Summer Style: - Finding the right colours to wear. It's as easy as getting out the Alfoil.
6 April 2008
Choosing the right colour basically turns an otherwise 'yeh, that looks good' into a jaw dropping 'that looks amazing on you!'
I don't know about you, but I'm not happy with 'good' I want 'amazing' thank you very much.
Ever put a green top on and thought you looked as if you were about to throw up? Worse still, didn't realise it at the time, pulled it out to wear a month later and shrieked so loudly hubbie stopped watching the footy to see if you were alright!
What a waste of time, money and not to mention, the blow to your confidence because you got it wrong.
Cheer up, we have all done that and I dare anyone out there to say otherwise. I may not be able to prevent it from ever happening again, but I'm sure that with a few pointers, you'd have to be having a huge weak moment to let it slip under your watchful guard again.
#1. Forget the Colour Wheel, it's all about the 'Season' - unless you are about to paint a masterpiece or the master bedroom, put the colour wheel away! You need to consider colour in terms of 'seasons' apparently.
A colour that suits you will be one from your 'season's' colour palette.
So how do you work out your season? There are two aspects to this concept: 1.Warm/Cool or 2.Clear/Muted
- Cool+Muted = Summer
- Warm+Muted = Autumn
- Cool+Clear = Winter
- Warm+Clear = Spring
Now don't go getting trans-seasonal on me...that is just getting way too hard at this stage...more on that later.
- Warm Girls: tend to have yellow/golden undertones to their skin (and a lovely smile)
- Cool Girls: tend to have blue undertones (and are on the 'A' list) often sporting red cheeks (and sportscars)
- Clear Girls: have a higher contrast between hair, skin and eye colours and skin will seem translucent...(plenty of sleep will also achieve this!)
- Muted Girls: softer, less contrast than the clear girls who get plenty of sleep
The colours you should look for according to your 'season' are:
- Summer Girls: cool but with the edge taken off them..think pastels.
- Autumn Girls: warm, and again, with the edge taken off them...think terracottas, olive green and dirty blues.
- Winter Girls: crispen it up in white, black and navy
- Spring Girls: think food - salmon and lime and dusty blue...heading towards teal
#2. Get into Heavy Metal- This gets back to understanding your complexion a bit more. If you are more of a 'warm' complexion girl, then you will look better wearing gold. 'Cooler' girls, silver is better on you. Get yourself into a well lit room in front of a mirror and hold a piece of alfoil against your face or back of your arm. Then get the gold metallic wrapper from last night's chocolate and do the same.
Be honest...one will look better than the other and if it's Gold...Warm and if it's Silver...Cool.
#3. Keep this cheat list handy- for a quick colour check remember this handy list of colours that work well:
- Fair skin - grey
- Beige skin - blue
- Golden skin - green
- Bronze skin - orange
- Darker again skin - pink or red
Check out the stunning girl in our photo....let's call her Gigi. She is your classic Autumn girl, with warm bronzen skin. She is 'muted' with not a great contrast between hair and skin tones. What is she wearing? A stunning Amanda kaftan in orange and deep pink colours, teamed with burnished gold bracelet and brown belt. Even her sunnies have gold on them.
Well done Gigi...10/10!
#4. Consider your mood - attitude is still everything- now I think that the analytical approach to finding your colour is a great place to start, but how you FEEL plays a huge part in what colours you chose and how well you wear them. I've always been a mood dresser. Now I may be an Autumn girl with Spring tendencies but there is no way I'm going to wear my fab red dress if I'm feeling mellow. It's going to be rich chocolate brown and that's that! What you do have to watch is that you don't get into a rut and become complacent...you deserve better than that! Promise you'll stick your neck out occasionally and parade about in your season's best.
#5. Have a play and get to know what works
Buckets, paint swatches, clothes, toys, paper....whatever has a block of colour on it...use it. Stand in front of that mirror, put them up to your face over and over until you start to 'see' the colours. It's a bit like learning how to mix colours from scratch to understand and really 'see' what they are made up of...and that's just practice.
#6 Life's not perfect and neither is one 'season's colours - mixing it up a bit is fine
This is the trans-seasonal thing. No single colour is completely a 'no go' just as relying on only one 'season' to navigate you through the fashion racks is going to end in a lot of teeth gnashing. Just be sensible about it. Use the colours that work best closest to your face and the others that you like but now know you really shouldn't indulge in, further away...in shoes, skirts, pants and perhaps just as highlights, not the main colour.
You will have days when your complexion changes clarity or colour. If you've had a big night, not had the sun kiss your skin for ages or just stepped off a long haul flight from seeing the relo's in Greece, then this colour theory stuff is not going to work the best.
Sit down, grab the headache tablets, a large glass of...water and relax. Some days are just meant to be green.
Ciao bellas!
H.G.
xx
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