Seasons, colour and mood - YouLookFab Forum

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Seasons, colour and mood

Sharon

Veteran

What do you think about "season appropriate colours"?

I had a difficult time with depression and anxiety last winter, and this year find myself being drawn to wearing pale colours and prints, even as we head into the colder months. I think it may be my subconscious trying to protect me from the wintertime blues.

Do you think it looks incongruous when people wear light colours in winter? Or in the same vein, do people dressed in black during summer look out of place? Do you find that the colours you wear influence your moods?

General

15 replies

Latest reply was from yublocka

Kate

Veteran

I wear a lot of "autumn" colors year round. I look my best in these earthy hues, and so I feel my best wearing them regardless of the season.

I think you should wear the colors that make you feel good year-round, regardless of if they "fit" the current season!

catgirl

Veteran

I was never really aware of certain colors being summery or wintery, but in Hawai'i I was immediately drawn to all the bright punchy colors, and back here in the chilly spring weather I'm back to my greys and blacks. I think fashion partly dictates that by creating color trends. It is hard to find warm sweaters in bright colors sometimes!

MNsara

Veteran

Angie had some blogs once about what colors we're drawn to when we feel down. . .

http://youlookfab.com/2010/01/.....ling-blue/

http://youlookfab.com/2010/01/.....-outfit-2/

Everyone's comments were insightful and interesting. . .

I live in four distinct seasons and feel the desire to shift colors from season to season. Thanks to YLF, I've actually acquired 'spring' clothes. Prior to YLF, I figured spring was short and iffy, so I'd just ride it out in winter or summer things depending on the weather. Neither one felt right though. . .

Steph

Veteran

I don't think it's incongruous when people wear colors that wouldn't seem seasonally-appropriate. I adore brights and wear them year-round (I do think brights seem to be more seasonless than some other colors, but maybe that's my personal bias, since I like them so much). If wearing pastels or light colors in the winter makes you happy, or if you like to wear dark colors in the summer, definitely go for it.

I always get a lot of compliments on my brights in the winter, I think because everything else looks so dreary, and people like seeing something bright. And as a sidenote, I have always felt that light colors can be very wintery--think of a cold winter day with snow on the ground, icicles hanging off of windows, and a light blue sky above.

Louise

Veteran

I'm really getting into this this year. Previously I've worn pretty much everything year round just changing the shoes and outerwear to be season appropriate. However this Spring I've got an overwhelming desire to 'lighten' things up. So for the first year ever i've purchased some spring/summer specific things and switched out my handbags and scarves to just the lighter coloured and weight ones x

anna

I live in a cold climate with a big difference between winter and summer. To me it has always been a no-no to wear black or other really dark colors ( except maybe navy ) during spring and summer. When I remarked that I did not find black appropriate for a spring wedding ( in another thread )I found myself in the minority. I think this differs a lot depending on culture and age. I find it almost equally unsuitable with light pastels ( except white and cream which are all year colors for me ) in winter. I guess it feels different in a place with less pronounced seasons.
Colors influence my mood a lot ! Actually, when I became a widow some years ago I suddenly found myself not wanting to wear blue anymore. It used to be my favorite color and now I don't have a single blue thing. Instead I have turned to some shades of pink since that symbolizes softness and love which I wanted in my life.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I lighten up a lot - any time of the year.

rosee

Veteran

The colors we are drawn to speak to us on a subconscious level, as much as they are a conscious decision to wear. If you are comforted by lighter colors and prints, then wear them. There is a color called "Winter white" (a deeper tone of white, not quite cream)!
I tend to somewhat disregard seasonal color palettes and wear what I want -- some brights in winter, some darks in summer. I still can make it look appropriate, b/c fabric textures and clothing styles matter too.
Wear what pleases you b/c it makes you happy!!!

celia

Veteran

I don't think there are season apropriate colors but as we change the weight of the fabrics we wear because of functionality there are some items that are not so functional in certain seasons such as white pants in very cold and rainy/snowy winters.
Personally with the change of seasons I feel the need to wear diferent colors in my basics as in jackets and pants or skirts. I tend to wear lighter outfits in spring and summer than in fall winter.
As Una mentioned summer and sun makes me look at bolder colors and fall makes me look at richer and fall like tones.
That being said there are colors I wear all year around like teal,rusty orange and forest green because I like them and feel good wearing them.

Aziraphale

Veteran

In general, I don't stick to the "light colours in summer, dark in winter" approach. For example, I wear black year-round, because it always looks good. In the summer, though, it's black cap sleeves and tank tops in lighter fabrics.

I can think of a few colours that don't seem right in winter, however. I have a pair of very light wash wide-leg blue jeans, and even though they are heavy enough weight for winter, they only seem right in the spring/summer, with sandals. I like kelly green tops best with the light wash blue jeans, so I end up only wearing that colour in the spring/summer too.

Lynne

Veteran

I love lighter colours in winter, Sharon. They lift my mood and look much better on me than dark! Go for it :). Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked? The last winter was the first one where I took a supplement and it made a huge difference.

Scarlet

Veteran

I do find myself drawn to darker colors in winter and lighter colors in spring/summer. However, I don't think it looks weird to wear light colors in winter. I would say the exact hues are a bit different though. Maybe a winter white is a softer or creamier white?

Aida

Veteran

I've never really changed colors or even fabrics by season (just weight of fabric) until this year. I am enjoying wearing gray/white instead of black this spring, but also know I'll enjoy going back to gray/black in the fall; and will probably still wear plenty of white/cream in those cooler months. Definitely starting to look at fabrics seasonally, though I'm more in the learning and not practicing stage for that. I will wear brights at any time of the year though. I guess I'm still trying to decide how much seasonal color changing I want to do

greenglove

(website)

Veteran

I think it is less about seasons than the kind of day. I feel great in black on a cloudy day in the summer and like light colors when it is sunny. I wear earth tones all year round.
I am the opposite of most- I do not like really bright colors on rainy days- I like the muted feel of neutrals with a neutral landscape and brighter colors when the color outside is bright. Weird but true for me.

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

Bright colours definitely cheer me up. For a long time red has been my cheer up colour. The yellow introduced by my watch and iphone case also help to cheer me up on bleak days.