Be Your OWN Color Stylist

 

An Experts Opinion

If you feel you need an expert’s opinion, find a color analyst and spend the money to have your colors done. Having done that, if the colors don’t appeal to you, don’t be surprised. Color analysis is not an exact science. I have worked with many women less than happy with their clothes only to discover that their color analysis was wrong and their problems were solved by returning to the colors that appealed to them.

You DO Know Best
You are the best analyst of what does and does not look good against your face – you’ve live with it the longest! Spending a couple hour playing with colors is the best to determine what color scheme works best for you. You will often find that it is not the actual colors you select but rather the tones/hues of the colors that work or don’t work. So find the colors that appeal to your personality the best and check out what shades and hues of those colors look the best

Do The Analysis
Make a trip with a close friend or someone versed in the color arts (painter, jewelry designer, interior decorator,a friend that dresses like a million, etc)and a mirror to a fabric store. Stroll the aisles and drape various solid colored fabrics around your shoulders and see what makes your face the most vibrant. You will see a pattern emerging.

Color Seasons
Summer

Pastels and light colors. Navy and off-white look great. Pure white looks icy and not the best. Denim looks great. Except for orange, that makes you look sick, just about any color in the pastels looks great.

Great neutrals are navy, off-white and a grayish brown.

Rule of thumb: Stay light and pastel like the late summer afternoons.

Spring

Bright vivid colors look best against your face. Bright medium hued colors look great. Often patterns that work will have bright colors on a black background. Periwinkle blue or blue purples look great as do peaches and melons.

Great neutrals are off-white, white, black, light navy, and yellow browns.

Rule of thumb: Follow springs lead with all the bright colors of blossoming flowers.

Autumn

Earth tones and the colors of fall. Navy blue and aqua work well. Mixing yellows into the primary colors and softening them slightly works the best. You will like yourself better in gold rather than yellow. Orange looks good and melon is your ‘pink’.

Neutrals best for you are the medium shades of navy blue and a bronzy brown.

You will find yourself gravitating to a monochromatic or analogous color schemes – multiple shades of a color work beautifully.

Rule of thumb – Follow natures lead with the earth tones or autumn.

Winter 

The primary shades look best. Dark red and navy look good next to your face. Pastels make you look faded. Give them an icy, shimmery white tone or overlay them with white lace and they look great. Dark pink or salmon gold work nicely as do forest greens. Black/white combos work for you. They are more than neutrals to you – they are colors. The colors you like are the ones that stand out in a crowd. That is part of your color personality.

You gravitate to a two color theme. Adding an additional color loses the drama.

Neutrals are where you will shine. Dark gray with a touch of silver or the reverse. Navy and dark brown. And, always, black and white.

Rule of thumb – Like the season, pure, clear, and intense.

A Little More Exploring

If you want to explore a little more about color and get a color sample card to keep with you when shopping head over to the IstinaDesign Shop and check out the Understanding Color Module on sale there.

Have Fun

Enjoy the process and find the inner you!

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