do you have a power color? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

do you have a power color?

MuseumGal

Veteran

My favorite color is blue, and I look good in most blues, but cobalt is really my power color. I look amazing in cobalt. In the attached pic I'm in pigtails and no makeup and yet my skin practically glows. But here's the thing - I almost never wear my cobalt items. In fact I often find myself reaching for muddy colors (hello brown) which do me no favors, but allow me to blend into the background. I'm a little annoyed to realize this, but also not sure I'm going to wear my cobalt (or royal purple, which is a close second) any more frequently.

How about you? Do you have a power color? If so, how often do you wear it?

This post has 1 photo. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Dressing

47 replies

Latest reply was from Ornella

Windchime

Veteran

You're right-- you look fabulous in cobalt!

I love a rich, deep purple, and I know it's a good color for me. Fuchsia is a close second.

Anonymous

A berry/magenta looks good on me. I am also partial to tomato-red and orange.

BlondeAmbition

Any color can be used to send a powerful message. I look most striking in black with pronounced red lipstick.

Other times I love to wear golds and nudes near my face, with smokey eyes and a nude lips.

Jewel tones make me feel matronly.

Bright colors like orange make me feel like a clown.

Aquamarine

Veteran

Burgandy makes me come alive. It's also muted enough (I.e. Red's restrained cousin) that I never feel like I am drawing attention to myself like I might with a brighter color.

Anonymous

Coral and muted tomato red.

Thistle

Veteran

You do look fabulous in cobalt!

I look best in shades of berry, shades of cobalt and teal, and shades of green. I own a lot of these colors. Almost exclusively. Yellow, orange, red, all do m no favors. Neither do browns, olives, etc.

However, red makes me feel powerful. I wore it when I asked for a raise. I wore a red scarf for a big presentation. In this case, I exchange color flattery for emotional considerations.

Anonymous

You look amazing in cobalt!

Mine are (no surprise) eggplant, burgundy, and teal and I wear them all the time. Aquamarine, I think my mind works like yours because, in addition to everything else I love about them, I like how they're intense enough not to fade into the background, but not super-look-at-me bright.

rute

Veteran

wow! amazing on you! Mine is red!

shiny

Veteran

I said on a different thread, I've noticed a correlation between hormone cycles and how I prefer to dress. Mid-cycle I want to wear attention getting power colors and then the rest of the time I want to fade into the woodwork. This is not really conscious -- though I have become aware that hormones are driving a lot of my fashion choices on a day to day basis.

Cobalt is the perfect example. My coat is cobalt, and I have a cobalt sweater dress, a cobalt satin formal dress, and a few other cobalt items. Now that you mention it, I do feel like it's THE Power Color in my closet right now. Everything else is more subtle and muted. The cobalt really stands out amid all the rest, when I open the closet door.

15 years ago, my Power Color was red - but it had to be a blue red/cranberry. The color of the coat that Aubergine just posted in her K/R. As I've aged, I've found that color a little more challenging to pull off, and I'm not sure why that is.

I wouldn't call it a Power Color per se, but one color that flatters me a lot is pink. Any shade of it, really, but the more blue-based the tone, the better. However, I own few pink items, and those I do own, are more of a sophisticated shade like fuchsia rather than pastel pink. I wind up buying pink items, because it is the most flattering choice offered, but then the item languishes in my closet, because I don't feel powerful in it at all. I feel childish or like an Easter egg or something. Perhaps I really need to get over that.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

You look stunning in cobalt! And how interesting to realize that you rarely wear it and why. I think it's probably great for all of us to understand -- what are our "drama" colours and what are our "harmony" colours -- the ones that allow us to step back a bit and, if not "fade away" then at least not draw attention to ourselves.

And also, which are our most flattering colours, which can be related but might be different.

My most flattering (but not necessarily most dramatic) colours are BLUE (all kinds); orchid; cranberry red; berries; soft fuchsia; teal. And those are the main colours of my mostly neutral wardrobe. I'd like to experiment more with purples and plums; I think they'd be another great set of colours for me.

shiny

Veteran

Suz - we share the same set of flattering colors. I've been thinking a lot lately about what power colors I could add in to the mix -- but in small doses, more as accents and bursts of color. Like in shoes, or handbags, or belts. A bright clear green looks great, for instance, with all those blues, though it's not a color I can pull off easily in a topper.

Helena

Veteran

I think blue (any shade really) is mind - that's the one I tend to get compliments in, and also feel a bit sparkly in Esp. a medium "classic" blue.

E

Veteran

Aside from grey and darker taupes (neutrals I suppose), my biggest power colours are blush pink, muted burgundy, a dusty french blue, and any muted shade of blue-green (there's also a specific shade of purple that is magic on me, but I haven't been able to find anything in my size/style in that colour). I have a silk top in the perfect shade of teal that makes my skin look creamy, my eyes sparkling, and even my hair seems to be become more interesting when I wear it! I wear them all frequently. But since I look better in muted colours, I don't have to choose between wearing them & blending in. I suppose I'm lucky that way, and now I love my power colours, but when I was younger, I was most drawn to the brighter, clear colours that overpower me, so I had to retrain myself to see things in a new light. Perhaps you can do the same over time?

The thing is, when you wear cobalt, it doesn't look bright on you. It just looks natural!

Alassë

Veteran

MG, you look so good in cobalt! If you hadn't said otherwise, I would have thought you were definitely wearing makeup.

(Suz, plums & purples will look great on you; I'm can't wait!)

For myself, I think a bright, deep leafy green is among my best. (Example: green cowl sweater from maternity capsule.) I don't know if that's a power color vs. a flattering color, though.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Black. With white near my face. Also dark gray. And boots. And interesting jewelry from Jill Platner.

Neel

Veteran

Power color? I have no clue! But I think I look best in Jewel tones though. Royal blue, royal purple, Christmas green and rich reds. I would love to have dresses in all those colors (I have royal blue already). Grey and brown is my powerless sick day color ... Lol!

Aziraphale

Veteran

Yup, you look simply smashing in cobalt. An excellent "power colour".

Mine's red, but I wear it sparingly -- normally as an accent against a black or charcoal background. It's not really a power colour in that sense, I guess, but I do wear it quite a lot.

I have an anti-power colour too -- that is, I have a marked aversion to the colour magenta. I have no idea why (it's clearly an assertive colour, and lots of people really like it) but to me it's just so ugly.

April

Veteran

In terms of its making me feel powerful? Black or white.

In terms of its flattering my own coloring? A cool blue-y purple and a muted gray-ish purple are both good.

Dee

Veteran

I love that color on you! It looks great!

Mine is somewhere between a cobalt and purple. I snap up anything in those colors and always feel especially put together in it for teaching, conferences and such.

JAileen

Veteran

My favorite colors are various shades of olive green, turquoise, and taupe. I've recently added grey.

Diana

Veteran

Teal! It's my favorite color, so I wear it a lot.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Black, cobalt & teal. Sometimes white too.

Sage

You look fantastic in cobalt! My best colour is teal, it's the one I always reach for.

deb

Veteran

Cobalt is your color! When I wear cobalt I get the most compliments. It is also 1/5 of my closet so I will say it is also my power color.

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

Cobalt is definitely my favorite color and I wear it a lot, so I'll go with that.

MuseumGal

Veteran

Wow lots of interesting answers. Lots of reds (and shades of), but I'm surprised to see lots of blues too. Also, it's interesting how differently some of you interpreted the questions - from my favorite colors, to my most flattering colors, to the color that makes me feel powerful (even if not flattering).

Shiny, how interesting about your cycles/hormones influencing what colors you wear! I will have to see if I notice anything similar.

Catnip

Veteran

You certainly look wonderful in cobalt!

This raises an interesting question. Is there a difference between a power color (one that makes you look powerful) and a color that makes you look beautiful? In my case, I think there is. My power color has always been navy blue. I look good in it, but it also makes me look strong and competent. My most flattering color, however, is aquamarine, which makes me kook feminine and delicate. Sometimes I wear them together, as in all navy with an aqua scarf.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Fuchsia is probably the boldest color I wear that flatters me - but it's got some girly connotations which aren't always what I'm going for depending on the occasion.

kkards

Veteran

well, as others have commented, you should wear that color more often! fab.
i dont really have a power color, i have power clothes, jackets and pants that fit well and give me more stature and yet are comfortable. i have colors that make me feel lighter and happier, but that is so not the same as feeling more power.

12