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More questions about colours and colour analysis

Katerina

Veteran

Dear Fabbers,
There have been some interesting discussions about colour analysis and the different seasons etc. Each time theses come up, I am always quite uncertain about the “right” season for me. I wear colors rather freely and I quite often completely disregard what is “my” colours just because I feel like wearing the “wrong” colour.
In the nineties I had a colour analysis done - the result was that I am a winter, which I feel is right. At that time, they did not do the more exact categories like deep winter, bright winter and cool (true winter). I like many of the winter colours and cannot figure out the closest category for me.

Out of curiosity, do you have similar questions about your own palettes?
I attach a few pictures from previous posts to show my coloring. Any thoughts appreciated.

ETA what adds to my uncertainty is the fact that gold jewelry looks clearly better with my complexion than silver. This is not supposed to be so for winters... On the other hand, I get a lot of compliments when I wear plain black tops - this would mean winter...

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Dressing

40 replies

Latest reply was from Cardiff girl

Style Fan

Veteran

Katerina, you look stunning in black. I think #1 is my favourite. Gold and black are a beautiful combination. There are many different tones of gold. Maybe you are the type of winter that leans warm if there is such a thing.

I have gone for colour analysis 4 times. After all of that, I realized that the colours I wore my whole life were the best colours for me. I am an Autumn. I might be a True Autumn or a Warm Autumn (leaning into Spring) but really what does it matter? I always preferred earth tones and felt that my best colours were olive green, chocolate brown, burnt orange, etc.

I can wear silver and gold but gold is better. I think that is often the case for an autumn.

Katerina

Veteran

StyleFan, you are a beautiful Autumn. From what I have seen you wearing, the colours you wear are gorgeous on you. The earth tones are so right for you.
I think you and I are rather opposite colour wise. Burnt orange, for example, is not a good colour (one of the worst actually) for me but it is perfect for you. I also remember your amber necklace - so lovely.
Do you wear black btw?

Sal

Veteran

I am unsure myself. I think you are a star at wearing colours that suit you Katerina - dark rich colours are wonderful but you also suit pale ones such as blush and grey and off whites. I am sure there are colours that are harder - I do agree burnt oranges and maybe warm browns might be hard with your colouring. I see you in the Dark Autumn/Winter area - but I see no need to limit yourself unless you want a really tight small wardrobe with everything going with everything.

I was diagnosed as a spring in the 1980s and I think it is correct- in general. I don't really stick to it though. I now avoid colours that do not work on me -icy pastels, muddy/dusky colours (such as cool olive green), citron, optic white and charcoal are my least flattering colours.. Black is not my best but I can wear it in summer. I wear gold and silver - gold is slightly better but often silver is cheaper and has more interesting pieces. I can look a bit tired if I wear black or navy with lots of cool colours but if I add touches of caramel or gold or warm red or cream they seem to work very well.

ETA there are some people who are really clear on what they like and what suits them. Style Fan being a gorgeous Autumn is one - Suz being a Summer is another. Angie is a spring I believe and while she looks wonderful in spring colours she mixes in lots of other colours and makes them work.

Kate

Veteran

I love earth tones, grays and cool whites, and most shades of blue. I’ve never had my colors done, I just like what I like & wear that. I will wear some colors in the wine family and most particularly the yellow-green family that aren’t flattering to me but wear those shades away from my face or add a scarf or some type of necklace to draw the eye to my face and away from that delightfully bilious shade I so love!

I know next to nothing about color analysis, but I’m blown away by the variety of colors that look smashing on you. I don’t think that’s true of most people; certainly not of me, but your coloring is flattered by so much. What fun to have such a big paintbox to pull from. I always love to see your outfits, and your creative ways with color, line, and accessories.

All of the images you posted are gorgeous. Nos. 1 & 2 are particularly beautiful, and yet such different palettes.

Katerina

Veteran

Sal, thank you for the compliments. It is interesting to hear about your colours. You look great in slightly warmer tones, I think, and gold looks very good on you. Interesting that you wear black in the summer, is it because you are suntanned and your complexion is a bit different than wintertime? I don’t distinguish between seasons, have not thought of it really. Citron and charcoal are some of my favorites, but not olive so much. I wear olive mixed with brights or cool pastels. But as you, I don’t stick to ”my” winter colours.

Katerina

Veteran

Kate, thank you, you are very kind. Just as you, I just love some colours which are clearly not ”my” colours, but I wear them anyway and try to mix them with more flattering colours in scarves, for example. Right now, I am kind of craving the currently trending rusty browns and other warmer browns and bronzes - not flattering on me, but in small doses and mixed with a lot of black, it might work.

Mainelady

Veteran

If confidence were a color, it would be yours. Katerina, you do have a very good eye for the colors that work for you and also a way to wear colors that might not be quite so flattering. You pair the not quite as flattering colors with with other colors, patterns, textures and accessories to showcase YOU. I think our best colors bring us to the forefront and the colors are part of the supporting cast. Each of your outfits convey style, glamour and confidence. Encore!

gryffin

Veteran

Katerina - you look drop dead gorgeous in each and every outfit and each and every color. I agree you look like a deep winter and you can see how jewel tones and black and white bring out the roses in your cheeks. But so you wear orange and you amp up the makeup and you still look stunning and even warm colors have warmer and cooler variants. Rules were meant to be broken!

My wardrobe was a mess. I bought outfits when I began working. Nothing mixed and matched, I was simply the AT woman in the 90's when their quality was almost bridge. Until one day I found a long black crepe jacket with matching pants and skirt. A cream and black glen plaid jacket, cream and black cuffed pseudo jodphurs (they felt right, I used to show hunters) and bunch of black body suits (bless you DK and the seven easy pieces), one ribbed cream silk sweater and a capsule was born. I have never repeated the perfection of that work/conference/dressy capsule. With one LBD I was fashion gold. A pair of ariat heritage lacers boots, black leather and suede booties and I needed nothing else. That was the moment I began stripping out all the color because I could not manage to coordinate it.

I have dark brown hair, eyes and very pale skin with translucent rosy blue undertones. So that makes me a cool or clear winter fits me best. My coloring requires high contrast and saturated cool color. So although I can wear the deep clear jewel tones well, I'm just happier with clean saturated ebony black, charcoal, pearl gray with a hint of white here and there. The bottom line is to where whatever colors, cuts, silhouettes, accessories, etc that make your heart sing. But I love to see the color on you because you wear it soooooooooo well!!!!

cindysmith

Veteran

1 and 5 are my absolute favorites

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I immediately thought winter when I ready your title, although I am far from a color analysis pro. And black and white do look splendid on you. But as you so beautifully illustrate, you wear lots of color well and I think there is not need to limit yourself. Interesting about preferring gold to silver for yourself. I wear both, and think it is because I have both warm and cool tones in my coloring.

Jane

Veteran

I only kind of understand the colour thing. I think you get your colours right, and the photos show this. I admire your choice of lip sticks especially! The red and mauve stand out for me perhaps more than other colours.

Katerina

Veteran

Mainelady, thank you, you are so kind. You have expressed it so well - the best colours bring a person to the forefront and are the supporting act. I think people sometimes, myself included, fall for a beautiful colour and the colour then is the main character, not the person. I think it’s not so easy to always see that happening on myself. On the other hand - it doesn’t really matter, it is fun to try and vary.

Gryffin, thank you. Your first capsule sound like perfection. And the colours you describe - so beautiful on your winter coloring. I love wearing charcoal, ebony and pearl grey too. I admire your great sense of style and the clear point of view. I had periods in life when I tried to reduce my wardrobe and to create a tight perfect capsule wardrobe with every outfit combination being beatiful, stylish and perfect. I thought it would make my life easier. Not successful, because I crave many colours and the experimenting. I am kind of all over the place with accessories and colours, but it makes me happy. But to successfully break the rules you have to master the rules, and it is why I still try to figure the right pallet for me.

Katerina

Veteran

Shevia, thanks. You have such beautiful coloring, in particular with your gorgeous hair. I can imagine you can wear both gold and silver very well.

Jane, thank you. Very valuable feedback.

jussie

Veteran

Hi Katerina, I see you as a bright winter. I don’t think you have much in the way of autumn colouring. Yes your eyebrows have a slight warmth to them, but it’s overpowered by your very cool skin and hair. Hair is the largest area so has the most impact, with skin a very close second.
Enjoy your beautiful cold and bright palette! Lucky you

lyn67

Veteran

OMG, you look fab in all!
Certainly we all have our fave/flattering colors but I've said it many times, I just think all colors, shades and hues can be worn succesfully with the adequate adjustments regarding magnitude, pairing and complements. It just needs to be well grounded and compiled. Color can be perceived flattering due to many factors matching visuals, personality, moods, style &trends, environments and wheater etc. or just occuring in a great unity of elements.
You do these all so well --that's why you cannot decide!:-)

jussie

Veteran

I should add I totally agree with Lyn67- any colour can be worn very successfully!

Style Fan

Veteran

I find colour such an interesting topic. To answer your question about wearing black, Katerina, I rarely wear black. I love black on but not on me. I do have black Yoga clothes (hard to find non-black leggings that I like) but I try to stay away from the lure of black.
I do love amber jewellery. I am trying to limit myself because I wear so little jewellery these days.

Toban

Veteran

Another chime in for bright winter. You look amazing in crisp clear rich colors. You also have a knack for incorporating colors outside your palette when you mix them with ‘your colors’. My least favorite color on you was the orange (you’re neutral to cool, not warm), but even that looked great because of your accessories.

RobinF

Veteran

I also find color analysis a little confusing. I am pretty sure I am not a winter but I do wear a lot of black and I think it looks good. And I also like silver or gold jewelry equally well. I think for me I need a lot of contrast because I have dark hair and pale skin and without contrast I just look faded. It does look to me like you are a winter, even the orange top (love that look!) looks to me like it is a clear winter-y orange. Whatever season you are though, you pick colors that really look great so you're doing it right!

Christina F.

Veteran

Eh, I've never really bought into the color analysis thing. Maybe it's because I don't fit into a neat box, since while my hair is medium brown (when not dyed reddish), my eyes blue and my skin pale, I do have a yellow undertone. I too can wear most colors, though I certainly prefer certain ones, and to have high contrast in a lot of my outfits. I think you have enough of a sense of which colors work on you that you don't need a framework to tell you about them, but if you're craving one, that's valid. Your outfits are certainly successful already!

I will say that I went off wearing grey recently, and I think it may have to do with dyeing my hair. So I guess that whatever I was, it has shifted a bit.

Anonymous

My favorite on you is the red, and least the grey, so im thinking bright winter also-winter moving towards spring! You can definitely carry high value contrast and saturated colors!
Im the stereotypical dark autumn, but lean warm. In some light (or with redder hair) i look more of a true autumn.
I think the easiest way to see color seasons is in contrast to other people.
Mr suntiger and i are both autumns, for example, but his coloring is much more neutral than mine. Im overall darker, and more saturated.

Anonymous

You naturally gravitate toward colors in your outfits that look fabulous on you. I think most people have a mix of warm, neutral and cool colors in their skin, hair and eyes, which makes color seasons difficult. It is all constantly changing too. A little sun tan or lack of it and a bit of wind burn changes skin. Hair and even eye color can change with age. I suspect that getting the neutrals right is the most important.

rachylou

Veteran

The gold/silver thing is difficult. I think the thing about it is, gold jewelry and silver jewelry can be very different in terms of style. They give off such different ‘vibes.’

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You are a gorgeous Winter, Katerina. You wear typical non-Winter colours as well because you ADD your best colours to the palette, create high contrast, and wear make-up. Makes all the difference.

anchie

Veteran

I am no color expert, but I agree that you have Winter coloring. You look stunning in bright cool and clear colors. Interesting about jewelry- does your skin have yellow or pink undertones? When you look at your veins- are they blue or green?
I could never tell which season I am. My eyes are very similar color to yours and my hair was dark as yours before it turned gray. That would make me winter, but my skin definitely has yellow undertone and gold jewelry looks better against my skin. But to make things easier I decided that silver is my color because it goes great with my hair, but I question that decision from time to time.

abc

Veteran

Just chiming in to say 1- you are gorgeous and photo 1 is my favorite! Stunning.
It’s funny bc we look very different but I think our colors are similar, if not the same. I need high saturation and high contrast. I admire neutrals on others. They don’t work well on me, I suspect you’re the same.

Katerina

Veteran

Thank you ALL so much for the feedback and for the interesting ideas and all wisdom about colours.

Jussie, you are right, my eye brows are a bit warmer tone in the pictuRres than my hair and skin, but I think it is due to the eyebrow shadow colour I am currently using. It is supposed to be taupe, but it is slightly warmer than my natural brows, which are cool brown almost like my hair. I dye my hair to cover some grays, but the colour is very close my natural dark brown colour.

Lyn67, I agree - colour can be perceived flattering for many reasons - I think personality is one of the most important ones.

Toban, yes, the orange is the most difficult for me to style too. It needs more work to make it work.

RobinF, so interesting that you wear black well but not a Winter... Hm, I wonder what season you could be... Is your skin tone warm or cool?

Christina, you have such lovely colouring... I agree that changing the hair tone even ever so slightly can change the way colours look ... I was wondering what would happen if I would stop with hair colour and let my hair be - it would probably be some kind of salt and pepper. I would probably look a lot better in silver toned jewelry than gold...and probably other colours.

Suntiger, good point. It becomes much clearer when comparing with other people's colours. My sister, for example, has very similar hair colour and eyes to mine, but her skin is lighter and more porcelain pink compare to mine. Some colours look good on both of us, such as fuchsia, some jewel tones etc., but some that are lovely on her don't work on me and vice versa. It is most apparent when it comes to make-up.

Yes, Joy, what a good point about the neutrals. Mine are kind of all over the place as well, but there are some I don't wear because they are really unflattering. Typically some shades of gray and most shades of beige are impossible close to my face.

Rachy, this is such a good point about the gold and silver jewelry giving off different vibes. Recently, I kind of fell in love with a pair of gold earrings by Georg Jensen, tried them on and loved them. Had not planned on spending that kind of money, so I tried the same design in silver, thinking I would get "the same" design for a lot less money. They looked totally different on me than the gold pair, and it was not only about the colour. The silver pair sort of "dissappeared" while the gold popped. I have not bought any, but it was an interesting experience.

Helena

Veteran

Hi Katerina, as I've mentioned elsewhere (sorry to be repetitive), I'm now of the school of thought that for most of us, the main season (or even dominant temperature - warm/cool) is plenty to work with, since even the most refined palettes still generally need to be customized to suit the individual. That said, you are one of those people that I have an immediate color analysis reaction to (not to say I'm right as I'm no expert!), and mine was bright winter - I can't fathom a color so bright or strong that you couldn't fully balance it with your crisp, clear, strong natural coloring.

I agree with everyone who has observed that you have a knack for color and making it flattering, regardless of whether it's in your palette or not though!

Katerina

Veteran

Thank you, Angie. Winter it is.

Anchie, you look so gorgeous in the grey hair. Silver is great with your hair, but maybe you can wear both silver and gold well. My skin is more neutral than pink, my best make-up foundation is neutral light beige. So I guess my skin is actually pale neutral. Silver toned jewelry kind of "dissappears" against my skin while gold popps. My veins are blue, though.

ABC, how fun, waving at you, colour twin!

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