Selecting a Wardrobe to Flatter Your Skin Tone II


Enhance your beauty by dressing in clothes that best complement your coloring. Build a wardrobe around colors that celebrate your features and make getting ready in the morning fun and simple.

Your best colors will be determined by a combination of factors including your natural hair color, eye color and skin tone. Take a look at the undertone of your skin in natural daylight and this will help you to determine whether you are a "cool" or a "warm" toned person. Cool toned people tend to have a pink or rosy skin tone. Warm toned people will have a more golden or apricot undertone. Cool toned persons will look best in blue-based colors; warm toned persons will look best in yellow-based colors.

Color can be compelling and daunting, so have some fun and dress up your wardrobe this season!


The Light Wardrobe
 

Overall skin tone
Fair/pale


Color Me Beautiful seasons
Light Spring or Light Summer

 

Goal
Not to overwhelm your colouring with very strong or deep colours and high-contrast patterns.

When wearing black, expose skin at the neckline or soften with another colour.



Helpful hints
If you look pale in a colour it is probably too dark or too bright for you.



Colours to wear
Here is a selection of shades for building a great wardrobe to suit you. The basics include soft white, pale or medium blues, aquas and teals, pinks, violets, pearl greys and fresh reds like watermelon. That navy is actually a soft, light version and best on you with a pastel or red rather than white.

Add to these colours extra warmer tones if they flatter you, such as camel, peach shades and warm pinks, along with soft moss greens. Butter-milk, ivory and light yellows will also be terrific.

If you know that cooler tones
(blue-based colours) compliment you, add pewter, rose brown, mints and pastel blue-greens, along with lilacs and burgundy.


The Soft Wardrobe


Overall skin tone
Muted/mousy


Color Me Beautiful season
Soft Summer, Soft Autumn

 

Goals : Not to overpower your look in very bright colours or stark contrasts



Helpful hints
Blended colours, monochromatic shades and matte fabrics are your best options



Colours to wear
Plenty of choice and variety awaits the women with soft colouring, from soft white and ivory instead of pure white, to charcoal, taupe or soft navy instead of black.

Your colours should never be bright: think 'subdued'. Soft rose pinks or salmons, as well as matte or soft reds, are lovely alone or when teamed with neutral colours. Rich spruce, forest or jade greens are a must for the soft wardrobe, along with muted blues such as teal or periwinkle. Violets, purples and aubergines are lovely with navy or chocolate.


The Warm Wardrobe
 

Overall skin tone
Golden (rich or fair)


Color Me Beautiful season
Warm spring, Warm Autumn

 

Goals : To compliment your warm skin tone and hair colour with rich, warm tones


Helpful hints
Avoid pure white in favour of ivory. Try to 'warm up' stark outfits like black or navy with a better colour near your face, such as terracotta, golden yellow or salmon


Colours to wear
A warm wardrobe should be filled with more than just browns and beiges. Your whites are ivory or cream: pure white is an absolute killer against your skin tone and hair.

Your greens are moss, bronze and olive. Blues can look cheap on you (unless you have blue eyes). Better bets will be the aquas, turquoise tones and teal blues.

Keep your yellows creamy or golden and wear them with anything you consider too harsh on its own, such as black or navy. Avoid greys in favour of camel, golden brown and rust as good investment neutrals. Don't forget tomato red, even if your hair is red!


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