Finding best colors?

Helena

Hi there, I have loved this site for a while, and finally have signed up!

I am hoping to ask the community how they figure out which colors to wear. I've tried so many different systems, etc. and they all tell me something different, or I don't fit any categories properly (e.g. seasons - my hair, eye, skin, and personal preferences all dictate different ones!)

I've followed Angie's advice about brunettes and blue, which I think is right, but can't have just the one color in my wardrobe (or can I????)

Love anyone's input and ideas; thanks!

12 years ago

Dressing

5 replies

Latest reply was from Helena

Anonymous

I actually had my colours done by someone who specialised in personal colour analysis and after trying all the fabric shades I was found to be soft autumn. I found it very useful but if you don't want to go down that route I have heard people say that if you study all the tiny flecks of colour in your eyes and also in your skin they will give you clues as to the right tones and colours. If you really are a proper deep brunette then blues do suit but don't forget there are a million different tones of blue. Every colour can have tones of it that are either warm or cool; and bright or muted. As for personal preferences, well, I used to love the colour lilac but I never really looked well when I wore it. Then, once I started to wear colours that made me glow and look well I went off lilac and now I can't bear it!
What I could suggest is that maybe you get all your clothes out and try them all next to an un-made-up face, in good natural light and really study how you look in certain tones and shades. When you look at someone wearing a colour that suits them you should actually notice how well the person looks and not just notice the colour because that's a sure sign that the colour is wearing you and not the other way round.

12 years ago

Anonymous

After many tries over the years, I don't believe in any of the systems except as a starting point. the best way is to hold up different colors to your face in good natural light with no makeup and see what makes you glow and what drags you down. There will be lots of just OK colors. It may help to have a friend assist in this. Look at the subtle shades in your eyes, lips, hair, and of course skin. It helps to try to find whether warm (with yellow undertones) or cool (with blue undertones) work best, but even that isn't always accurate. Some colors look pretty good on everyone, like turquoise, cherry red, and ivory. Pay attention to how bright or dull, saturated or greyed down your best colors are on you. Lots of these things change with time and with your hair color or sun tan. Good luck, but take any system with a bit of skepticism. We are all so unique after all.

12 years ago

Helena

Veteran

thanks to you both; i appreciate your insights!

12 years ago

T-Rex

Veteran

If you consistently get compliments when wearing a particular item of clothing, especially if the compliment is about how good *you* look in it, make note of it.

Joy has the right idea. Have a friend (or two or three) look at you in many different colors. You don't even need many clothing choices to do this. Just drape fabric under your face and around your shoulders. A color that looks good on you will make you look healthy and awake. Your skin will look smoother and your eyes brighter. So make sure your friend is observing the effect the color has on you, and not the color itself. In fact, you could get a group of friends together to do this for each other some time, and make a party of it.

Diane is right that two similar colors may have very different effects when you wear them, based on subtle differences in tone. So don't be too quick to completely write off a particular color. You may just need a different version of that color.

There are a handful of colors that look good on virtually everyone. Google up "universally flattering colors" and see what you find. I seem to recall colors like teal, eggplant, and a particular shade of peachy pink are on the list. I've seen the magic colors like this can work in person. I used to manage a store that sold coats. We had two different coats, one a swing coat in a mid tone warm pink, and a trench coat in a pale aqua. I put those two coats on literally every woman willing to try them on, no matter her age or skin tone. And every woman who tried them on looked terrific in them. I think the key to these colors is that they straddle the line between warm and cool.

If there is a particular color that you love, but which doesn't love you, you may still be able to wear it as long as it isn't near your face. If you do wear such a color in a skirt, or pants, or shoes, I suggest making sure that the color you wear on top is especially flattering on you, just in case.

12 years ago

Helena

Veteran

You ladies are so knowledgeable! Thank you! I will take all your advice and use the systems as a starting point - I do get compliments when I wear blue, as well as pale and hot pink, and dusty lavendar (and I love all these). Gray, on the other hand, I've never felt great in or gotten compliments, although supposedly this is one of my best colors. I love the idea of universally flattering colors too - sounds perfect!!! Will look those up. Thank you!

12 years ago

Category