackle this exploding thread.... karen23 on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401840 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 18:09:19 +0000 karen23 2401840@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <div>I am still trying to figure out what works, now that I'm retired, now that my hair has more white in it.  It was ginger color, now it's ginger with a lot of white and it's growing out in stripes which is sort of strange, but I'll take it.</div><div> </div><div>I used to avoid having camel or caramel color near my face because the white in my hair used to "pop".  So recently I tried on something camel colored.  I think I just don't like camel color all that much.  There are plenty of other colors I like.  And this morning I was thinking - I don't have to rush this.  (But I do enjoy seeing what other people are coming up with.)</div> Roberta on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401833 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 17:43:02 +0000 Roberta 2401833@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ SUCH an interesting conversation!I have spent so many years focusing on color in my closet that I've paid little attention to the concept of neutrals. There is a great discussion on Reddit about what defines a neutral: <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/femalefashionadvice/comments/16gx4j3/what_makes_a_color_a_neutral/">https://www.reddit.com/r/femal.....a_neutral/</a> (They get pretty deep in the weeds here.) For example, the idea that a neutral is what makes a different color pop in the outfit, i.e. camel pants and a fuchsia sweater. Or, a tone *lacking* color, like beige, tan, gray, black, etc. NOT on the color wheel. This really resonates with me.  Or, the hue that in your closet goes with almost everything you own. This might even be a tomato red or a deep navy (anyone we know?). And then there is a whole tangential conversation about neutral vs. base colors. The scientific definitions compared to how we actually get dressed! Carla on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401832 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 17:37:06 +0000 Carla 2401832@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ A master class Suz, and something to chew on for New Year’s Day.  <div> </div><div>Black and dark blue are the ‘backbone’ of my closet, but I’m considering boosting the cream/off white content since my hair is getting whiter and whiter.  I’ve found caramel hard to source in quantity - though I’ve done better with leopard.  Though leopard isn’t really a neutral I might treat it as such.  (Angie might have something to say about that, though!)</div> Bonnie on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401822 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 17:16:02 +0000 Bonnie 2401822@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I would love to join one of your lectures in person but this thread is fantastic, too. Thanks for sharing what you have learned, it helps. Suz on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401817 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:42:39 +0000 Suz 2401817@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Lisa, that makes total sense to me! Maybe contrast level is the missing link for you. Maybe you like lower contrast outfits, mostly darker (like Brooklyn) in which case you would enjoy more blended colours like hers. It makes sense with your love of olive.  Helena, I think you're right about "fashion" neutral vs. "personal colour harmony" neutral. We are sort of conflating both kinds, simply because I started the thread and my own "fashion neutrals" happen to be my "personal colour harmony" neutrals -- which does not have to be the case, as Angie proves! (Though note that her fashion neutrals do include some of her personal colour harmony neutrals!)  Star, I  mused earlier on the thread that as i acquire more colour, red and burgundy are becoming neutrals for me, too. They work with everything in my closet (with rare exceptions.) But at this point, I still enjoy them as changes from my neutral blue and white palette. They add zing.  Dee, you have figured this out so well for yourself. I think medium contrast is best for me, too, technically (our colouring is different but close I think in contrast value, which might explain our love for medium blues!)  The title of that book Jaime mentioned years ago (I think) is The Triumph of Individual Style. She goes through colour, pattern, scale, movement, all kinds of stuff in there!  Suz on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401816 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:32:33 +0000 Suz 2401816@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Happy New Year! I woke up to all these smart comments. :)  Helena, I think you are dead on the money about the relationship of contrast to pattern. I like to wear navy (or more often, dark or medium denim) and white together but I do not wear items with large navy and white patterns. The exceptions to this might be my batik patterned summer dress  and my Zara summer dress-- but in the first, the blues are mostly medium to light, with just a bit of dark and the squares in the pattern are not larger than my eyes. There is also enough delicacy in the second dress's pattern that it does not overwhelm me. A dress with a large print sharp navy/ white would wear me. In the leopard print sweater, the pattern is small enough and graduated (there is white, pale blue, darker blue).  The blue and white stripe is a shart contrast and quite bold and does threaten to overwhelm me. But I wear it anyway. :)  For me, it works. I can see another person with my exact same colouring saying, nope, too much.  Anyway, you may well be right with your thoughts on blue and why it feels to you. like a "colour." Brown has always felt like a colour to me and on me. I love brown and used to wear it surprisingly well-- from chocolate to taupe to oatmeal -- back when my hair was dark blonde. But it never became a primary neutral for me. Similar to black.  Then again...Angie has green eyes and while she wears green, green isn't a neutral for her. :). So your neutrals do not *have* to echo your colouring if you don't care about that!  I tend to think hair is the more important aspect of colouring to focus on if outfit cohesion is a goal. If you have footwear and or bag or some other element of your outfit  (could be your top, bottom, scarf, coat, etc.) in the colour of your hair, this becomes outfit glue.  <ul> <li>Hence: silver and/or grey for me. </li> <li>Gold and/or cream (and now she's dark blonde, whiskey)  for Angie. </li> <li>Gold or bronze or brass or light brown for Brooklyn. </li> <li>Black for anyone with black hair. (I am so jealous because this is easy to source!) </li> <li>Red or reddish brown (cordovan?) or burgundy for those with red hair or reddish tones to their hair. </li> </ul> Back to your blouse, Helena -- it's almost a false plain. The pattern is very restrained and while the individual neutrals are high contrast to each other, the dots are so small here they almost blend. Also, part of the blouse is sheer so there is the graduated tone of skin showing through. This makes it "softer" and more romantic. Less bold and graphic.  Pattern scale is definitely its own subject! I have learned through trial and error that patterns need to harmonize with the size of my features to work for me. I think this may be because I'm on the small side, with low to medium contrast colouring. This is how I sometimes (as with the bold striped knit top) get away with wearing higher contrast than would typically be advised for someone with my colouring. This, and adding a bridge.  If I'm going to wear contrast in high blocks (white blouse, navy pants) I willl usually also add a medium toned element up near my face. Even with that knit top, when the weather allows, I will often layer a shirt under or a scarf over that "ties it together" with a more medium hue or sometimes red (a bright that plays its own music.)  Anyway, I steer clear of high contrast large scale bold patterns, much as I like them on others -- because they quickly overwhelm me. Most of this was intuitive and I reverse engineered my reasons.  LJP on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401812 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:22:21 +0000 LJP 2401812@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Helena - interesting observations about the colour navy.  You're right: when I wear it , it's not that I don't "like" it, it just doesn't connect to my skin tone, hair colour or personality at all.  Yesterday I wore a navy Lulu cropped scuba hoodie over a white t-shirt and navy OTF Lulu pants - both castoffs from my daughter.  Black boots, black puffer and black purse.   I was deeply conscious of how unusual an outfit this was for me, yet my husband must have told me 3 times that day how good it  looked !  I give up. I was laying in bed thinking about this thread last night (tossing and turning from the effects of the Shingles vaccine I had yesterday - UGH) and the concept of contrast , which isn't new but one I keep forgetting about .  I prefer lower contrast looks, especially for fall/winter, and will have to keep that in mind when I am tempted to buy something.  Even though I am rebelling against planning, thinking, experimenting,  organizing and focusing on my wardrobe, I am going to have to do some sort of planning for it to be cost-effective and not wasteful. Helena on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401799 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:51:47 +0000 Helena 2401799@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Star, I obviously can't speak for Angie, but I think the distinction between fashion neutral and 'body harmony' neutral may come into play. A fashion neutral in my understanding is a colour that can be paired liberally with just about any other colour - which red does in Angie's wardrobe and style! Star (Lise) on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral/page/2#post-2401796 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:37:25 +0000 Star (Lise) 2401796@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ HELENA I think your 2nd observation is interesting. I get why you feel navy is a colour for yourself . I wonder why Angie sees red as a neutral for herself. Star (Lise) on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401795 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:32:53 +0000 Star (Lise) 2401795@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Good observation HELENA. I see what you are saying. After giving this some thought though I am wondering if I, as one who loves contrast, would even consider your Nye outfit an example of contrast. A bit like SUZ's patterns that read as neutrals because they are in the same colours as her neutrals. Maybe your dotty top could pass as a neutral in your wardrobe? Whereas my red and white polka pussybow top that I am wearing in my profile pic definitely is not a neutral in my wardrobe. Maybe in ANGIE'S it would because red is a neutral for her? I think probably not, because my dots are quite big. Yours are not. I think I would classify your blouse in my wardrobe as a neutral. Dee on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401794 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:28:03 +0000 Dee 2401794@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ HELENA -your observations refernce pattern size and colouring makes total sense. Patterns could be its own separate category, lot of nuances in them to navigate through. Helena on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401793 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:27:40 +0000 Helena 2401793@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Okay and one other thought after looking at your Funds Suz, which is super instructive (it's clear how well your neutrals echo your own colouring and create harmony) ... I've always said for me navy is a colour, even though it's commonly a fashion neutral. I wonder if this is because I actually don't have any blue for it to connect to? My eyes are cool-hazel-greeny-gray and may hair pulls warm. So even though navy is good on my skin, it stands out in a way it perhaps wouldn't on you. I can imagine for you Suz browns might similarly read more colour than neutral, or gray on, say, Brooklyn or LJP? Fascinating! (Quite possibly wrong and I'm happy to be corrected but fascinating nonetheless!) Helena on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401792 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:17:08 +0000 Helena 2401792@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ May I add one other thought I've been having about contrast? I'm not quite sure where it fits but others may be able to help me articulate. Another layer is that even if you prefer high contrast, there are still bold and subtle versions. For example, the black blouse I wore for NYE with the white polkas dots is high contrast in that it's black and white, but not boldly so. Where as if the pattern had been bigger, or if I'd worn it with white pants rather than ink, that would have been a total different effect, even though the contrast is technically the same in a way. As I'm noodling through my 2026 style intentions, this is something I want to play with ... Does it make any sense? Dee on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401785 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:45:40 +0000 Dee 2401785@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh this is wonderful thread on developing the basis for personal style and it seems there could be several starting points. As I mentioned earlier in your post, my own personal style revelations began with a colour analysis, however, not all of these colours really appealed to me. I needed to figure out which ones would serve as my foundation and build my colour palette from there. I then noticed over time that I felt more like me when I wore a medium level of contrast in my colour combinations. That was also a key element for me to finally click into. I also noticed that it could even be achieved through wearing a more bolder pattern, or even with my accessories. After all of that, the biggest challenge for me was sorting out which styles, silhouettes and proportions I felt best in. I experimented with everything from body con, cropped, frilly to boxy and oversized, and finally settled on my current style and proportions but perhaps that's a bit off this topic and could be discussed in another thread. Star (Lise) on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401778 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:08:24 +0000 Star (Lise) 2401778@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I was going to say that I bet those particular items make for great pattern mixing. Suz on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401777 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:04:49 +0000 Suz 2401777@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Star, some of them are "false plains," yes, and some aren't so much, but they are items that include 2 of my core neutrals and no colours so while they are patterned for sure, they "feel" neutral to me and play that role in my wardrobe, since I am happy to pattern mix.  Star (Lise) on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401776 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 06:16:53 +0000 Star (Lise) 2401776@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ What a great thread. Catching up with my morning tea. BROOKLYN you are so knowledgeable no wonder your outfits are all top class. Suz thanks for getting this started with your wealth of information and understanding and I love all the neutral items in your wardrobe, and I get why you consider some of those patterned items neutrals. Are those what is referred to as 'false plains'? Suz on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401766 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 03:20:44 +0000 Suz 2401766@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Brooklyn, that is a brilliant addition/ refinement/ edit to what I have written. You are so right! You've given us a colour master class!  I remember reading about colour and value contrast on Imogen's nlog years ago, and Jaime has also mentioned it as having come from a book she owns or owned....the title of which I am not remembering this moment.  I remember thinking a lot about value contrast a few years back. According to the "colours" systems, I am fairly low contrast myself (at most, medium contrast) and quite light -- so technically, I should not want a lot of value contrast in my outfits. Yet -- at least at times -- i do, and I don't think it looks bad on me if I do it carefully. At any rate, it works with my personal energy -- at least at times. So I'll happily wear navy/white in the same outfit, which are high contrast. But -- right in line with what you said about your own seasonal preferences -- I tend to prefer a higher value contrast more often in summer than in winter.  Also like you, I don't enjoy high colour contrast on myself very often, and if I do it, it's likely in spring/ summer. Something to do with the light, maybe?  Another similarity -- i will use jewellery for contrast. Wear a mostly navy or dark denim outfit with silver earrings, belt, bracelets, for example.  "So, when I add a new colour, I ask myself, what colour family does it belong to in my wardrobe? Will it blend in? This is not such an issue if, like Angie, you have a high tolerance for contrast and colour mixing. That was an early lesson I got from YLF and it was a revelation for me." That paragraph should be required reading for those who want to emulate the way you handle colour!  Jaime on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401756 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 01:54:14 +0000 Jaime 2401756@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Never boring Suz! I am probably one of those for whom harmony is an after thought at best, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are discernible color patterns in what I actually wear (to be thought about). I want to read all the comments and will do so later and also give this some thought. Brooklyn on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401752 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 01:37:38 +0000 Brooklyn 2401752@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks Suz for this very informative post and for the nice comments. I have some thoughts about it. I think before choosing your neutrals (I think it might have been Aida who gave you that advice), it can be helpful to identify how much contrast you like in your palette. I think there are 2 types of contrast. Contrast in colour (colours on the opposite side of the colour wheel are higher in contrast than close colours). And there is contrast in value (dark versus light colours). I think it’s a little easier to add new colours if you enjoy contrast, especially in value. You can always add white to a dark colour. Or black, dark brown or dark blue to a light colour. I like a blended, low contrast palette that leans dark. I prefer both types of contrast to be low, except in spring/summer, when I do enjoy a bit more contrast, especially in value. So white is not a particularly useful neutral for me in winter. My winter neutrals would be black, dark brown and burgundy. Maybe olive. Also denim blue (dark denim). What I try to do when adding new colours is to achieve some slight variation on the (neutral to me) colours that I already have. Lately I have been adding deep wine and raisin (purplish brown) colours. These are a nice variation on my redder burgundies and dark browns. Similarly, I love a teal green. Lately I have been adding more jade green, which is a slightly lighter and brighter version of teal green. It blends well with my blue-green colour family. So, when I add a new colour, I ask myself, what colour family does it belong to in my wardrobe? Will it blend in? This is not such an issue if, like Angie, you have a high tolerance for contrast and colour mixing. That was an early lesson I got from YLF and it was a revelation for me. You are absolutely right that I use jewellery, footwear and bag to pull things together. Most of my shoes and bags are neutrals (black, brown, burgundy, gold). I also frequently use jewellery to repeat a colour in my outfit. I also sneakily use jewellery to add a little contrast. A column of burgundy with a gold necklace feels good to me. A gold or mustard top with burgundy skirt - maybe not. Even though I like those colours, it could be too much (colour) contrast for me. Suz on "Colour Me Neutral ETA: illustrated" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/colour-me-neutral#post-2401744 Wed, 31 Dec 2025 23:45:34 +0000 Suz 2401744@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Helena, exactly! So well expressed. For me, nailing down my preferred neutrals was freeing in just the way you describe.