Choose Clothes that Flatter Your Coloring!

The colors you wear play a large role in how you look. 

Wearing the wrong color tones can make you look tired and older while wearing the right color tones make you look healthy and vibrant. Some people have warmer tones and some people have cooler tones.

Look at these two beautiful women above.

They are very different in coloring. The red-headed woman is very warm, with soft aqua-colored eyes, a peachy cream skin tone and of course, rich auburn red hair. The woman with the black hair is very cool in coloring with dark brown eyes eyes, ivory skin and dark black hair.

If these ladies were shopping, they should be looking for very different clothing and makeup colors. The red-headed woman needs clothing in the rich, earthy colors of the Autumn season such as rust, brown, olive green, teal blue, terra cotta, pumpkin and moss green. Black, white and bright colors would make her look sallow, tired and “off”.

By contrast, the black-haired woman needs clothing in the cool, clear colors of the Winter season such as bright reds, greens, vivid purples, royal blue, black, white and hot pinks. Earthy colors like those mentioned for Autumn would make her look sallow, bland and unhealthy.

Here’s a before/after photo.
She is very warm in coloring with her brown eyes, creamy skin tone and auburn-brown hair. On the right she is dressed in a cool purple colored top which makes her look pale and a bit tired. On the left she is in an olive-brown tone that brings her skin and hair to life, giving her a vibrant look. She also has makeup on that is warm in coloring which enhances her appearance. How pretty!

So what about you?

DO THESE TWO EXERCISES TO HELP DETERMINE IF YOU’RE WARMER OR COOLER IN COLORING:

Exercise 1:

• Go into your closet and grab something black and something brown as well as something white and something cream-colored.
• Drape the black one over your left shoulder and the brown one over your right shoulder.
• Stand in front of a mirror that allows you to see your full upper body. Look at yourself.
• Which color seems to flow better to your face so there is harmony with your coloring and which seems too dominant? If you are having trouble deciding, ask a friend or family member to help.
• Do the same thing with the white one and cream-colored one.
• If the black or white look best, you are cool in coloring.
• If you are Caucasian, and the cream-colored looks best but the black works, you are probably cooler in coloring, but a bit softer than those that favor black.
• If the brown or cream-colored look best, you are likely warmer in coloring.

Exercise 2:

• Turn your wrist so you are looking at your palm and inside of your wrist.
• Look at the veins in your arm.
• If they look blue-ish in color, you are likely cooler in coloring
• If they look green-ish in color, you are likely warmer in coloring

Cooler Coloring
While everyone’s coloring is unique, people with cool tones tend to look better in clearer colors with bluer undertones like sky and royal blues, jewel tones like amethyst, sapphire and ruby red, hot pinks, brighter greens, vivid purples, grays and black. Avoid bright, spring-like tones as well as deep, saturated colors like those found in the fall.

Warmer Coloring
People with warmer coloring look better in color shades that have golden undertones, like terra cotta, salmon, pumpkin, cinnamon, brick and orange-reds, rust, aqua and teal blues, forest, olive and mossy greens, camel, taupe and browns. Black, white and many grays need to go!

Want to Know More About Your Coloring to Help You Shop?

Our friends at Radiant Image can help you find your best clothing colors through their virtual or in-person Color Analysis service. They'll identify your skin, hair and eye coloring then provide you with a customized palette of 40 of your best colors to take shopping with you, ensuring you get the right colors every time. You’ll look great and you’ll have more to wear because your clothes mix and match!