Does your hair color influence your style choices? - YouLookFab Forum

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Does your hair color influence your style choices?

Star

Veteran

Hi Fabbers

From my last WIW post it occurred to me that my style preferences change with my hair color. Now I am not talking about the color of clothing, that probably clearly does for most of us. Let me explain.

All my life I have been a maximal dresser, loving bold patterns, bright colors and statement jewelry, not shying away from being noticed. I was mostly a brunette and for a few short times a copper or red head. Once my natural silver hair grew in, a couple of years ago, I was suddenly drawn to neutral colors; navy, camel, cool olive, etc. The only patterns I could tolerate were a few specific stripes. At the same time I changed my specs from a smaller silver frame to larger plastic ones. A red pair and a purple pair. I then found I only wanted to wear small stud or hoop earrings and hardly ever necklaces. I put this down to that my hair and specs were a statement on their own and I did not need or want any more 'noise' in an outfit.

Six weeks ago I have colored my hair Copper Red. Quite a few of you like it and I certainly do. I did love my silver hair too though. I just felt like a change. This Copper Red color is temporary btw. Now 6 weeks in I suddenly want to wear color, patterns and be maximal once again. Such a quick about turn has kind of shocked me. Have any of you experienced something similar? Or some other change that took you by surprise?

Dressing

31 replies

Latest reply was from Star

anchie

Veteran

I have been thinking about this too, but not sure if this is case of causation or correlation at least for me. Maybe the same urge for change caused both changes in your hair colour and style?

Star

Veteran

Anchie I was thinking of you while writing this post. Clever thought. Maybe? I was feeling a bit drab. The winter sky was grey, the buildings are grey, my hair was grey!! You get the picture. But I did not see it coming. I had no 'Aha' moment of I need big change.

Star

Veteran

Anchie am I correct in noticing you are not keen on navy any more or your brights? I thought I was going to change to navy from black but it is not me. I have always had 'navy-itis' from a school uniform IYKWIM.

anchie

Veteran

I am kind of in my light neutral phase and more soft colours. I am completely off navy at the moment. It doesn’t help that my husband always ask if I want him to show me his ticket when I wear navy, like I am train conductor LOL

Star

Veteran

Anchie - Husbands! LOL. May I say that your current light neutral phase and soft colours is one of my favourites for you. All your latest WIWs looked so stylish and so good. Previous ones did too but to my eye this current phase REALLY works for you (maybe with your new hair color...). Your outfits are encouraging me to try the colour cream, which has never worked for me but I think it may now.

The Cat

Veteran

No, my changing hair colours have not influenced my style choices.

anchie

Veteran

Thank you so much, means a lot. I have to admit, I could never tell which season I am or what looks good on me color wise and I just wore the colors I like. I may be finally onto correct color palette?

Dee

Veteran

It wouldn’t surprise me that a hair colour change could bring about a style change in conjunction with it. Hair makes such a big impact in our overall look and many of us use it’s colour to help bookend an outfit, it can also factor into what contrast levels we prefer as well.

For me, its cutting my hair that has brought about different style changes. When I recently cut my hair back to a bixie style, I felt a slight shift in my style persona. The hair felt tidier, and more elegant, I could wear small earrings again because now you could see them. Also the shorter length also changed the way scarves looked and felt on me. Before scarves always felt like I had too much going on around my neckline but now there’s some breathing space between them. I also noticed I prefer more simple, clean lines with my outfits now, definitely nothing oversized or too embellished.

Star

Veteran

Dee How interesting regarding a different hair style changing choices! That has never happened to me because my hair has always been fairly long and wavy. Also I think you have brought up an important factor. Contrast! I love contrast, my outfits must have contrast. I have pale skin and light eyes, so together with lighter silver hair maybe I was missing the contrast. You Fabbers are so clever

Star

Veteran

The Cat - You clearly know what you like and what works for you. A great place to be.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Yes, a little, Star - it makes sense to change up a palette when hair changes. AND our moods can change too. I vote YAY for change! Follow those feelings, and wear what makes you feel fab

I went from dyed platinum blonde to my natural darker honey blonde. This changed my palette in subtle ways:

No more watery pastels. They must be saturated pastels.

Earth tones like tan, light toffee, and leopard print look great.

Cream works as well as white.

Emerald green works better too.

So..... I continue to wear my colours - sour brights, saturated pastels, whites, and blues, PLUS the above with hair colour change.

My natural hair colour is more versatile, and I'm awfully pleased with it!

Star

Veteran

Angie Spot on - it has affected my mood! As you are finding your beautiful natural honey blonde more versatile, I am too finding the copper more versatile (in terms of color palette) for me.

The Cat

Veteran

Thank you, Star.

I would like to add that like Dee, I have sometimes experienced that a change of hair STYLE has influenced my style. Shorter hair styles have inspired me to try new, more playful bottom styles and also to be more conscious of certain elements in my portrait area (my best necklines, colours, accessories , makeup, etc.).

Joy

Veteran

Yes, hair color is the biggest factor when determining clothing color. I still have to stop and think what color my hair is. It used to be dark auburn, now mostly white. My choices of vothimg has gotten lighter and brighter. I used to like the murky colors, no more. I want to be seen, not invisible. When my hair was dark, I wore fewer colors and my neutral was brown. Now it is white of some shade, or gray. It snowed last night. The blooms on the apple tree are covered in white, but still shine bright pink. I will wear a bright pink dress with a white sweater or jacket tomorrow to honor them. It is a lucheon day and morning at a local book shop.

April

Veteran

Yes. For several years my gray-covering hair color was a deep auburn. Then it was a cool chocolate brunette. And now its COVID grow-out is natural silver stripes.

My interest in only the coolest-toned colors has become more pronounced with the silver hair.

Star

Veteran

Joy Your outfit for tomorrow sounds perfectly lovely for a snowy Spring day. I was also drawn to more saturated, non-murky colors when my hair was silver to alleviate being invisible. And bright lipstick!
April - Your silver hair is beautiful. I too could only wear the coolest-tones of colors as a silver head. I am curious to know too if your actual style changed with the different hair colors.

rachylou

Veteran

An interesting question! I tend not to wear green, but when my hair was green, I started to much more. My hair is back to natural, black, but I’m still donning olives - and still quite maximalist. But it should be said I’m a little more ‘normal’ these days. Not head to toe pattern all the time… except today, I’m wearing a floral puffy and floral pants lol So I lie completely. Maybe I just think about dressing more normal but don’t do it, haha! But without the jacket - it’s getting hot - it’s just a grey shell and floral pants. That’s tame right?!

Star

Veteran

Rachylou you made me giggle Tame would be a grey shell and grey pants. Interesting that you wore more green when you hair was green and then it actually became a favorite. Maybe I too was also just thinking about more subdued dressing when my hair was silver. I certainly avoided buying new loud items but I think I still wore the ones I own. But they didn't feel right and now they do again.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Hair colour has certainly influenced the colours I choose to wear most often -- but that's not what you were asking, ha!

In any case, for interest's sake, when I went silver, I added more, or at least more saturated, brighter versions of some of the colours I already wore to my closet. At the same time, I also began to wear grey and silver more often, and while I wear colour, like you when you went silver, I also wear a lot of neutrals, and now I always include white or ivory or light grey in any pattern near my face. I think neutrals are harmonious when one has silver hair (or any neutral toned hair) but colour adds fizz. I think it is Imogen who suggests wearing as many colours in an outfit as are in your own natural colouring, i.e. if you have red hair and green eyes and your skin is pale ivory you might want to wear one neutral and two colours. Now, with my pale skin and light neutral hair but dark blue eyes, I usually wear at least one and often two colours but always a neutral as well.

When I dyed my hair red, I wore more green and purple and. chocolate browns (all colours I like and that are in my palette but that I tended not to wear much.) With dark blonde hair, I wore taupe accessories and leopard accessories and just as much blue as I wear now.

Like Dee, I find a hair cut will change the styles I wear much more noticeably. With short hair I wear more high necklines, more scarves, more dangling earrings (more earrings, period). It's about creating balance.

Star

Veteran

Suz Thanks so much for the detailed information and bringing this to my attention. Imogen's theory makes total sense of my situation. When my hair is silver and with pale skin and blue eyes I am drawn to neutrals with one color. Now that my hair is red, with the same blue eyes and pale skin (ha!) I am drawn to wearing more than one color.

Also I was just thinking earlier that if I am going to wear a navy top it should be a pattern, ideally with cream or white, like you do.

It is all about creating balance - well said!

Val

My style changed a lot when I grew my hair almost to the shoulders (I wore pixie all my life) and discovered it was wavy, almost curly.

I can now wear almost any type of earrings, have bigger area of dark color against my face that by itself provides enough contrast and allows to pull off more colors. And more feminine things are also easier to wear.

Runcarla

Veteran

Palette is affected by hair colour, but style is affected by the way I wear my hair.

My colouring is so low contrast (pale) I tend to gravitate towards high contrast/dark and colourful items. I have very few light coloured tops these days. Unlike silver haired ladies and all the fab greys they get to play with, I’ve found light golden beige works best for my faded red.

During the winter half of the year (November through April) I blow dry my hair straight. During the warm humid months, I let it air dry curly. I lean into classic for winter, but find it hard to dress with any edge, or even classic, when I’ve got a mop of crazy hair - so I opt for a sportier vibe that complements or a modern minimalist look that doesn’t compete. If I’m feeling the classic vibe for summer, I reign in the volume by putting my hair up!

I’ve just started the curly cycle, and yesterday I switched out my diamond sleeper earnings for a small gold sleeper loop. It disappears in the curls and doesn’t compete with what’s going on around my face.

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

Carla, I love your "champagne" collection! Gorgeous with your hair! And that is so interesting about curly vs. straight.

Star, after I wrote that long screed, I realized that I often do dress all in neutrals -- if one considers navy a neutral. I know some do and some consider it a colour. Anyway -navy and white (or any blue with white) is obviously a staple. But whether you consider the blue a neutral or a colour, it's close to the colour of my eyes. So I'm pretty much always wearing at least some of "my" colour. And if not, it will be a red, which probably echos or picks up my lips and/or cheeks, because although I'm pale, I do have colour there.

Val, that is so interesting about feeling you can dress in a more feminine way. Just goes to prove something about Kibbe's theories, I think. When my hair is longer it waves and is definitely "softer" and more feminine -- to the point where I feel and look really boring and blah in feminine clothing. I feel I can pull off a more feminine outfit with shorter hair! So that is the gamine in me, I guess. I need the contrast.

Irina

Veteran

My hair color influences my wardrobe color choices but not my style.

When I grew out my usual bob into a shoulder length cut during Covid, my minimal style remained the same.

I don’t wear brown and warm colors much but one of my core colors is black. When I wore my hair mid brown, it was in reverse.

Runcarla

Veteran

True story! I had a passport photo taken with my hair natural/curly. The photographer worked at getting all my hair into the proper sized square, but the passport office rejected the image because my face was too small! I had a haircut booked, so got my hair blow dried and straightened - then had the photos redone. This time my hair ‘fit’ inside the square when my face met the required size!

Sloper

Veteran

Not deliberately but probably intuitively. I’ve had many happy accidents while trying on clothes, that probably inform my choices. The challenge is realizing when certain colors (or necklines or silhouettes) are no longer flattering. The pros and cons of not being very analytical.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Great question and very interesting answers. Like Anchie suggested, in your case, your decision to color your hair and to wear more maximal clothes might both stem from the same impulse. But I also think hair color and style decisions can cause other decisions like many have said. As for me, I think cutting my hair short had a bigger impact than stopping the dye. As Suz wrote, a shorter haircut balances some feminine elements. I also am wearing many more saturated bright colors I think, but the reasons for that are complex .

Val

Suz, I actually thought I was soft gamine, but Kibbe is a mistery for me, I get very confused with it.

When I wore short straight hair I could wear feminine stuff, but more on a edgy, sexy side I guess, not soft and gentle. Florals and flounces looked like I was wearing older sister's, if not mom's clothes, despite my actual age.

Now with wavy bob I can wear "grownup woman" clothes without looking like I am playing dress up.

Star

Veteran

Thanks Everyone! So it seems that hair styles impact quite a few peoples style choices more than hair color, while color palette of clothing is definitely affected by hair color. I only once had very short hair. I was 11 years old and I felt totally out of my skin and had a 'painful' experience growing it longer again. I have never cut it that short again.
I do prefer my natural waves/curls with the copper hair, more than the silver hair. Yet I love other peoples curly silver hair - go figure!

Carla I get your 'big hair' issues. I still have quite a mop but I had a lot more when I was younger. Even now I do not attempt to iron or blow out my hair in summer here by the sea. It lasts at the most 30 mins. One win is my hair became more manageable once all the dye grew out and so far the temporary color has not had a negative impact. I love your passport photo story :). Like Suz I love how your champagne capsule complements your hair color. .

Sloper I think you could be on to something. There can be pros to not being too analytical. Sometimes I thrift a wild card and it just works. I think Carla proved this with her olive faux leather pants.

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