7 Steps to Image Success-Lesson 2-Cull your wardrobe
Cull your wardrobe using your swatch
To achieve Image Success it's important to follow certain steps.
In Step 1 in the last blog, I discussed having an accurate colour analysis.
This is the Key that unlocks your true Image potential and shows you how to wear colours that flatter who you are.
Once you have had your colours done, you will receive a seasonal Colour swatch.
Follow this link to see the colour swatches available.
https://www.yourcoloursandstyle.com.au/collections/seasonal-colour-swatches
Only 4 seasonal colour palettes
I personally only endorse the 4 seasonal colours, as every known colour can be allocated into only 4 groups
So many are confused with the plethora of colour systems and swatches
Incorrect colour swatches
Note the swatch below called Dark Autumn actually has colours from every season.
If you're not sure about your colours feel free to contact Your Colours and Style for an accurate colour analysis and swatch.
Your colours are endless
Your swatch is an excellent tool to determine the many fabulous colours that suit you. With over 16 million colours, you will find that an huge number of those colours belong in your palette.
Even though the palette has only 32 colours, learning to work your colour palette is a must, as it reveals the diversity of colours available to you.
If you're not sure of your "colour rules" please contact me and I will email them to you.
You look best in your colours
Wearing all your colours is so liberating to your Image. You will loo younger, slimmer, more attractive and more stylish.
As a colour consultant my goal is to teach my clients how to do that well. When I say ALL your colours, there are literally thousands of choices.
In the last blog I outlined how to find all your colour choices by using your swatch correctly.
Remove all the wrong colours from your wardrobe
Have you noticed a mixture of colours in your wardrobe that do not go together or "flow"?
Mixing everything with black for example is a real no no.
Not everything goes with black. In this image you have a warm teal colour from the Autumn Palette and a black from the Winter Palette. This is the best way to look drab and dull.
This is a real image breaker. It's best to coordinate only from your colour palette.
So the first thing is to remove all the items in your wardrobe that are not in your palette.
This may be brutal as you grieve over the things that hold sentimental and monetary value.
If this is too difficult, I always suggest placing them in another room until you grow with your new colours and the "new you"
Interestingly enough, the new you may take a little while to get used to as you are familiar with your old look.
Old being the operative word, because you will look older in the wrong colours.
Holding on to items that are not in the right colours' sets you up to fail.
Your capsule wardrobe should "flow"
How do you build a great capsule wardrobe?
By using only the right colours.
Once you place the right colours in your wardrobe everything with go together and everything will look fabulous on you.
You'll look great from top to toe.
Start building with your basics.
So many stylists tell their clients their basics are black and white and so they build a wardrobe around the dominant cool colours that only go with black.
You're basics are the classics in your neutral colours first, and then items in your fashion colours.
Choose the neutral shades in your swatch and begin building with those.
Just that one pair of jeans in your colours will go with every shirt, every jumper and every jacket.
This is how you are going to have so many outfits with so few garments.
Of course you can then grab one or 2 pairs of shoes and even 1 bag in any of your colours and you'll be surprised at how many outfits one thing can go with.
I hope you're finding these tips helpful. Just go with your swatch and cull your wardrobe and I'll see you with the Lesson 3 of 7 steps to your Image transformation.
Please contact Your Colours and style if you find you need help with any of these steps.
Five ways to know if you're wearing your Colours.
Getting your Colours right is just so important to your Ultimate Image so read today's blog with 5 ways to tell if you do have them right or not.
How to wear your neutrals
How to wear your neutrals
What is a neutral colour?
I would describe a neutral colour as one that is quite benign. One that's not screaming for attention, and one that's a base for all of your other amazing colours.
Not everyone feels good in a pink and green outfit for example but they may enjoy wearing perhaps a green top with a neutral like grey.
It's good to start your wardrobe with your neutrals then add your colour in next.
But are all neutrals created equal? Definitely not. Many stylists are firm about having a base of dark cool neutrals like black, pure white, greys and navy’s with a splash of brown thrown in. But those neutrals are only found in the Winter Palette. Black doesn't go with everything, as we've been led to believe. And Winter neutrals don't go with Summer, Spring or Autumn neutrals.
As a colour consultant of 20 years, I have found these ideas to be quiet damaging as a whole to the fashion industry. Using black as a style staple is not useful to your Image picture.
Here's an example of working with a warm Autumn neutral and Black a cool dominant neutral to create a mismatched look.
YOU NEED TO FIND YOUR COLOURS AND THEN WORK WITH THE NEUTRALS IN YOUR PALETTE ONLY
For a stylish, complete, co-ordinated wardrobe that suits you down to the ground, you need to work with YOUR neutrals only.
The reason being, neutrals from another palette will not look good on you, and also will not go with the other shades or neutrals in your palette.
THE NEUTRAL COLOUR PALETTES.
Some stylists categorize people as neutrals. But I like to call only colours neutral not people.
Every colour is either a Cool Deep or dominant colour,(Winter) a cool muted colour,(Summer) a deep warm colour (Autumn) or a warm bright colour (Spring)
That's it. Every colour on the planet will slot into one of four palettes only. And you will be one of the four palettes as well. No sub colours or flow people in my opinion. Some colours "flow"but not people.
THE COLOUR SWATCH BOOKS FOR THE FOUR SEASONS
Get your colours right. There is Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. What season are you and there is no need for any sub seasons.
You will have thousands of colours to choose from that will all look amazing on you.
So what are the four types of neutrals I’m speaking of?
Warm Deep or Autumn neutrals are lovely deep olive greens, rich creams, clays, golden browns, deep apricots, muddied burgundies and pumpkins to name a few as well as rich warm khakis and golds.
The bright Spring neutrals on the other hand are still warm but much lighter than their deep counterparts, so colours like light soft caramels, light creams, warm light browns, tans, peaches and apricots are part of the Spring neutrals.
Moving into the cooler palettes we have the boldness and clarity of the deep Winter colours, black, pure white, all greys, silvers, dark navys and deep deep browns.
Forget burgundy as some may include in the Winter palette. I reserve that for the muted cool neutrals of Summer. The denim which is a winter denim is dark navy blue.
Summer neutrals are cool and soft and muted. Ones like off whites, soft grey, cool taupes, cool beiges, light cool khakis, burgundy and maroons create a nice base and don’t forget your dusty navy’s. Please don’t forget light denim teams best with these colours.
With all this in mind you can see there is a plethora of colours, considered to be neutral.
So once you know your colours, you can stick to the neutrals within your season for best results. Ask your consultant how to incorporate these into your wardrobe.
It’s always best to get professional advice about your colours and be sure the colours actually “fit”with you.
If your not happy with your results after a colour analysis, my advice would be to get a 2nd and sometimes even a 3rd opinion until you get your colours right.
I have had so many clients over the years who have had their colours done incorrectly.
There is a mindfield of systems now so I hope you find a solution that’s right for you.
HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT COLOURS?
Here are a few checkpoints.
You'll look younger and more attractive in your colours
Your hair colour will compliment your colours
3. Your make up will blend into your skin and not sit on top
4. You will have 100’s and 100’s of colours to choose from
5. You will feel at peace in your colours
6. All the clothes in your wardrobe will coordinate
7. You will have heaps of outfits even if you have a small wardrobe (capsule)
8. You’ll always get compliments about what your wearing
9. You'll find it easier to accessorize and mix and match
You’ll look very stylish all the time.
For more information contact Your Colours and Style Sydney