Orange nostalgia

3style

I'm 43 years old and I feel like the older I get, the worse orange looks on me. I'd describe my personal coloring to be at the border of warm and cool. The usual advice about using orange away from the face doesn't really help me. I like the feeling of wearing cozy autumnal shaded sweaters, woolen scarves and hats and all of this type of knitted stuff that can match the autumnal landscape. Crisp orange, like one might find it leather items, isn't something that I am drawn to nowadays.

I miss orange and I keep thinking that I can get a similar effect from using rose gold, which is a lot more flattering now. But in practice I feel that most rose gold items are either OTT or very expensive.

So, this post is kind of a "straw poll survey" wondering if other people feel similarly that they are aging out of successfully wearing orange.

6 years ago

Dressing

10 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Not aging out of it, personally -- I've never worn it terribly well. I mostly enjoy it in prints, and I think I wear rusty shades better than bright orange, but I suffer the unflattering factor when it comes to my favorite bicycling jersey or my favorite team colors. Otherwise, I'm better off sticking with orange in smaller bits.

It's funny, though, I feel like my coloring might be shifting a little warmer with time, not cooler. I think I'm a little more neutral than i used to be, as my skin tone seemed more cool pink when I was younger.

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6 years ago

Joy

Veteran

Aging just changes your coloring. I am over 70 and can wear orange for the first time ever. I wear both warm and cool colors, but warm ones are more reliable these days. Orange may be looking worse on you, but don't give up on it. Try different shades like a deep burnt orange or bittersweet, copper, or peach or corals.

6 years ago

Katerina

Veteran

I have not been wearing orange until recently; I am 47. Most orange colours do not suit me very well. However, lately I could not resist a couple of jackets I came across, one in leather and one in thick silk. I have a lot of black in my wardrobe and black suits me very well. I wear the jackets with black silk blouses and black trousers and shoes and a patterned scarf or large jewelry. The outfits are rather bold, but the black provides some depth and kind of “neutralizes” the orange. I am still getting used to the orange though, but I do not want to give it up. It is all about having fun, right? And some pieces are just too fun to resist ....

6 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

No. I love orange, and continue to wear it at 47.

6 years ago

Cardiff girl

Veteran

No, in fact I m doing the reverse ,I m aging into orange (and sequins!).I know what you mean though ,ones colouring changes as you get older.not just hair colour but skin fades as well so I guess it depends on your colouring as to what looks good on you. I m blonde so fading lighter as I go .I tend to go for bright mid tones now to put some colour back and avoid black which is draining.

6 years ago

Kate

Veteran

I love orange, and continue to wear it. However, true red was never a flattering color on me, and I always avoided it unless last year when I bought a red wool coat, and found it looked unaccountably good on me. I later in the season added a chunky wool sweater in red and a sleeker one this winter.
I think Joy must be right; aging does change your coloring. I just hope it never causes orange to swear ar my complexion. I’d be crushed!

6 years ago

The Cat

Veteran

Well, I aged out of it more than 40 years ago. It doesn't matter, as clear orange was never a favourite colour of mine. Anyway, for years I continued to wear rust and deep burnt orange, which I liked much better. However, with my silver hair and other cool personal colours, I now look and feel best in cool colours.

Nevertheless, I sympathize with your feelings. And I second Joy's suggestion about trying peach, deep burnt orange and similar shades instead of clear orange.

Perhaps you can still wear orange as part of a pattern or print? Or how about orange jewellery? It doesn't need to take up much space or dominate your outfit, but it will still give you a glimpse of a favourite colour.

You could also choose orange nail polish. Personally, I like to paint my toe nails in a bold colour, and when looking at my feet (even if it nearly only happens in the shower, now that it's winter and I wear layers of hosiery most of the time), a fun colour always make me smile.

6 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I agree that aging changes your coloring. Years ago when I did my colors, I was a clear summer. Last night I looked at a very short “quiz” that included sample hair colors. The one that matched mine exactly put me in the winter category.

I think Angie and anyone else with a Dutch connection is an exception to conventional orange-wearing ability.

6 years ago

3style

Veteran

Belated thanks to everyone who replied to my straw poll. Technical issues on my end meant that somehow I only saw Janet's post originally. I'm glad I checked back to be sure.

I have been thinking about this and I've come to the conclusion that I am maxed out on orange because the previous owners of the fixer-upper which I bought two and a half years ago was previously inhabited by some serious orange lovers. We have been busy with other priorities and haven't done as much on the house as we were hoping to do. I still have an orange home office and some orange bathroom trim paint as well as lots of coral/peach exterior trim to paint over with other colors. As a result, at this point orange just reminds me of undone projects and is not at all a happy color. Likewise, I have a number of living room furniture pieces that came over from the old place. There are a few with some orange which are getting a bit bedraggled and I don't want to change them until we repaint....

6 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I purged my orange a couple of years ago. It was feeling too bright and harsh to me. Not necessarily unflattering, but it didn’t suit my mood. I’m not sure if I regret this or not. Angie uses it so successfully and I have nothing to work with now when she inspires. But when I simply think about orange alone, I don’t feel it. I’m more comfortable with orangey red. However, I have an orange lamp that I love...

6 years ago

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