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Soft summer and waist surrendering

jussie

Veteran

Hi all…
Two ideas today. One: I am a self diagnosed “soft summer” in the seasonal colour analysis system. Well… we know that’s a rabbit hole, but sometimes I like to use it, just for fun although I’m not a total believer.
Theoretically this outfit should suit me to a tee, according to the system… it probably sits on the borderline between soft summer and soft autumn, but I’m not 100% sure it’s working, for my skin tone, colour-wise. I feel like it’s decent enough, but probably no more so than any other well balanced colour/pattern combination, even from another, theoretically “unsuitable” seasonal palette. In fact I have posted pics 4 and 5, from the “bright winter” palette to compare. I can see in pic 4 the colours are making my face appear very pale, but I feel like number 5 is working.
I can only conclude that because my eyebrows are dark, and my hair has a dark ashy brown undertone, that somehow I need a little more contrast than what a soft summer typically would?
Perhaps it’s just that I prefer something with a little more punch and playfulness.
Anyway it’s very fascinating to play around with!
Maybe someday I will put together four different outfits, one in each of the colour seasons, and post them here for interpretation. Could be interesting.
Also, I decided to surrender the waist today, these jeans are quite high waisted, but this top is a loose-fit wrap, so I let it hang out.
Sometimes I almost think the top is too large… but it is nice in warmer weather to have something loose and flowy.
Any comment or critique always appreciated

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26 replies

Latest reply was from Zaeobi

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I love the fluid fit of this soft and pretty look on you, Jussie! NICE with your complexion, elegant, and excellent in heat. Your earrings are a prefect match

Are you wearing a pink tank under the blouse? Have you tried tucking in that layer?

jussie

Veteran

Angie: thanks for your wise comments, much appreciated. I am wearing a rose beige silky cami under. Yes I could try tucking it in, good suggestion.

Helena

Veteran

I agree that colourwise, 4 looks best! I am also a high contrast summer and I also think personality and person style comes into what looks best. In any case I think you've got a great eye for it!

jussie

Veteran

Helena: thanks for your input. Looking at your picture, yes I can see you seem like a summer but with a bit of contrast! Or a “light winter” lol. But, like myself…. I think you could veer a little toward the soft autumn too.
Definitely facial features and body type probably impact things too. Not to mention current trends :).
The main conclusion I come back to time and again, is, most of us can wear most colours. There are only a few “deal breaker” colours for each person. The rest are all passable, given the right styling.

Helena

Veteran

I think that's a great way of thinking about it actually ... Thank you for that!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Just on first impression #4 is my favorite. But you ask good questions and color is only one part of the equation.

slim cat

Veteran

As another "soft summer" I'd say you can definitely wear higher contrast and brighter colors ( I'm ghostly in black tops - no amount of lipstick/makeup will save me - lol ).
I feel that some contrast is always welcome for slim/petit/gamine body shape - it adds some energy and playfulness to the outfit.
You look great in all pics - it's all in the your daily mood .

Sal

Veteran

I agree totally that most of us can wear many colours-in and out of our palette. But there are a few that are not good on me- optic whites, citron and chartreuse, icy pastels, and blueish burgundies are colours that don’t suit me at all. Charcoal is one I come and go on - as are navy and olive.

I like you in medium contrast best of all Jussie - but I think you can wear the low contrast and high contrast too. Some of it is personality as well I am convinced.

jussie

Veteran

Thanks sal! Medium contrast may be the way to go. Of course there’s a difference between colour contrast and tonal contrast but we could go on all day there! And to be honest, how long would it take a person to find the “perfect” outfit in terms of contrast of both color and tone, colour season, fit, silhouette, fabric and print? Not to mention finding an entire wardrobe of those items. And making it appropriate for activity, climate and personal style? It seems nearly impossible really ;). Part of the fun is the chase luckily.

I understand what you mean about optic white, it’s one of my worst colours too so I hear you. I still wear it though at times, because it’s very handy nonetheless. I would have thought you could wear citron and chartreuse, but I will take your word for it!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This is kin to my recent thread on "style personality", I think...and my own sense is that no particular system on its own can be prescriptive.

My own experience is like yours. In fact, I'm even lower contrast than you, or at least, now that my hair is grey, more "neutral" -- light hair, light skin, mid-dark blue eyes. Yet light low contrast outfits typically drain me of life and energy, unless they have enough brightness (i.e. my recent whiteout outfits.)

I think what slim cat says is correct -- if you are at all gamine, you need a bit of quirk or drama, regardless of your personal colouring. That can come in the form of contrast...or via pattern or line or the cut of garments.

The colours in the first outfit are pretty on you, but you don't seem quite yourself in them. It could be that they are veering a bit warm, perhaps. But I think it's less about their warmth and less about the contrast level than the saturation level. These are very light (pastel) tones as well as being low contrast. If you are a soft summer, you are probably more flattered by mid tones.

Then, too, the floral pattern is very pretty but it might veer slightly feminine for you in combination with the lighter tones. But if you had a skirt or pants in the darker note of the floral pattern, you might feel entirely different in the outfit.

Synne

Veteran

Soft summer are cold colours, the trousers look warm to me? Maybe also the top? There's just a slight nuance to it, but it does make all the difference!

Added a find of a pair of cold beige trousers I own.

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Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

I think you pull off #5 actually! But the lipstick in #4 seems a little dark compared to the rest of your look - perhaps relating to what you mentioned about middling contrast?

I have had a personalised style consultation, where they gave me both colour & body type suggestions. At the end of it, they (CMB) actually gave me a *personalised* swatch palette. So whilst I *say* that I'm a Dark Autumn, because that's from where they pulled the *majority* of my colours, plenty of other shades also exist in my CMB booklet (attached, just in case you find it useful - note the 'Deep' & '_ & warm' headers at the bottom of each page)

TL;DR Whilst my Romantic/ Soft Classic Kibbe type would suggest that I should swan about in floral watercolours at all times, my colouring adds a little higher contrast to the idea in reality

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jussie

Veteran

Zaeobi: thank you for sharing your colours, they are so beautiful! Just a stunning range to choose from. Do you feel that your cmb analysis was useful?
Do you largely stick within your palette?
I think it’s really cool that they gave you a personalized palette with some outlier colours included.
I think my number 5 pic actually works best too, better than the soft summer outfit I wore today. 5 seemed to make my eye colour pop a bit. The soft summer outfit made my face disappear… it may have been a tad too warm too, leaning into soft autumn, or maybe having both the tonal and the colour contrast very low was just too…. Low.

Suz and slim cat: it’s all very perplexing isn’t it? Maybe as you suggest the gamine frame has some bearing on things…. Maybe being slightly smaller and more “delicate” we tend to fade away too much, sort of become very mouse-like and unobtrusive if we are too monochromatic and soft? Maybe that’s why I look drab as heck in all-neutral outfits, whereas my 6 foot, extremely athletic SIL looks regal in all-neutral looks. I’ve always strongly preferred myself in prints rather than solids, I think they flatter me more, and maybe it’s because as a less-solid person I just disappear into the furniture without that added interest.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not especially small, only very slightly. Or maybe having small wrists and hands makes me appear more gamine than I am.
I do think self-concept comes into our interpretation of it though.. I mean as a luminous garçon you can’t exactly be floating around in lavender Laura Ashley dresses can you? Even if it did flatter your colouring, you might look at it and think “blech” because you don’t see yourself as that kind of person. (Nothing against Laura Ashley dresses, I rather like that style but just using it as an example).

Synne: the beige pants are slightly too warm, but only slightly. The top is actually a pale pink, so, yeah you are right maybe those factors just pushed it over the edge into being too warm…

Sorry for the huge essay. You guys really are patient and amazing.

Vildy

Veteran

I think #5 looks vibrant. BTW, theoretically Catherine, the duchess/princess is soft summer. She's got a lot of pow going on.

Anonymous

I think you need the contrast because your eyes are a lot darker than your hair and skin. Maybe navy, brown, or dark green as your dark?

RobinF

Veteran

I like all of these on you but do see what you are saying about contrast. I wonder if different pants would be better with the top (which I love!)? But then again I like how the beige pants bookend your hair.

Sisi

Veteran

I have never understood a pin about these season theories. I took some tests in the past and resulted a different season every time. Haha. That said, I like the silhouette of the first outfit. But I prefer you in the colors of the last two.

Dee

Veteran

I was analyzed as a summer myself many years ago (Okay, decades go actually) and most of these colours are as Suz mentioned in the cool mid-tone range, so they would provide a certain level of contrast when combined together.

Those pants are warm toned, and the pink base of your top is a soft pink not a mid-toned pink, there is also some warmth in the green of the florals, so perhaps that’s one reason you feel these colours aren’t working as well for you.

Your first outfit has a looser, more romantic feel with the soft florals, and low contrast colours.
The other two outfits have a more classic, modern look with the graphic pattern, and cooler, saturated higher contrast colours.

There seems to be so many elements in our fashion choices to consider as we try to figure out why we like some outfits better than others, it can be a real challenge.

slim cat

Veteran

Love reading your essay - especially that part - "I’ve always strongly preferred myself in prints rather than solids, I think they flatter me more, and maybe it’s because as a less-solid person I just disappear into the furniture without that added interest" . I feel similar about prints and neutrals but could not put it in such perfect sentences - thank you for that!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Prints work really well on gamine types!

Your mischievous smile is all gamine.

Not trying to type you, though -- it's always what works for the wearer, as Angie says! And as you said, too -- self-concept comes into it so much. And it's circular, too, right? Do I feel uncomfortable swanning around in pastel LA prints because I'm not that type of person, or do I call myself a different kind of person because I look so awkward in pastels?

Actually, ironically -- I'm wearing pastels on top today!! But not in a floral print. And I actually love floral prints (even Laura Ashley!) but need them to be a bit punchier in colour and contrast for it to work on me. Also I need to abjure the frills...

I think what you and others said about the need for some classic, graphic element in the outfit might be true for you...

When my hair was longer, everything I wore felt too "soft" somehow. I need the modern element of the short cut. You get that modernity in other ways (though when you wear your hair up your features are foremost, which is also a gamine gambit!)

kkards

Veteran

i was thinking along the same lines a Synne..i love that blouse on you, but i'm wondering about the bottoms. i always think there are colors that suit our coloring and there are colors that suit us psychologically. looking at the other outfits you posted here, i'd try the floral blouse with a stronger pant, maybe a red or a green that pick up on the print. or feel free to ignore my advice as i've never had my colors done, and feel like stripes are a bold print.

Chiara

When I tried Colour self- diagnosis, I thought I was a soft summer. I think it’s a common landing place when you realize you have warm and cool aspects, everyone says you must be cool dominant, and you can’t wear much black
Then I had an excellent Colour analysis with True Colour International (Amelia is a SCI-art analyst) who helped me realize I do best with lighter, somewhat warm colors ie light spring.
I have 2 soft summers in my family- but their best colors are completely different. One- tanned skin, blonde hair and light grey-blue eyes looks fantastic in the hazy blues. The other- paler skin, green-blue, deeper eyes and brown-auburn hair looks amazing in the rosy pinks and pine greens. All the colors are ok, but some are just the winners.
In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to my nail polish and lipstick choices, as these were generally spring; none of the soft summer recommended lipsticks ever worked, they were v blah, whereas spring made my teeth whiten and eye color intensify.
You can find good seasonal lipstick/makeup lists (if somewhat out of date) at
http://www.bestdressed.us/blog.....8419651467 -scroll to older blog posts
Cate Linden also did a good series on makeup for different palettes.

Chiara

Ps my take on the outfits
-the shirt in the first is not soft summer in print; I suspect pants might be light spring or summer, shirt also light dominant, maybe spring?
-outfit 3 feel would be bright spring, although lippy and shoes prob veer into bright winter
-outfit 4 is bright winter
I’d be playing in bright spring, given your instinctive choices, and have fun!

Lavender&Mint

Agree with Chiara -- none of these outfits feel like soft summer options.

jussie

Veteran

Guys: yep, I think my soft summer attempt is really too warm. I agree I have been bamboozled by it all….
I think I should just put together a list of my best colours, and stick to it, regardless of what season they’re in!
I KNOW I love lilac, pastel yellow, and cold navy on me best…. No need to sweat anything beyond that maybe?

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

I think overall it was useful - I mentioned on @Helena's thread that it was like having a Navigator help steer my innate direction (instead of a Captain to take over the ship). But please bear in mind:
A) I did a 2 day full consultation (so we didn't just look at colours but the whole package: also body type/ lines + half a day of personal window shopping, to put it all together);
B) I already have a fairly strong sense of which colours I like together (not necessarily on *me*, but combos etc) & I'm fairly OK with pushing that envelope. So my consultation was a little unusual in that my consultant had to keep *limiting* my colours (she said she usually has the opposite problem, trying to add something other than neutrals in others' booklets lol!) You can see the result of that mess in the photo below

She also had to remind me (many times!) that just because all the colours of the rainbow are in my booklet, doesn't mean that I *have* to have them all in my closet (oops, lol). The key thing *for me* is to remember my high contrast levels when choosing the paler colours - I can't wear ivory with mustard, for example.

I have taken the booklet with me when shopping (had my colours done in 2019) but knowing my tonal direction (Deep & Warm, sometimes Clear) helps even when I don't have it with me. I feel comfortable not buying certain colours from my given palette too (e.g. olive & mustard - I just don't like them on me, no matter how flattering they're 'supposed' to be on a DA).

PS -
Have you looked at the Kettlewell website? Whilst they sell clothing according to overall seasonal palettes, I find this subcategory function much more useful - you can filter through all their colours by selecting both the season AND a tonal direction. I wish they had the option for 3 filters (I have to crosscheck 2 searches for my Deep & Warm colours in the Autumn season), but at least it's a starting point (try Soft Spring, maybe? You can then click on the squares to find clothes in that exact shade of that colour):
https://www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk/colours

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