Did you grow up with your mom’s copy of Color Me Beautiful? My sister would tease me because the model for her season was much prettier than mine. Ha! While the theory of color has evolved and no one is defined strictly by one “season” anymore, knowing what colors make you look your best is an important element of fashion. I enlisted the help of friend and local stylist, Claudia Saenz, to determine what hues compliment my skin, hair, and eye color. I was surprised by the results!
Claudia on Color:Seasonal color palettes can be confusing because they tend to overlap. I find it more productive to pull out a chart of shades and let my client identify which ones they are drawn to most – then we can determine why those colors are favorites and if they are actually flattering.
For example, Lauren, when we first looked at your closet I noticed you had a lot of pinks, grays, ivory, and browns in your wardrobe. A lot of women have a sentimental attachment to pink and like neutrals for the workplace, and thus your color choices seemed very reasonable. However, with your coloring: dark hair, fair skin, blue eyes and a warm pink undertone – you want color that will bring out the blue in your eyes and minimize the redness in your skin. Thus the ivories and the browns work better than most of the pinks you had selected, and the grays did not accent any of your best features.
DO: Amethyst, Brown, Teal, Pinot Noir
DON’T: Light Blue, Gray, Pink, Magenta, Cobalt Blue
Claudia on Color: Consider the colors that attract you most – Are they Warm or Cool? What is the level of saturation that you choose? Which items in your closet bring you the most compliments? Which colors dominate your wardrobe? Which colors make you feel wonderful? What do those colors have in common?
When choosing something to wear, you can stay with the colors that make you happy and feel wonderful. Just remember that for the best effect you may need a different shade (or intensity) of that color. For example, there are a myriad of options with the color blue in the fashion world: sky blue, baby blue, teal, peacock, denim (faded and not), navy, royal, midnight – the list goes on.
Check out the difference tone & saturation make below!
Claudia on Color: Choosing the correct colors is crucial to putting together your personal style. While a complimentary color can make you look five to ten years younger and highlight your best features, choosing a shade that fights with your overall complexion can age you five to ten years and accentuate blemishes, scars, and discoloration. Furthermore it is just as important that you think about the color itself as well as the clarity of that color.
For example, when choosing a blue, Lauren, you need to choose a clear, medium tone rather than a jewel tone. The former will give you a glowing complexion and make your eyes sparkle; the latter will overwhelm you and make you appear red. Likewise, an icy or pale blue will underwhelm you and make your skin appear dull. My advice to you is to stick to a medium color palette, just as you would select the medium shade on a paint chip of various intensities.
My afternoon with Claudia was quite the education. I never realized how much pinks accentuate my redness, yikes! I love pastels for Spring, but now I know to keep them away from my face and stick to skirts, jeans, and nail polish. I definitely give more thought to color and color placement before making a purchase now. Contact Claudia to book your closet consultation today!
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Wow, this is so eye-opening. Sounds like a great session, and I will definitely be taking some of these tips to my wardrobe.