Does your colouring influence your choices of colour combos and patterns? - YouLookFab Forum

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Does your colouring influence your choices of colour combos and patterns?

The Cat

Veteran

While I wear several different colours, I'm gradually realizing that I feel most comfortable when at least one of my own natural colours is included in the actual colour combo. By "natural colours" I mean the colours of my hair, skin, eyes, lips ... In my case, this means: white, silver, grey, cool beige/brown, blue, and shades of pink and bluered. When one of these colours is included in the ensemble I wear, I feel more relaxed and "myself".

This is also the case with patterns and prints. In fact, it was when I started to analyze patterned items that I really discovered my need for repeating my natural colours. I owned a few patterned scarves and other items which--though they were beautiful and contained colours that, worn separately, usually look great on me--just did'nt look or feel quite right for me. I gradually discovered what was lacking: an element of my personal colouring. Funny enough, I also discovered that the majority of my patterned items actually do include one or more of my own natural colours, so I may have made many good choices by instinct. However, I enjoyed the analysis and especially the result: being able to realize not only what functions and what doesn't, but also WHY.

Over to you: Have you made similar discoveries on your style journey, perhaps in connection with changes of your natural colouring? Do you repeat elements of your colouring in your ensembles and/or in patterned items? Or do you have other thoughts and ideas around colour combos and/or colours in patterned items?

Dressing

45 replies

Latest reply was from jussie

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Absolutely. I first learned about the magic of "bookending" footwear and hair here on YLF for outfit cohesion and Angie has also written several posts about including elements of one's natural colouring in an outfit. Imogen Lamport writes about this over on Insideout Style, too.

I wonder if some personalities prefer or need cohesion and integration more than others. One look at me and at my closet will tell you my own preferences! It's all about the blue and the silver/ grey! With a bit of white and red/ berry mixed in.

I have dark blue eyes and I've always favoured blues. Since my hair has gone grey I have also found that incorporating grey or white into an outfit is an instant way to make things snap into place.

When my hair was blonde, I used to wear patterns that did not include white. It seemed that I could wear colour with colour reasonably well -- which makes sense since my hair was a colour (yellowish) and my eyes were a colour (blue) and my skin is pinkish.

But since going grey, I've found that I need to anchor colour with a neutral and to make me happy, any pattern pretty much has to include white, unless the contrast is extremely low and the overall effect is predominant blue (like my new J. Crew top which is black and blue.)

The white seems to "lift" the pattern and bring attention to my face.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

Oh, definitely. Like Suz, I found the “bookending” concept very interesting. My hair is blond and keeping that in mind makes me realize that leopard shoes, for example, can fit with many more looks than I might have thought. And, I used to not like red very much, till I realized that it played well off my blue eyes. All this is different than the standard seasonal color analysis.

DonnaF

Veteran

When I had black hair, I wore a lot more color. Now that I have busy salt'n'pepper hair, I rarely wear color. Black'n'cream and black'n'white prints and patterns call to me as does charcoal. I also wear a lot of gray and gray'n'black which I anticipate will diminish as my hair lightens.

Oh, and the combos above lend themselves to pattern mixing. And lazy online shopping. And a feeling of calm.

Wearing one's eye colors (and most eyes have more than a single color) is supposed to be calming. Brown can be a tough color to find, so rarely wear it. And one's reds (from pink to coral to red to burgundy) are supposed to be sexy colors on men and women.

Anonymous

Very interesting and I like the logic of the idea but I can't say I've applied it in my own wardrobe. I'm fair skinned and I rarely wear white, pink or yellow, actually never yellow. My hair is greying but when it was brown I wore even more grey than I do now.
I do wear a lot of blue and have blue eyes but my eye color is much much lighter than any shade I wear. I very often like blue better on people with brown eyes!

Aquamarine

Veteran

I have very dark brown hair, almost black, and I am happiest with a touch of black somewhere on my outfit. This is easiest with shoes or handbag, of course, but I own a lot of black items. It just feels right.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

You read my mind! I’ve been thinking about this SO MUCH lately. I think there are 2 things to consider: color value (light to dark) and the color itself (tone, I guess).

I’ve gradually come to understand I look best if my outfit contains a variety of value (like, light gray and medium gray). AND a variety of color (add something green, or swap dark gray for dark green— and then add another color too).

However I’m still struggling to remember all this when getting dressed! I’ve recently stripped down my closet to pretty much all solids in a fairly neutral palette— but now I think I need to add patterns back in. Some people look really elegant in monochrome but it doesn’t work well on me.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Second only to Angie, the biggest influence on my way of looking at myself and clothes is the old but still brilliant The Triumph of Individual Style, which uses art work to show how color and pattern repetition works in art and style. In answer to your question, I love black and white that mimic my salt and pepper hair, and certain blues and greens bring out my hazel green eyes. Lately I have been playing to my olive skin tone with certain browns too!

Gigi

Veteran

I can't say that I strictly mimic my own coloring when it comes to dressing. If I did that, I would be able to wear only brown and cream, basically (I have brown hair and brown eyes, and pale skin). But I do mimic my coloring in that I am very high contrast with regard to my hair and eyes vs skin tone, and I do look best in high-contrast outfits and tend to gravitate toward them. I look very washed out in pastels and have to anchor them with a darker color.

Kari

Veteran

Suz, it’s been fun to watch and marvel at your transition while still looking chic and very YOU, even as you eased into different colors.

Kari

Veteran

Yes. As is pretty obvious, I love color.

I like to accentuate the green in my eyes and enjoy how deep, blue-toned greens near my face bring this out.
I avoid most desaturated pastels that not only wash me out, but often make my skin look yellow or grey while highlighting blemishes.
I have a lot of blue-red undertones in my face (learned while trying to match makeup!) and so more blue-based reds (from burgundy to bright red) make my complexion look at its best.
Lips? Well, my lips naturally don’t carry much pigment, so I must wear a lipstick or tinted gloss if I want them to appear. I tend to either choose a shade that echoes my hair color (bold red) or cheeks (flushed pink.)

Kari

Veteran

Many years ago I was blonde and really struggled with color and makeup. I also struggled when I used red dye that faded more brassy orange than cool brown. Finding the right family of hair color made a lot of difference.

rachylou

Veteran

That’s a very interesting thought. It makes a lot of sense... and while I do like black boots and sneakers, I think my answer is no, LOL. I like crazy colour.

On the other hand, undertones are awfully important to me. I feel agitated yet sickly in yellows... altho I really want to wear them often enough...

Style Fan

Veteran

Definitely. I have always preferred warm golden colours for my wardrobe. My hair is very warm coloured. Sometimes it is more strawberry blonde and sometimes it more golden blonde. My eyes can look blue or green depending on the light and what I am wearing. I have golden flecks in my iris.
I feel best in olive green, warm chocolate brown, cream and occasionally burnt orange. I do wear denim but I don't wear blue probably because most blues are too cool for me.

The Cat

Veteran

Thank you all for sharing your wisdom and solutions.

Gigi and others, I didn't mean to suggest that anyone should limit their colour choices to mimicking their own colouring. As told in my first paragraph, I myself wear several colours, but I feel most comfortable when ONE of my natural colours is repeated in the ensemble I wear. I am glad to see that you have found solutions which work for you, and I agree that identifying your degree of contrast (high, low, medium) is also important.

Mainelady

Veteran

Yes, my coloring has a major influence on the colors I wear, especially near my face. My January 2018 Challenge was to study colors with my hair, which I am transitioning to my natural silver, gray and white. I am 9 months into the process. After dying my hair for 30 years, to maintain my dark brow shades my hair is a mix of white, silver, gray and blond. I can still wear many of the colors I wore when I was a brunette, but find that the ones that look the best on my are changing.

Suzanimal

Interesting but I don't think I do it. I feel most comfortable wearing neutrals. I'm very energetic and have a big personality and find that wearing simple, neutral outfits tones "me" down and make me come across as more grown up. Unfortunately, they don't actually make me act more grown up but I feel more grown up when I'm goofing off. True story. I don't think I've ever admitted that to anyone.

I've read about the seasons and gave up when I couldn't figure out my skin undertone. After watching a video by Justine Leconte about finding your undertone, I suspect I may be neutral. I learned a lot about contrast from Imogen and think there's a lot to that but I think one thing these methods don't and can't take into consideration is someone's personality.

The Cat

Veteran

Suzanimal, you are so right, personality is very important. I like to feel comfortable and relaxed, despite--or actually because of --living a busy life, and I appreciate harmony very much. These are probably my main reasons for choosing to repeat at least one of my natural colours. (Actually, I think that you kind of do the same, as you consider yourself to be neutral AND prefer wearing neutrals. ) I guess that if I had a different personality, I would wear different colour combos, e.g. even more dramatic ones, than I do now.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Yes, I find this too! I am pale white with natural strawberry hair that I add blond highlights to, green gray eyes, and because if this natural low contrast coloring, I find prints that contain my skin hue mixed with a slighlty darker shade as my skin are the most flattering, if not even sexy.
The only thing is ... it's not easy to come across prints like these!

The Cat

Veteran

Krishnidoux, I'll admit that it can sometimes be difficult to find prints we are looking for. However, I have noted that shades of green (your eye colour) look fab on you, so I would encourage you to wear more green and maybe make it a signature colour. Also, light warm colours like cream, peach, apricot, camel and toffee--whether solids or prints-- will probably look lovely with your skin and hair.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Thank you! Yes, in fact it is on my 2018 goal list: go for more green pieces. So you are right on!

Kari

Veteran

[does silent jumpy claps at the phrase “more green pieces”]

Staysfit

Veteran

I needed to think about this for a few minutes, and even went to look in my closet. I wear lots of color because it makes me happy, but I don’t do a lot of pattern. My best colors bring out my eyes but are not necessarily the same color as my eyes. These colors include light to medium blue greys and green greys, and light to medium blue greens. Any of these shades look great on me. I have silver toned grey hare with white and cool medium brown mixed, so silver and white get added to the mix. I don’t wear much brown, but I can, and I still have some cool chocolate items from the past that I enjoy. My reds and pinks are tricky. I think I look great in crimson, pinky reds, and some pink coral shades. Dark fuschia is great as long as it isn’t too blue or neon in tone. These tones bring out my lips and cheeks. Finally, I can wear certain blues. Royal blue,
Cornflower blue, and silvery blues. They match the color of the veins running in my arms. Somehow the closer the match to my arm veins, the better the blue looks. Strange right. In any case, it turns out that my seasonal palette works perfectly and has all the correct colors mentioned above. Imagine that! Perfect!

JAileen

Veteran

I have silver hair and hazel eyes. I limited my colors to grey, blue and olive. I decided to limit my colors after a trip proved to me how easy it was to pack and make outfits with just a few colors. Lately I added pale pink.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Very interesting to read this post and the responses to it.l think that some people have intuitive understanding of their colouring and always seem to pick out the most flattering colours for them.l m not sure that it’s always a case if mimicking their own colouring sometimes contrast and complement seem to bring out colours better than a match.I m definitely drawn to clothing primarily by the colour and have to make an active effort not to buy clothing purely on this basis!

Sal

Veteran

Interesting post and I can see what you mean The Cat.

I have seen with hair change colours that different colours and patterns look better on people. And certainly dark haired people wear blacks well and blondes often wear light neutrals wear.

For myself - tan/mid skin, dark golden blonde hair, grey/green eyes - I do match my hair to my footwear (tan/camel/cognac) but rarely to my clothes, I do like greens and blues on me, but grey is harder. I struggle a bit with clothing in the nude, blush, camel colourings - it can be done but I definitely need some contrast with it. So I am not sure.....

I do think people with high contrast colouring look brilliant in high contrast clothes, a people with delicate colouring often look stunning in delicate colours. I am somewhere in the middle of that.

The Cat I agree that you look very good with touches of grey, blue and light neutrals. I can't remember seeing you in red but I can imagine that looking great too.

Anonymous

As I am reading your post I am thinking of the great tips I too have read on this and other sites mentioned. But even more so- A while ago I checked out a book by David Zyla called Color Your Style or Color of Style (same book just published under 2 different names) He has you intimately explore the color of your eyes, skin/blood vessels and hair to find the best colors for you to wear. When I followed the instructions I figured out that wearing those colors indeed garnered the most compliments, made me feel most confident and really forced me to streamline my wardrobe. I make fewer mistakes in my purchases when I follow the trifecta-eyes, skin and hair. You would be surprised what you learn by "studying" your own trifecta!

The Cat

Veteran

Sal, thank you for your kind words. Interesting that you match your hair to your footwear (or rather, vice versa? ) but feel the need for some contrast in your clothes. It makes sense. And I love your colourful style.

Greyscale

Veteran

Yes and no. I used to think I looked good in russet colors that matched my hair, but I actually think they're not best on me (though not bad either). My skin is so fair and pink-based that the autumn colors don't work as well as paler shades.

Of course these days I mostly only wear black, but I've been considering what shade of light pink would be a good combo with my skin. Too pale and it looks like I'm not wearing anything...

Joy

Veteran

OH, yes! I search out colors that echo colors of my hair, skin or eyes. As for prints, I even try to search out those that will add the look of curves to my body... Those that have a curvy look to them. Although I am small, I prefer large prints to small ditzy ones unless they create the look of an interesting texture..

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