22 March 2020
With everything that is going on, I thought we all needed a bit of colour to brighten up our days! I’m very aware as a Personal Stylist, people often don’t know what we do and how we do it. So, I wanted to talk some more about colour analysis as one of my key services, what it is and why it’s important. Wearing the right colours can lift your complexion, brighten your eye colour and hair, take years off your age, and most importantly, brighten your mood, making you feel more confident.
When you come for a Colour Consultation, I get to know you as a person, your lifestyle, your likes and dislikes when it comes to colour and print, and then we work together to analyse your skin tone, hair colour and eye colour, to find you the perfect colour palette to work with your complexion. I would look at whether your colouring falls into warm or cool and we would work our way through my colour drapes identifying colours that suit you (and most importantly that you love!) in order to build your own unique palette.
One of the most traditional (and easiest) ways to demonstrate the main 4 colour types or personalities, is visually through the Seasons. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. I have created grids of outfits from Pinterest, demonstrating each season’s colour palette. It’s worth noting that some people might fall into more than one colour season, and that there are variations within one season. For example you might be a ‘Soft’ Autumn or a ‘Bright’ Winter. And you might find that you suit colours from both Spring and Autumn. If this is sounding all too technical for you, read on to the visual grids for some inspiration!
This first grid of colours are the perfect tones to suit a ‘Spring’ colour type. Spring colour types suit warm, bold colours with a yellow undertone. Examples of colours in this palette are yellow daffodils, green grass, warm blues.
Spring Colour Palette Outfit Inspiration (images courtesy of Pinterest)
The second grid of outfits are the perfect tones to suit a ‘Summer’ colour type. Summer colour types suit cool colours such as pastels with a blue undertone. Colours range from slate greys to pale custard yellow and sea foam green.
Summer Colour Palette Outfit Inspiration (images courtesy of Pinterest)
The third grid of colours are the perfect tones to suit an ‘Autumn’ colour type. Autumn colour types suit warm, rich colours with a yellow undertone. They tend to have dark eyes and hair and a warm complexion. Khaki, rust and petrol blue are great colours for this person.
Autumn Colour Palette Outfit Inspiration (images courtesy of Pinterest)
The fourth grid of outfits are the perfect tones to suit a ‘Winter’ colour type. Winter colour types suit cold, clear colours with a blue undertone. They are the lucky ones who actually suit black! They can also wear many tones of pink, purple and icy blue.
I am also really interested in the Psychology of Colour, as it can really impact our mood and how we feel. Often clients will believe that there are certain colours which they ‘can’t’ wear even though they might love them. With most colours, it is just a case of finding the right shade to work with your complexion. As Karen Haller says in her Little Book of Colour ‘there is a yellow for everyone. It is just a matter of finding the right one for you.’
I’m a great believer in breaking the rules where necessary! As an Autumn colour type myself, I really shouldn’t wear black as it is draining on my warm complexion. But black is one of my favourite colours and perfect for wardrobe staples. I love a black and white outfit and instead of banning black from my wardrobe, I mix in warm colours and neutrals that also help to lift my complexion. Working in rusts, orange, mustard yellows, red and khaki or a splash of leopard print. Or I add in a bright warm orange or red lip to lift my face.
Get in touch with me via my contact us form on my website or through my social media channels if you’d like anymore information on colour or anything else on style and fashion!