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Updating style - how to choose colors?

StyleDetective

Hi everyone

This year I want to update my look and I was hoping I could ask all you stylish YLFers for advice

For years, my outfits have consisted of the same formula - fit and flare dress, cropped cardigan, belt and ballet flats. It's a look I'll always like, but it's also a look that came from a lot of insecurity about my curvy bottom half, and my appearance generally. At this point I want to diversify and incorporate pieces like jeans, boots, moto jackets and fitted blazers. Not to mean pointy toes and pencil skirts.

I've thought of a style statement, which is Bold Feminine. What I am stuck on is colors. I was trying to work out what colors would flatter me, so I started reading about seasonal color analysis... at first I liked the idea, but now I'm just confused. I can't work out for the life of me which season I am, which red is 'my' red, what my undertones are etc.

It's really throwing me, as I don't want to buy things that are 'wrong' - I have a perfectionist streak and can get stuck when I'm not sure how to do things correctly.

So I wanted to ask - how do you choose colors to wear? Do you think it's important to use a color system, or is it ok to just go with what looks good when you try it on, or whatever your eye is drawn to?

Thanks so much!

Dressing

22 replies

Latest reply was from Keix

Toban

Veteran

Diana, You have great instincts for flattering colors in your current wardrobe. I’d start with identifying which colors in your wardrobe make you feel fab and focus on those and their complementary colors.

Roxanna

Veteran

I think Toban's idea is a great one. Which colours do you love? Share those with us and maybe we can suggest a pallette around it.

I hope @torontogirl will weigh in - she's done a lot of thinking in this area.

Liz

Veteran

No, I don't think it is important to choose a color system. It can be useful, and some people find it FUN.

If you think it's fun, then, sure, spend time exploring it. But trying to do it because you want to do things correctly is, in my opinion, a recipe for frustration. Not to mention going way far down the internet rabbit hole and staying there. Colors are art, not science.

I think it's perfectly fine to stick with colors you love that make your skin and eyes light up when you put them on -- you don't have to learn and parse color systems to do that. There will also be a few colors that make you look ill. Don't wear those. : ) The rest will be somewhere in between. Wear them if you like them. Keep it light and fun. It's just clothes.

lyn67

Veteran

Welcome to the YLF, Diana! I personally was never good at guessing where to belong ref my coloring, it depends on so many factors, so rather went with my guts(& needs!:-)). I am a visual and creative person who loves bright colors, but meantime am a low contrast face and anyway, age and status will also put boundaries on what being able to wear. Still, I advice you to browse on the web for IRL picties with what some other people are wearing and save the ones you like, that way you'll get some kind of inspiration board to start with. So you can look, find and try on those colors for you.
Then, think on what you want or need to project with your style &colors. Reading about the power of contrast or that of a column of color will be useful, too- and as an advice, repeating your hair, skin, teeth or eyes color will always look good on you (as your neutrals, in a pattern or accessories). There is so much to say....Hope others will say it better than me!
Anyway, wish you good luck with updating your look with new colors and silhouettes, this will be very exciting!:-)

StyleDetective

Oh wow - thanks for the quick replies, guys. I wasn't expecting that!

Liz... I think I have officially cooked that recipe/gone down that rabbit hole oh dear. I like your more relaxed and intuitive approach, because I've seriously gone slightly batty reading about various systems and staring in the mirror trying to apply them.

Toban and Roxanna - I think at the moment the four colours I'm really obsessed with are black, silver, magenta and cobalt. I can't get enough of them! Plum, chocolate and bronzed gold are also favourites of mine.

I've attached a few pics, the shoes are recent purchases and the dress (which is more purply in real life) is a wardrobe workhorse. The magenta shoes are an Angie pick.

Thanks again for the quick and helpful replies.

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StyleDetective

lyn67, thanks for the lovely comment. I very much like your suggestion to look for whole outfits that I appeal... I think I get very caught up in the particular colour in isolation, rather than seeing the bigger picture of an outfit. Great tip.

For my coloring - I like the idea, but right now I'm struggling to see my natural coloring as desirable... updating my style is causing me to see just how many negative feelings I have toward my experience. But I like it as an idea to work toward for when I feel more comfortable with myself.

Liz

Veteran

I'm intrigued that the two sets of colors you like are so different:

silver, black, magenta and cobalt -- these tend to be strong, high contrast, cool-to-cold colors.

plum, chocolate, and bronzed gold -- this collection is mid-tone and very warm.

What is your natural coloring? I'm wondering if, because you don't like your natural coloring as much, if you are being drawn to a set of colors that look great on the coloring that you would prefer?

StyleDetective

Liz - I know... I'm so confused!

My natural coloring is very dark hair, very dark eyes, and pale skin. I really hate admitting I've struggled with it, because intellectually I am a big believer in diverse forms of beauty. If I'm honest, though, even as as a kid I thought I 'should' have lighter hair/eyes and more tanned skin.

This is kind of a hilarious way to show you my coloring without showing you my face... but here is me at a party a few years ago, having fun with a pinata

p.s. If I don't reply for a few hours, it's because it's quite late here in Australia... nearly bedtime!

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texstyle

(website)

Veteran

From your image and what you've shared so far, maybe you could try adding deep teal or a forest green leaning towards blue, ruby red and more plum? Which white/light colors do you currently have and enjoy in your dresses? (if any) Whichever suits you best would be what to look for in that category. I've found that my colors have changed very little over a long life - even with my hair whitening with age it still has the same undertones and my skin so far seems to be the same.

Gaylene

Veteran

It’s possible to adore color combinations which don’t compliment your hair and skin tone, so being drawn to a certain set of colors should be just a starting point. My own color philosophy is that, for many of us, contrast and skin undertones are easier concepts to work with when it comes to dressing ourselves.

Your dark hair and pale skin are high contrast, while someone with lighter brown hair and tan skin would be medium to low contrast. That’s why the high contrast of your piñata outfit works so well for you; if you had chosen a low-contrast outfit of pastels, the vibrancy of your hair and skin tones would have lessened.

Skin undertones are also important. Do you look better in pure white (bluish undertones) or a creamier white (yellowish undertones). If the former, then you’ll come alive in a cool color palette. If a creamy white works better, then you might want to experiment with a warm color palette.

Once you figure out your contrast and undertones, then you can be guided by your eye and your feelings. Color is very subjective and it’s fine to break the rules if the result makes you happy. As someone who had very similar coloring to yours when I was younger, I happily wore colors which should have been “mistakes” but which garnered lots of compliments. One of my all-time best dresses was yellow sundress with white trim. What made it work was the optic white trim next to my skin and the cool/almost citron hue of the yellow, the light tan on my skin after a summer of hiking (slightly masking the bluish undertones of my skin), and the brilliant summer sun (highlighting the contrast of my dark hair and white/yellow dress). In the dull light of December with my winter-pale skin, the dress lost much of its appeal.

Figure out your contrast level and your skin undertones, but don’t automatically write off colors until you actually see them on you. Chocolate, black, and silver in the right combination can look marvelous on someone with your coloring, as could bronzed gold, cobalt, and white in the bright sunshine of summer. In your case, keep the contrast high, have at least one of your preferred palette colors in the outfit (maybe next to your skin or face ?) and then play around with color instead of trying to fit into a regimented system.

Sara L.

Veteran

I have a hard time with color analysis too. Different websites recommend different seasons or sub-seasons and it gets very confusing. I've given up and just go with what I like. There a few colors (soul sucking beige for one) that look terrible on me and I stay away from them.

Anonymous

They say that if you look at the items you wear the most they will give you an idea of what colors you will look good in.supposedly your current wardrobe will hold 60% of colors in your ideal palette if you have not done color analysis before.
I would suggest you go to Pinterest fashion colors that are divided by warm and cool and further divided by 4 seasons and broken down in even more detail. See which palettes speak to you the most. Then go
“ play shopping “ just to try colors that make you look and feel great.
I found I was cool but looked better in some winter and summer- not just one or other. ( my DH is one foot in warm/ one foot in cool with summer and autumn) to firm it up I checked David Zyla’s book out of library to do color analysis by eyes, skin, blood vessels and hair. That sealed my perfect palette.
Btw- don’t throw baby out with bath water. If a style looks great on you keep some pieces and just mix it with new ones.
Good luck
Btw I think you look great in that blue dress- just saying.:-)

Helena

Veteran

Hi Diana, as Roxanna mentioned above, I've spent WAY too much time thinking and learning about color analysis and share your perfectionistic streak about wanting to 'get it right' (whatever that means!), and FWIW, this is what I've come to:

I absolutely believe you do NOT have to follow a color system of any sort if it's not your thing. It's a tool that can be helpful if you're so inclined, but certainly not a necessity.
However, you seem to be drawn to it, so I would say what might be helpful is to figure out even one quality of color that generally works well for you (and of course there will be exceptions). This will help you focus and ensure your colors are mixing nicely together. This quality might be cool or warm, deep or light, or bright or soft.
Then play around with colors with that quality and see what you think. You might decide to refine further and get more specific, or you might decide that's enough of a focal point. The truth is, once you get to the shops, there's only so many colors available, so if you can hone in on a few of those, you're good to go!
And if the limitations are not working for you - chuck them! There is always a way to make a color work. Wear what you love and HAVE FUN with it and don't worry about it too much or take it too seriously (my two almightly flaws if ever a person had some). Happiness is more flattering that any color!

For fun - if I HAD to guess, I would say you tend towards deeper, brighter, and cooler tones ... harder to tell on the warm/cool piece from the photo, but I think your dark hair and eyes, and contrast makes deep and bright a good guess

Sorry that was super long-winded!

cindysmith

Veteran

Wear the colors you like. I don't understand all these color systems, and I'm not going to try because I'll cook my own noodle with it trying to figure it out LOL

What colors are dominant in your current wardrobe? That's where I would start. What colors make you happy, but aren't included in your current wardrobe? Those are the ones to experiment with, and there is no "wrong" answer, because you only have to please yourself. Your color analysis could tell you your perfect colors, but if those colors don't give you joy then they aren't your perfect colors. And if you love a color but it doesn't love you back, then there are ways to incorporate it without negative effects (like, I love yellow but it doesn't love me back and if I wear yellow near my face then I look really gravely ill so I will wear it in pants or shoes instead).

I understand the perfectionist streak completely. It can be hard to do, but if you try and relax and have fun with it then you'll likely wind up with perfect colors in your wardrobe. Happy shopping!

Gigi

Veteran

Some people don't fit nicely into a color analysis system, so it can be frustrating. Even when you find your category, not all the shades may work for you, so it's just a starting point.

I have gleaned what a good color palette would be for me over time, simply noting what colors looked the best on me. I agree with Gaylene that it is important to pay attention to the contrast in your natural coloring--I think that goes a long way toward creating a flattering outfit, regardless of color. I have high-contrast coloring too and can look very washed out in pale colors. I also like her idea of starting with white and cream to assess whether you are cool or warm toned.

You could also ask yourself whether you look better in gold or silver jewelry. I look better in gold than in silver, but silver still looks OK (just not quite as good). I am only slightly warm toned (close to neutral), which explains why I can wear both silver and gold. I have slightly warm skin (yellow undertones; cream looks better than white) but cool brown hair, which also explains why I can wear both cool and warm colors.

I think that just playing around with colors as you shop will go a long way toward helping you develop a color palette. When you find the right colors, you will look amazing. Over time, you will start to see patterns.

StyleDetective

Wow - guys, thank you so much. This is my first post on this forum and I'm honestly blown away at the level of advice and support. I'm already feeling more excitement and less overwhelm.

Gaylene and Gigi, I like the idea of starting with contrast and undertone, as that's something I can see more easily. It's obvious now that you say it that I'm high contrast, and it also makes sense why I've always looked so washed out in pastels. After a bit of staring at myself in different, I think I'm cool, though maybe not very cool... I have always hated myself in both white and cream, but I am the opposite of you Gigi, in that I think both silver and gold work on me but silver is a bit better. Gaylene, I wish I could see that citron dress in the brilliant summer sun, it sounds exquisite.

Efbgen, I'm glad to hear that you've found there are things outside your season that look great, I like the idea that we're all individuals and not just 'seasons' with boxes. I'm reading David Zyla's book at the moment, it's so interesting! Re: babies and bathwater, I'm not planning to... I don't want to give up my frocks, just have more options to choose from. And thank you for the compliment!

StyleDetective

Torontogirl, re: worrying and taking it seriously, we sound very similar on that front too! Thanks, that's a much more playful and less stressful way to continue my color obsession... focussing on something I always feel really great in and then playing around to expand that feeling further.

'Happiness is more flattering than any color' - that is BRILLIANT. I think I'm going to put it on a post it note and stick it on my wardrobe mirror for when I get a bit down on my looks or sense of style.

Cindysmith - I like the idea of focussing on colours that make me happy, including colours that flat out don't work! Yellow looks awful on me too, but darned if it isn't the most cheerful color in the whole world... and my inner five year old will always love that neon highlighter yellow. The idea of accents or accessorising sounds like the way to go.

I think one of the reason that I've been reluctant to just look in my wardrobe is that over the last few years I slipped into wearing more low contrast colors... lots of pastels, soft patterns etc... I also went lighter/warmer with my hair. I wasn't feeling good about myself and I think externally that expressed as trying to hide by 'toning down' my look. So I am a bit more interested in looking back to a bit earlier, when I wore lots of brights and jewel tones, and also I think based on these conversations my next hair color will be something closer to my natural level of contrast.

Thanks again everyone you've really inspired a newbie to stick around!

Barbara Diane

Veteran

First step. When considering a color put your hand next to it. Does your skin look good or not? If not, don’t wear it near your face.

Sal

Veteran

Welcome to the forum!!

Since I have been here I have seen people adopt a colour system with great success (Toronto Girl and Staysfit spring to mind), then there are others that seem to have a good sense of colour and what suits them (Suz and TexStyle spring to mind here), and then there are those who have strong neutral preferences (Deborah, Greyscale for example) and then some others are much more eclectic such as myself. But we can all look good!!

I would start with footwear and your bag as these can be some of the priciest items. And I would build around those. I think you are cool/neutral toned rather than warm....and I agree some degree of contrast will work well for you.

And while you will have a handful of colours that look sensational, and many others that look good, there are usually not all that many that are truly unwearable. I am neutral- warm tones - my worst colours are icy pastels, optic white and taupe/beige. Aside from this I think I can make most colours work.

lyn67

Veteran

It may be confusing (about your 2 so different prefferate color sets) and so what! I experienced exactly the same for me! Love silver and gold, too-and chock and black, either! Think you are neither a cold, neither a warm coloring, or you are both-which is best of all! But I think you are enamoured rather to deep jewel tones and have the magpie gene for all that sparkle-like many of us here! Sounds great!:-)

Vix

Veteran

Hi and welcome to YLF, Diana!

I'm definitely one of the posters who is pro finding colors that make you glow, exploring the boundaries as much as you can in terms of bright / light / deep / warm or cool -- and then leaving the others behind (or use them in small doses).

You and I have similar coloring, and while I think we're a few decades apart I grew up in a time when blonde and tanned skin was in. Luckily I worked indoor jobs from my teens on as it gave me time to learn that it was better to admire the range of skin tones we have in the world than try to go too much further on the spectrum!

So I think you're smart to include color as part of your style experiments.

I actually found I liked color-color a lot more when I stepped away from the bright! jewel! tones! (which often skew warm) others gave me for makeup and clothing as they made me look WASHED OUT / SICKLY vs pale. Dialing back the saturation a bit made me glow as-is.

For me, learning how to combine colors was and is one of the trickiest things. If you haven't checked the posts of Imogen (Inside Out Style blog) on Color Contrast and Value Contrast I recommend them.

ps I recently shared some pics of me doing paler colors -- alone the right ones don't wash me out, but things look a bit off / bland. Adding just a bit of contrast via darker shades repeats the darker shades in my hair and eyes.

Keix

Veteran

I have always chosen colors intuitively and not worried much about color systems. I don't fit obviously into any of the "seasonal" color systems; in fact, an in-person color analysis that I had done while shopping for eyeglasses recently said that I was "late Autumn shading into Winter" -- if you read the online articles, that combination should be impossible because the palettes are totally different! But it's because I have a neutral-to-cool undertone with yellow overtones (typical Asian skintone), and high-contrast eyes/hair. Silver and gold really do look equally good on me, as do coral and plum lipsticks, but the colors that I wear tend to "pull" my skintone in one direction such that the rest of my outfit looks best if it follows in the same warm/cool family.

Anyway, if you can't decide whether you look best in silver or bronze - it's possible that you are neutral! Which is super convenient sometimes: I can wear any metallics and most shades of lipstick. I'm still definitely not a Spring/Summer palette, because pastels tend to wash me out and cream is tricky (I can do pure white, but best shade is an almost blueish cream, and the more common yellowish cream is not good). I do love a pastel mint green, but I try to evaluate it very carefully in my wardrobe items.