Color Analysis
I Promise you Black is most likely not your best color.
This all starts with the idea of color theory and how we know which colors look best with others. Of course its a bit more complicated than that but keeping it simple, Color Theory focuses on knowing the hue, value, and saturation of a color.
Think of mixing paint, if you were to mix red and yellow paint together you will end with orange, if you mixed blue an red you would get purple. Every drop of paint you use to make these mixtures will create a different shade of the yielding color, leaving us with wide varieties of beautiful colors.
Now think about trying to pair your pastel purple blouse with bright red pants, I’m not saying that this outfit isn’t unique and amazing in its own way but it definitely isn’t complimentary and timeless. This isn’t an art class so I wont bore you with more color wheel talk but remember that the color wheel is your best friend in understanding why your colors look stunning on you!
Why Color Seasons?
Before you start looking at yourself in the mirror to figure out what your best colors are, look around the room you’re in and try and pick out warm and cool toned colors. I promise I’m not going to have you meditate but close your eyes and try to imagine warm colors in your head. Maybe you were thinking of a fire, sunflower, or perhaps the sunset. Now try and imagine cool tones, maybe this time your mind ponders to the pristine white snow on the ground, or the sky when it’s raining. When it comes to color you will more often than not be able to find them in nature, thus why we call them color seasons! Each color season represents the color palette that you will often see outside during that time of year, now I can’t garauntee this for everyone in the world but in North America, this is true!
What are the Different Color Seasons?
There are 4 color seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, and Autumn. Summer and Winter are cool toned but the Summer palette is more muted with rosy colors and smoky hues while Winter has beautiful jewel tones and is most often referred to as icy. Spring and Autumn are your warm palettes with the Spring palette containing bright and clear colors while Autumn contains earthy vibrant hues.
Don’t be too quick to categorize yourself yet! Just like how we’re all walking around in the wrong size bra a lot of people are walking around in the wrong colors that they claim are their best. I can’t tell you how many people tell me, they look amazing in black, but frankly there’s too many people that get swallowed in the color. All that being said don’t hide in your clothes, you should be noticed!
How to find your colors
First I’d like to recommend getting your color analysis professionally done, this method is not fool-proof ( I will link this below). Secondly don’t think just because you’re super pale or dark that you obviously must be a certain color season, I went years getting told i look best in pastels and i should wear silver because i have pale skin and blonde hair. Trust no one, the science of color theory will tell you the truth, not your mom.
Step 1. Either grab your phone or a mirror and find a place in your home with good natural lighting.
Step 2. Take a selfie or start uncomfortably looking at yourself in the mirror. You’re looking for if you have warm or cool undertones.
Step 3. When searching for warm undertones think golden and yellow hues in your skin, you won’t find pink undertones only peachy ones. Think the beautiful Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, or Viola Davis
Step 4. When searching for cool undertones look for blue and pink hues in your skin. I think of Snow White, Zoe Kravitz, Rihanna, or Lupita Nyong’o
Step 5. Now you’ll need to decide which warm or cool season harmonizes with your complexion. Remember Autumn and Spring have warm undertones and Winter and Summer are cool toned
Step 6. To decide which season you are: simply try on a shirt in both color seasons and take a picture or look in the mirror. Does one color wash you out and make your redness or dark circles appear more when wearing the top? Maybe the other top does the opposite and now you think you’re a movie star. Maybe you’re still confused, just know that this step can be difficult, so definitely phone a friend to help out.
I’ll say it once more that I still highly recommend having your colors professionally done, if my sister would have gone with her at home results she would be a winter, she is now a confirmed spring. It can be hard to differentiate your undertones and best colors sometimes when you look at yourself everyday in the mirror.
Or….maybe you’re mad about your results because you so badly wanted to be cool toned, so you could wear your blush pink coquette style and the world is going to end now because how are you going to wear kelly green and not look like you support Ireland. Knowing your best colors doesn’t mean you can only wear those colors, for me it’s really helped me decide what my worst colors are and why they should never enter my closet again. It’s also a great tool to get yourself to put the item back on the shelf bc who needs $100 shoes not in your color.
Where to get your color analysis done
My two sisters and i chose to get our colors done about a year ago with House of Colour and it was well worth it! You’ll book an analysis through their website where they will match you with the closest consultant in the area. I will say there isn’t a ton of color consultants out there so you might be taking a mini road-trip for your appointment. Your consultant might be based in a salon or other business but our consultant had a room in her house she did her consultation out of with great natural lighting. The biggest reason for why you should book with house of color is that they’ve been trained to see the things you wouldn’t of ever noticed. Our whole session we were learning and seeing new things of what color could do to your apperance. I definitely guessed which color looked better wrong too many times. You’re going to have to retrain your brain to see that the color consultant isn’t lying to you at all, its rare that they are going to tell you the wrong season.
House of Color, October 10th 2023, Instagram, accessed December 28th 2023
Beyond Color 