As someone who hates colour analysis, I love this article. Do different colours make you look different? Absolutely. But I don't think we need a stranger to tell us what our colours are. I think we should be able to decide that for ourselves.
And so many of the reasons a certain colour supposedly “looks better” often just boil down to current beauty standards. It's subjective. This idea that something “washes us out” or “highlights the colour of our eyes” shouldn't be something we base our entire outfit around.
I much prefer to go with the vibe. What do I like? What feels like me? What do I want to wear today? That's much more useful to me than being told which colours I am “allowed” to wear.
Thanks so much, Sophie! This is exactly the thing. I know most colour analysts are genuinely trying to help, but at the end of the day, restrictions can be little silent assassins of personal style. 😂
I am all for giving people the tools to understand colour and what different shades can do, but not handing them a fixed list of colours they are “allowed” to wear. And I totally agree with you, phrases like “that washes you out” or “that makes you look tired” can feel just as insulting as “that top makes you look fat.”
I’ve always thought pastels look great on blondes. I’ve just bought a lilac shirt and I’m not blonde! I am not sure at all if it suits me. I’ll have a go at your colour analysis and see what I think 🤔 Great post Noelia xx
If you love it, wear it! That is basically my colour analysis done for you, jajaja! 😂 Hopefully this series will make sense, but the last thing I want is to put anyone off wearing colours they love. Quite the opposite, I want it to give you more tools and more confidence to play with colour, and breaking stereotypes like lilac is only for blondes! xx
I like your more loosey-goosey approach to colour, Noelia. I "had my colours done" via the Colour Me Beautiful circus in the early 80s and was incredibly disappointed that I was a Spring (I really wanted to be an Autumn), and sad that I wasn't "allowed" to wear the bold Winter colours that I loved. It's taken me many years of just trying different things on and seeing how I feel in them, and now I feel much freer in my colour choices. I find beige/tan to be a sad colour on me (and in general, but that's my own bias), I don't like navy or most greys, and pastels wash me out (but I wear them anyway, because too bad, I am a grown-up and wear what I like).
Well this the thing! I understand when you yourself see different in a beige colour and refuse to wear it, but when someone gives you a set of rules to follow, then all the fun is lost! I glad you are wearing whatever colour you want!
I learned early on that rules are made to be broken…and really, are more like guidelines anyway. I always advise folks that if you like a colour, you should wear it…because if you FEEL good in it, you will LOOK good in it.
I like color analysis in the sense that I like when people tell me something about myself lol, but the idea that every color needs to be our most flattering is so silly! I'm not going to never wear black again!!!
Having been analyzed more times than I should probably admit and having certified as an analyst in three different systems, I completely agree: some of my best Dark Autumn colors were already in my wardrobe and my favorites to wear.
I actually have a trick where I have clients pick five crayons from a 152-count box (no showing me until after the draping) for the colors they'd gravitate to if they walked into a t-shirt store with every color in it. I bet Noelia would not be surprised that those crayons almost always line up with their color attributes (depth, undertone, chroma).
Oh, thanks so much for this, Virginia! I love your perspective on it. I have had the same experience when helping people with their wardrobes: they already naturally gravitate towards certain colours, and those colours often look great on them because they feel good wearing them. And interestingly, a lot of the time those colours already fall within their “season” anyway. I am curious, would you wear a colour that is not within your palette?
You mean like fuchsia?!?! Absolutely! It’s one of my favorite “here I am” colors to wear. But, in general, I am primarily a rule follower more so because of just how deeply I like to learn about the whole system(s) and challenging myself to learn how to incorporate it into my real life. It’s all very ESTJ of me. Plus, I have found it SUPER useful when the majority of my clothes are all neutral leaning warm, moderately deep, and moderate chroma so I can grab two items and be pretty confident that they would work together as an outfit. I believe the best systems find your best colors through a mix of personal color qualities (temp, depth, chroma, clarity, contrast, etc) plus your eye, blush/lip, and hair enhancing colors. Looking forward to following your content!
As someone who hates colour analysis, I love this article. Do different colours make you look different? Absolutely. But I don't think we need a stranger to tell us what our colours are. I think we should be able to decide that for ourselves.
And so many of the reasons a certain colour supposedly “looks better” often just boil down to current beauty standards. It's subjective. This idea that something “washes us out” or “highlights the colour of our eyes” shouldn't be something we base our entire outfit around.
I much prefer to go with the vibe. What do I like? What feels like me? What do I want to wear today? That's much more useful to me than being told which colours I am “allowed” to wear.
Thanks so much, Sophie! This is exactly the thing. I know most colour analysts are genuinely trying to help, but at the end of the day, restrictions can be little silent assassins of personal style. 😂
I am all for giving people the tools to understand colour and what different shades can do, but not handing them a fixed list of colours they are “allowed” to wear. And I totally agree with you, phrases like “that washes you out” or “that makes you look tired” can feel just as insulting as “that top makes you look fat.”
I’ve always thought pastels look great on blondes. I’ve just bought a lilac shirt and I’m not blonde! I am not sure at all if it suits me. I’ll have a go at your colour analysis and see what I think 🤔 Great post Noelia xx
If you love it, wear it! That is basically my colour analysis done for you, jajaja! 😂 Hopefully this series will make sense, but the last thing I want is to put anyone off wearing colours they love. Quite the opposite, I want it to give you more tools and more confidence to play with colour, and breaking stereotypes like lilac is only for blondes! xx
“What changes when I wear this color?” YES! For me it’s all about vibes/feelings— how does the color make me feel!? Xx
Yes exactly! And I feel like everyone is quite good at knowing what colours make them feel better and more alive. And others are just… not right. xx
Me encanta and agree with you about color analysis. Honestly you look amazing in every color with those blue eyes!! My favorite color 😉❤️
Aaw thanks my love! 😍
I like your more loosey-goosey approach to colour, Noelia. I "had my colours done" via the Colour Me Beautiful circus in the early 80s and was incredibly disappointed that I was a Spring (I really wanted to be an Autumn), and sad that I wasn't "allowed" to wear the bold Winter colours that I loved. It's taken me many years of just trying different things on and seeing how I feel in them, and now I feel much freer in my colour choices. I find beige/tan to be a sad colour on me (and in general, but that's my own bias), I don't like navy or most greys, and pastels wash me out (but I wear them anyway, because too bad, I am a grown-up and wear what I like).
Looking forward to the next one in the series!
Well this the thing! I understand when you yourself see different in a beige colour and refuse to wear it, but when someone gives you a set of rules to follow, then all the fun is lost! I glad you are wearing whatever colour you want!
I learned early on that rules are made to be broken…and really, are more like guidelines anyway. I always advise folks that if you like a colour, you should wear it…because if you FEEL good in it, you will LOOK good in it.
I like color analysis in the sense that I like when people tell me something about myself lol, but the idea that every color needs to be our most flattering is so silly! I'm not going to never wear black again!!!
Haha I get it! Ye exactly, it’s just another way to make women feel bad about themselves.
Having been analyzed more times than I should probably admit and having certified as an analyst in three different systems, I completely agree: some of my best Dark Autumn colors were already in my wardrobe and my favorites to wear.
I actually have a trick where I have clients pick five crayons from a 152-count box (no showing me until after the draping) for the colors they'd gravitate to if they walked into a t-shirt store with every color in it. I bet Noelia would not be surprised that those crayons almost always line up with their color attributes (depth, undertone, chroma).
Yess! That’s sort of what I want to write about, might go to you for help!
Yes I agree when your wardrobe makes sense in terms of colours is much easier putting outfits together.
I would love to brainstorm with you Noelia! Let me know if you want touch base offline.
Oh, thanks so much for this, Virginia! I love your perspective on it. I have had the same experience when helping people with their wardrobes: they already naturally gravitate towards certain colours, and those colours often look great on them because they feel good wearing them. And interestingly, a lot of the time those colours already fall within their “season” anyway. I am curious, would you wear a colour that is not within your palette?
You mean like fuchsia?!?! Absolutely! It’s one of my favorite “here I am” colors to wear. But, in general, I am primarily a rule follower more so because of just how deeply I like to learn about the whole system(s) and challenging myself to learn how to incorporate it into my real life. It’s all very ESTJ of me. Plus, I have found it SUPER useful when the majority of my clothes are all neutral leaning warm, moderately deep, and moderate chroma so I can grab two items and be pretty confident that they would work together as an outfit. I believe the best systems find your best colors through a mix of personal color qualities (temp, depth, chroma, clarity, contrast, etc) plus your eye, blush/lip, and hair enhancing colors. Looking forward to following your content!