Color-Palette Crisis
The importance of identifying your color palette and a step-by-step how-to guide to get you started at home.
Identifying a color palette that flatters you can make a significant difference in how you look and feel in your clothes. Your color palette will not only accentuate your natural features, but also boost confidence, streamline your wardrobe choices, and improve your overall aesthetic.
You don’t need to consult a stylist on your color palette (although it may help), since everything you need is already at home. Below, is a step-by-step guide to help you find the right colors based on your skin tone, hair color, and personal preferences.
1. Determine Your Skin Tone
Your skin tone plays a major role in determining which colors will complement you best. There are two primary skin tone categories: warm and cool. You can figure out which category you fall into using these methods:
Warm Skin Tone: Typically has yellow, peach, or golden undertones. People with warm skin tones often have freckles, a golden or olive complexion, and veins that appear greenish.
Colors that work well: Earth tones like reds, oranges, yellows, olive green, and browns, as well as warm neutrals like camel, taupe, and warm greys.
Cool Skin Tone: Usually has pink, blue, or purple undertones. People with cool skin tones may have fair, rosy, or porcelain skin with veins that appear blue or purple.
Colors that work well: Cool colors like blues, greens, purples, as well as cool neutrals like white, navy, and charcoal.
Neutral Skin Tone: This is a mix of warm and cool undertones. Neutral tones can wear a wider variety of colors, but muted tones tend to look best.
Colors that work well: Neutral colors like jade green, blush pink, or soft yellows and warm shades like cream or light brown.
2. Consider Your Hair Color
Your hair color can also influence which shades complement you. Here’s how different hair colors generally pair with certain palettes:
Blondes: Typically suit soft colors like pastel shades, light blues, and soft pinks. Warmer blondes may also look good in earthy tones like peach or coral.
Brunettes: Rich, deeper colors like emerald green, burgundy, and navy work well, as do earthy tones like brown and mustard.
Redheads: Warm tones like browns, greens, and oranges tend to complement red hair. Redheads often look stunning in shades of teal, camel, and deep purples.
Black Hair: People with black hair tend to look great in high-contrast colors, such as white, red, cobalt blue, and jewel tones like emerald and sapphire.
3. Analyze Your Eye Color
While your skin tone and hair color play a bigger role, your eye color can also be a factor in selecting a flattering palette:
Blue eyes: Soft blues, navy, and even shades of orange or coral can make blue eyes pop.
Green eyes: Earthy tones like deep greens, browns, and golds enhance the vibrancy of green eyes.
Brown eyes: Almost any color works, but rich, warm tones such as bronze, rust, and deep purples can be especially striking.
Gray eyes: Gray eyes pair well with shades of silver, charcoal, and soft purples to enhance their cool undertones.
4. Test Out the Seasons (Seasonal Color Analysis)
Seasonal color analysis is a popular system that categorizes people into four "seasons" (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) based on their complexion, hair color, and eye color. Each season has its own color palette:
Spring (Warm, light skin with golden undertones, light to medium hair): Soft, warm colors like peach, coral, golden yellow, and light greens work well.
Summer (Cool, light skin with blue undertones, ash blonde or light brown hair): Cool tones like soft pastels, lavender, light blue, and soft grey work best.
Autumn (Warm, medium to deep skin with golden undertones, dark brown or red hair): Earthy tones like burnt orange, olive green, mustard yellow, and rich browns suit this palette.
Winter (Cool, deep skin with blue undertones, dark hair): Bold, cool colors like navy, white, black, jewel tones (emerald, sapphire), and icy shades look great.
5. Consider Your Personal Style and Preferences
Once you have a better understanding of your undertones and features, think about how you want your clothing to reflect your personality. You can play with different tones and shades within your palette to see what resonates most with your style and lifestyle.
Soft vs. Bold: If you prefer softer, more muted colors, go for pastels and neutrals in your palette. If you like making a statement, opt for bold or saturated shades.
Textures and Prints: Your color palette can also guide you when choosing patterns or textures. For example, someone with a warm undertone might look great in a camel-colored leather jacket, while someone with a cool undertone might rock a sleek charcoal-gray one.
6. Experiment and Trust Your Instincts
Ultimately, the best way to identify a color palette that looks good on you is to experiment. Try on clothes in various shades and observe how they make you feel. Look for colors that enhance your natural glow, brighten your complexion, and make you feel confident. Trusting your instincts is key—if you love a color, even if it's not traditionally "your" shade, it can still work for you!
By considering your skin tone, hair color, eye color, and personal preferences, you can identify a color palette that complements your natural features and makes you feel your best.