Ignoring a power neutral - YouLookFab Forum

I know some of you do this: Angie doesn't do much with black for her wardrobe, etc.

I saw ads for white summer dresses today, and then compared them to my skin tone, and remembered white just isn't a great color on me. It should be--it is cool, and I believe I have cool-toned skin. But it tends to wash me out. If it is in a pattern it's fine, or on the bottom, or perhaps with a colorful necklace between the dress/top and my face.

I like to think I can pull off cream, but it might be my imagination. Some pastels, and I certainly seem to do better in darks, like charcoal, black, navy and jewel tones.

Have you ever realized one of the basic neutrals (black, gray, white, beige, navy) is not for you? What did you do?

Also: do you know a cheap, free, quick or easy color analysis?
Do you think I could pull off cream, or is that my imagination?
Did you do a Viking funeral, play Taps or otherwise mourn when you realized you were breaking up with x neutral?

My face shot included that I think shows my coloring.

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1 day ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

First question last - yes, try uploading your photo to an AI tool like ChatGPT and you will get a very quick analysis. There was a thread about this a while ago but I don't recall who started it.
I don't wear cream or beige near my face because it truly looks horrible. That leaves me plenty of neutrals to work with.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

My suggestion, Carol, is to ask ChatGPT with a few of your headshots. Ask AI to do a colour analysis for you! We had fun doing that last year, and Staysfit started threads about the topic. It was very interesting I encourage my clients to do that too.

Here is that thread:

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....th-chatgpt…

Furthermore, I think you can wear a saturated type of white! My guess would be a cooler bone or off-white, rather than a warm cream.

To answer your "power neutrals" question:

I don't wear black or grey (anymore, and going on 9 years now). Not even in patterns and trims, if I can help it. There was no mourning on my part. There was relief, actually! I look and feel sooooo much better in dark blue, and that helped me focus away from black and grey. Milk chocolate dark brown - another power neutral - has a small place in my style too. And I wear most of the whites, tans, and toffees.

HAH! Jaime and I said the same thing, at the same time

Lisa

Yes, I have been working on shifting my wardrobe away from black because navy works better for my coloring to my eye. It's a long, slow process and I may never eliminate all black just because some of my items are sentimental. But I've found the shift very refreshing for my style.

I like the idea to use AI for color analysis help. I've never gotten an analysis done, but find the concept very interesting! Good luck!

22 hours ago

bj1111

You hit it.

I steer away from steel grey or light grey—charcoal so much more forgiving. don’t get on with navy or with warm neutrals in the brown family. Finally landed on taupe as a cool brown — love it.

Would be interesting to see Angie’s recs re bone . Not sure I can picture it

Also flashing back to the Frazier episode of harvest wheat

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=.....&ra=m

19 hours ago

lyn67

Problem with color analysis is that our complexion changes somehow during the year, there are quite some differences between how skin looks in full summer having a tan vs full winter, IYKWIM. Not to speak about influences of hair cuts (shorter so more skin revealing on the neck and chest or longer so more framing all over) and color intensity (freshly dyed or showing roots), make up, etc.

Plus colors have to be considered in relation to each other, light is reflected from a color on the other and create different perception of them. Not to speak about the whole color theory knowledge on hues, values, saturation and more...

So IMHO this is a rabbit hole. I don't deny we look better in a color than in other but for me any restriction prooved be so relative and always changing due so many factors, including my mood! In reverse, you can always do a color work if trully wanted -that is the power of styling.

Now about the neutrals and esp.your question about the white/cream dillema. I am too a peson who thought cannot wear brigh white cause as an ashy blonde my complexion was allways low. But it depends on the fabric itself! Too plain and smooth is my pet peeve. Having added texture helps (for ex. knits, broderie anglaise, linen, or even a shine).

And again. I do love a bright white midi dress in a broderie anglaise or mouselline for high summer when I have a good tan and wearing on itself so only shoes and bag to style. And I hate a bright white long sleeve crisp ironed collared poplin button down to a black suit in winter--so you get the ideea....

16 hours ago

Star (Lise)

As a cool toned person black really works for me. I do prefer to wear bolder shades near my face. Let us know how the colour analysis goes. I have never had a formal analysis. One's intuition about what looks best is mostly accurate but in your case it may well help you. Do you feel that silver or gold metals are better for you? In my case I could wear both well but silver was just that much better. Since I've been playing around with warmer temporary hair colours it is less straightforward. All white has always washed me out. Some beiges were even worse. I think taupe, stone and bone could be for you.

13 hours ago

Janet

I stay far away from beige, tan and warm cream tones. A more saturated cool brown can be ok but still not my best. I can wear cooler “griege” but I’m really particular about it. Oyster works for me.

I have zero sadness about not wearing beige — I just wish sometimes that certain items would be offered in cooler neutrals because it seems tan and black are the default and I’m trying not to wear so much harsh black these days too.

It’s hard to tell about your coloring in a photo like this but I think most of us have a pretty decent instinct for what livens our coloring and what doesn’t. I had a color consult when I was a teen and my friend’s mom hosted one of those parties to sell makeup, LOL. I think they got me right as a winter, and I’ve stood by that for four decades since!

11 hours ago

JAileen

My hair is pretty much white, and when I wear black I look like a ghost. So what do I do about it? I don’t wear it, and I don’t even buy it. My neutrals are navy, grey and olive.

Re color analysis: I’ve never had it done. But years ago, when my hair was still brown, a sales person told me I should wear Autumn colors. My hair had a lot of red and gold highlights, and olives, browns, and rusts did look good. But now that my hair is white, I think my coloring is actually neutral. It doesn’t seem to matter whether I wear warm or cool colors.

9 hours ago

Irina

I don’t like too warm cream, light grey near my face. I avoided brown for decades but wear it now, in moderation. When I had warm brown hair, I didn’t wear much black. With my natural hair, I love black on me. I fall in and out of love with grey in general.

I don’t have a set rules on colors, I wear what I like on me at this time. Things change.

I think you can look great in a white dress. Try it in a store with a hat or big sunglasses, other accessories. You need to see it and then decide if it’s for you. Sometimes, even wearing a lipstick changes the look.

8 hours ago

I don’t feel white suits me even though I think(??) my coloring is pretty neutral. I have a white T-shirt or two but when I wear one, I wish I were wearing something else. It just feels a bit alien. Off-white is not as bad.

7 hours ago

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