Your 5 top staple colours for Winter

THE 5 DEADLY COLOURS KILLING YOUR WARDROBE

Last blog I spoke about the 5 deadly colours that are killing your wardrobe.

Well it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t tell you, at least 5 top colours to replace the ones you ousted.

These colours are not only to replace the one’s you’ve lost but they actually are what I call your neutral basics.

MANY STYLISTS WILL BUILD YOUR WARDOBE BASED ON BLACK

Many stylist will build your wardrobe from top to toe, using colours like black, white, grey and navy.

Some may consider these colours to be your staples but at your colours and style, as a colour consultant for over 20 years I have a different approach to colour, that works so well not only for all people but the difference will be noted more by the mature.

5 TOP STAPLE COLOURS

So here are the 5 top staple colours to build your wardrobe , I am recommending for you.

In fact you can just about create a really nice capsule wardrobe with these colours alone.

Staple colour no 1. Off white

Have you noticed some whites are too stark, some are too dull, but the off white tones (there are too many to count) are just right?

So imagine off white jeans, off white pants, off white jackets, coats and cardigans, off white shoes and boots, off white T shirts and sneakers. Off white is always a beautiful and chic option. You can never go wrong.

Staple colour no 2. Light denim

Have you ever considered dark denim to be just a little strong? And when a colour is too strong for you, it’s just plain wrong?

Light denim always looks more stylish and attractive and teams so well with all your other colours.

Light blue jeans, chambray shirts, denim jackets. Denim is always in fashion and can offer casual as well as classic looks.

Staple Colour no 3. Taupe

What is taupe? It’s sort of a very light brown. There are lighter and darker shades of taupe as well as warm taupes. Taupe is a very classy colour and just like all of your other neutrals can mix with all your neutrals. For a look that says “calm” try taupe for a welcome change.

Staple Colour No 4. Dusty Blue

Dusty Blue is lighter and softer than the strong dark royal blues, regal blues, navy blues, ink blues, electric blues, teal blues etc.

You will find this colour more soothing to the eye and just gorgeous and always classic and fashionable. Shop around it’s worth waiting for the right find to add to your wardrobe and don’t just settle for the wrong blues it’s not worth the compromise.

Staple Colour No 5 Burgundy

Burgundy has always been a rich and royal option to any wardrobe. Although it’s a very strong and somewhat heavy colour, it still gives the appearance of softness and is less harsh than black and the deeper dominant colours.

You will always get compliments when you choose to wear Burgundies, Berrys, Plums and similar tones.

So there you have 5 winners for your wardrobe. Remember there are many many versions of those 5 colours I’ve just listed , so consider the scope of shades that come in just those 5 colours. For example imagine a top to toe monochromatic look in various taupes.

For more information about your colours or how to get your colours done

Contact Your Colours and style Sydney

The 4 Colours that are destroying your wardrobe

Get these 4 colours out of your wardrobe now if you’re interested in looking your best and having a functional and stylish wardrobe. 

It's these 4 colours that are setting your style up to fail especially as you age. 

A powerful style secret

As a professional colour consultant for over 20 years, I've witnessed over and over again, what is destroying fashion for women, especially mature women. 

Have you noticed the older you get, certain colours are aging you as well as making you look drab and dull? 

I’m going to share with you a very powerful secret that will save your wardrobe, your style and even your purse.

For years we have been consumed with the idea of finding out what colours suit us, but despite all the fuss, many have been deceived about the colours that suit them. 

Many stylists are avoiding colour rules and are putting style before colour. This is quiet the wrong way around as colour is 80% of your style equation. 

What are the 4 deadliest colours for mature women to avoid?

Deadly colour no 1.

Black

Coco Chanel did us no favours when she immortalized the LBD ( Little Black dress.)

Once that became fashion law, women all over the world adopted black as their most chic option. 

Trouble is black is the number one deadly colour in your wardrobe.

3 reasons why black is the deadliest colour in your wardrobe.

B  Black is a non colour.

Black absorbs all light and  has the reputation of bringing death to everything around it.

Have you noticed how dull you look when wearing black?

Have you noticed the shadow and lines on your face and neck become more prominent when you wear black?

What mood does black create? How do you feel at a funeral when everyone is in black? 

It's certainly a sad colour. 

There’s a definite heaviness in the air.

2     Black restricts your colour choices.

The misconception about black is it goes with everything. Hence we wear black pants, black coats, black bags, black shoes etc.

Black becomes the base we build our wardrobe around,

Black has a habit of reproducing itself because black doesn’t go with everything, so many people wear black from top to toe.

You may have a wardrobe full of clothes, but have nothing to wear, because black is your base colour.

Most of your outfits look drab because black is your base.

You go out to buy more clothes because your current wardrobe feels drab only to come home with more black. You try to mix black with other colours and get confused when the outfit looks uncoordinated.

    Black doesn't go with everything

As mentioned black does not go with everything.

It not only does not go with everything it stops you from choosing other multiple colours that do go with everything and do go with you.

If you don’t believe it, google any famous person and note, not only how often they wear black, but also how little colour they wear as well.

This is such a shame because most people do not utilize all their colour and unless you’ve had a proper colour analysis and have learned about all the colours that suit you, you too will be that person as well.

Deadly colour no 2.

Dark navy.

Almost all women I’ve seen over the years, fall into this deadly trap.

They know black is too dull and dark and aging so they substitute black with navy.

But they substitute black with a navy that goes with black and experience the same problems they do if they wear black.

They look dull and uninteresting in dark navy, They need to learn about the right navy's that look amazing on them instead.

Deadly Colour no 3

Dark grey

Add a bit of white to black and you get a light black, which is dark grey.

The problem with light black or dark greys' is these colours are still heavy and strong. You can find out what greys are best for you which are much more flattering. 

Deadly Colour no 4.

Dark denim

We know that denim comes in all shades from ink navy, to faded denim to bright denim blues.

The colours of denim are so varied, they can go with all and every season. The dark denim or ink blue denim is again a type of blue that goes with black also and is too strong. 

Be sure you find out the sort of denims you can wear for your wardrobe that go with all your colours and the colour denims that are flattering to you.

If you have more questions contact your colours and style.

Five things a colour analysis is not

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

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

The New Year might just be a good time to revamp your make up

Your Image is not the same without a good face of make up

You could wear the most amazing outfit but if your face is not right the whole thing will look below par

So let’s get down to some great ways to improve your make up with some tried and true tricks to applying your foundation.

Here are my 5 top tips?

Tip no 1. Preparation.

Beautiful skin is always the best place to start when applying your make up.

If you apply foundation over dry skin, the foundation will appear dry and flaky. Make sure you have subtle moist skin as your base.

My clients are always asking for a foundation and powder that doesn’t make their face look more lined. Even if you are more mature and have a number of lines and wrinkles, having the right foundations and powders as well as knowing how to apply them will make the face appear less lined and much smoother. Actually it can take years off your appearance.

The first step is prepare your skin. That doesn’t happen overnight. Skin should be looked after from an early age by using the right products and treatments and taking the right care.

Stay out of the sun and wear a sunscreen daily. Have regular facials if you can afford them or have good home care.

Cleanse and moisturise and apply vitamin C serums and retinols so the skin is soft and moist.

Tip no 2. The right colour foundations, powders and concealers.

WRONG COLOUR FOUNDATION

Have you ever noticed foundations that look bad?

The most common problem is the colour. The wrong colour can make the face look heavy and unnatural.

How do you choose the right colours?

Our Colours foundations stick mostly to beige or pink based foundations. Yellow and orange tones have become mainstream and popular but these tend to make the foundation look thick and heavy.

The wrong colours are somewhat better on very young flawless skin, but who has young flawless skin?

The rest of us look better in pink based foundations because skin colour is pink.  

If your face is too red try the beige neutral based colours.

To know if the foundation you choose is right for you, apply a tiny streak of foundation on the base of the cheek.

The foundation should be unnoticeable. This is a good colour match for you.

The same apply’s for powders and concealers. Powders are meant to sit on top without changing the colour at all and concealers are meant to conceal, dark areas and spots etc.

Tip no 3. Apply a tiny tiny amount.

Take a close look at your face in the mirror. Can you see the skin isn’t perfectly one colour.

It’s actually quiet spotted or mottled. This is completely normal. Some people have more pigmentation than others and unevenness.

Not to worry. A good foundation will smooth the skin out to more uniformity, as long as it is exactly the right shade for your skin.

The secret is to apply as little of the appropriate foundation as you possibly can. This can be done by applying a small amount with a foundation brush and then buffing it in with a buffer brush or stipple brush.

Tip no 4. Seal with the right powder or not.

A light dusting of wet and dry powder. Medium skin tone

Powder is a personal choice. A lot of mature women are afraid of powder as they think it settles in the lines and wrinkles.

This isn’t the case if you dust lightly over your foundation and buff it in and also if you have the right colour powder as well. It needs to be somewhat translucent as you don’t want to change the shade of your foundation.

If you prefer a dewier look you can skip the powder, but remember powder is a good setting agent, it dampens shine and allows your make up to be more long lasting.

Tip no 5. The right concealer.

Concealer #500 applied as eyebase and inside eye area and part of the under eye. 

Light porcelain skin colour

Your foundation, powder and concealer trio is the whole base for your make up.

First prep, then moisturise, apply foundation, then powder and finish with concealer for a good palette to work with.

All your colour and definition can be made once you have a good clean face to start with. Begin with the wrong foundation and your make up is all downhill from there.

Light skin tone above. Deep skin tone below. 

If you would like a free make up appraisal contact Your Colours and Style.

Fine tune you’re best Image

I thought I’d start the New Year with what I think are my 5 BEST Image making tips that I reckon will make a big difference to your wardrobe, and of course the way you look.

Let’s start with Image maker 1.

Don't wear the wrong colours

If you have already had your Colours done, and you are sure you’ve had a correct assessment, I bet there are still some Image Breakers lurking in your cupboard. That is clothes that aren’t in your colours.

My top tip is get to know your colours really well. ‘There are only 16million plus colours after all.

Only wear or buy your correct colours. I spend a lot of time assisting my clients to know their colours and provide ways to help them learn them.

I bet you’re still hanging on to things that are not in your season. I know it’s hard to part with something that you’ve spent your hard earned dollars on, but why wear something that doesn’t do you justice?

Image maker no 2.

Get rid of your old clothes. 

Get rid of those old clothes that are still lurking in your cupboard. 

There's always room for another cull and there is never room for something that doesn’t belong in your closet. You’ll feel much happier when you make more space and you’ll even be able to see the garments in your wardrobe much better.

Image maker no 3

Sort your clothes into 2 separate wardrobes.

Separating your closet into your Summer and Winter things is also very freeing.

Having room to move will give you a better sense of order and help you to see the potential especially when it comes to creating new looks.

Image maker no 4

Create new looks

Did you know you can become more creative when there is less clutter around you?

Imagine a more “capsule “type wardrobe. Less is sometimes best. I encourage you to do some more mixing and matching.

Create different outfits with the clothes you already own. You can make outfits that looks new and fresh just by mixing things up a little.

Try all the looks you can create with one top for example. How many bottoms does that one top go with?

Experiment with different shoes, bags and jewellery. Make a casual outfit more formal by adding a jacket, different shoes and make up.

You’re clothes need to be multi-functional. Doing these things will make you realize you have more than enough clothes to wear and there is no need to go out shopping for something “new “at every new season.

I always say “how many outfits can you wear in 365 days of the year”? Most people tend to wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time anyway.

Image maker no 5

Throw away everything that is ill fitting,

Most of us have fluctuating weight. Usually it’s sort of up or down a size.

If you find there are items in your wardrobe that are a really bad fit and make you look frumpy, it’s time to put them in the recycle bin. Find garments that fit well and are flattering to your body shape.

So there you have it, my New Year‘s Wardrobe resolutions. All I need to do now is go and tidy mine up as well.

So happy Culling from Your Colours style for 2025.

10 must haves to sass up your wardrobe this Spring

With a glimpse of Spring shining through, you may have, like me, been out shopping already to sass up your wardrobe.

Nothing sparkles like new

Yes I know it’s a noble deed to shop your wardrobe, recycle and repurpose your clothes but I’m sorry, no matter how much I think I have enough clothes to last me to the end of days, there is always room for a brand new item to inject into every new season.

Start with what you already have in your closet.

If you’re the organized  type (which I am not), pull out your outfits that will serve you well this season.

Grab those basics or those items on the must have list that you already have and check out their wear ability. If they’re still looking fresh and lovely place them on the bed and create as many outfits and ideas as you can. Who knows after this exercise you might be happy not to shop or buy anything new at all.

Always remember there are only so many days in the year and only so many different outfits we can wear anyway, so there is no need to over buy.

Cull, cull, cull.

If you have time (which I don’t) now is a good time to cull out of your wardrobe any unwanted garments.

Ones you’ve not worn, grown out of (don’t wait until you grow back into again, it barely happens) or are looking a bit shabby.

If they are good enough to pass on or sell, do that. Why waste a good garment.

Item No 1.

White jeans.

I find nearly all my clients young or old are predominately wearing casual clothes.

So my no 1. pick is white jeans. I like to wear them all year round. Find your suitable whites and choose the right seasonal fabrics with stretch or no stretch in your best styles.

Item no 2.

Denim Jeans.

Dress them up or dress them down. Denim jeans are forever in fashion so  find your best brands and again be sure to choose your right colour denims.

Item no 3.

White T shirt.

Nothing looks fresher than a white t shirt with jeans, pants or skirt.  They can look so smart and lovely also very dressy with the right accessories.  Just try not to spill beetroot on them.

Item no 4.

Coloured T shirt.

Another must have staple is the coloured Tee. Go anywhere, go with anything and remember in your colours you have such an array of choice why wouldn’t you have more than one in the mix.

Remember when you see them on special, they usually come in a mix of colours, and when you know your colours well, you will find it easy to choose.

Item no 5.

The Sun dress

On those stinking hot days what can be cooler than a light and airy dress. Strappy or straight a soft linen dress is so chic. Remember the shift dress is very flattering for all shapes.

Item no 6

A stylish sun hat.

Don’t leave the house without your hat but be sure it makes a statement and suits your style and face shape.

Item no 7

A Summer bag

To complete your look for the warmer months, what could be more fun and fabulous than a gorgeous colourful and glam handbag. This is a time when you can purchase a non leather bag, perhaps raffia or fabric and something very pretty.

Item no 8

Beautiful coloured pant

With so many prints, silks, flowy pants and patterns available, you can wear something totally different to what you’d wear in the cooler months.

Item no 9

Short sleeve blouse

A short sleeve blouse, is a great purchase in pure cotton, linen or any other light fabric. The main goal is breathability and easy style. Find a cut that flatters your body shape.

Item no 10

Long sleeve shirt

You will find the need for a longer sleeve shirt on occasion and there are so many beautiful choices to make. Lovely silks, satins, stripes, cotton, linen, fun prints are waiting for you to add to your lovely spring/summer collection

I hope this has given you a few ideas as well as some inspiration to get into your spring/summer look

One last thing be sure every item you purchase is in your correct colours. Nothing is more glamorous, beautiful or stylish than wearing your colours from top to toe.

The four Seasonal Colour Palettes

Spring                     Summer                   Autumn                    Winter

Are you confused about Colour?

If you find the seasonal colour palettes confusing, you’re not alone.

Since the 70’s the information about what colours suit you and what the colours are, has gone through many changes.

In this blog I want to outline what the four seasons are and what most colour systems are based upon.

The Four Seasons

As you may or may not know the four seasonal colour palettes are Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

They are just like the four seasons in nature.The temperature value may be different though.

Winter is classified as cool

Summer is classified as cool

Spring is classified as warm

And Autumn is classified as warm. There are two warm seasons and two cool seasons.

Warm and cool Colours

A warm colour or tone is yellow or red based. A cool tone is blue or grey based. Are all blues and greys cool? No they are not. Are all yellow and red tones warm? No they are not.

This is why it’s important the colour consultant spends much time learning about the temperature of each colour. Is the colour warm or cool?

Is this easy? No this is not. The reason being there are over 16 million colours. With time and experience one can learn what category any colour belongs.

What is a Winter Colour?

The Winter Colours are Deep, Strong, Dominant. Black and pure white are the bookends with all the primary power colours featuring.

Primary, red, green, blue, yellow. Don’t forget a pure Orange, a deep Chocolate brown. The darker greys and deeper vibrant pinks are there as well. Very dark navy's, electric blues and ink navy's. 

Originally Beige featured and the icy pale versions of colour, were in the Winter Colours, but I question their right to belong.

What is a Summer Colour?

Summer Colours are cool as well as the winter colours, but are much more muted and subtle than their deeper counterparts.

Summer colours are pastel, muted, soft, but there is the strength of a chocolate brown and a maroon or burgundy. I like to include all cool beiges, soft cool taupes, very soft cool greys, silver and rose gold as well as grey khakis.

There is no orange in the Summer palette, but the cool corals and watermelon pinks belong very nicely.

What is a Spring Colour?

Spring colours are exactly what the season suggests. They are bright and airy. Buttercup yellows and light teals. Lots of warm caramel browns and beige's.

Bright reds with peaches and creams and apricots. Don’t forget the lime greens. Often these colours are confused with Summer Colours because of their value. But Spring Colours appear brighter and more yellow based.

Spring Colours aren’t quiet as strong as Autumn colours obviously.

What is an Autumn Colour.

Again Autumn is another Deep season, meaning these colours are very strong.

They appear to be much heavier than the Spring Colours. Deep warm Browns, olive greens, pumpkins, deep creams. Rich warm purples and deep teal blues. The yellows of the Autumn season are very orangey yellow and the reds are very bright yellow reds.

Still confused about Colour?

So if you’re still confused about your colours, don’t be. Have a personal one on one colour analysis in my studio in Ramsgate Sydney or for an accurate online analysis with lots of moving forward steps try my online colour analysis for an instant result.

Ros at Your Colours and style.  “Be beautiful in your colours”

Your Image Overhaul for 2024.

New year New you

You’ve heard this sentiment a thousand times before but what better time to take a look at your Image than January of every new year.

Are you totally happy with the way you look or do you think there may be a few little tweeks you can do to improve what you see in the mirror?

Let’s face it none of us are getting any younger, and as I cater to the mature woman those usually over 50 or 60 and beyond,  I see lot's of changes that can be made for the better.

So do you think you can handle another checklist for 2024 and see if there are one or two things you can do to improve your look, feel better about yourself and set yourself up to win?

So here is my New Year checklist and if you find something that stands out to you, I’m happy to give you some guidance about the change(s) that you can make, to achieve your ultimate new look.

The best place to start for a top to toe transformation is at the top, obviously.

So how’s your hair? Did you know that I recommend a change of hair cut, style, colour to nearly all my clients?

And did you know a new doo can literally alter your appearance, make you look 10 years younger, make you look more attractive and in general change your image completely?

Note how this Russian stylist has made all the difference with this lovely hairstyle and colour and of course having the client wear the right colours for her underskin tone.

So if you need some colour, cut, style advice all you need to do is send a pic of your head. That is a head shot. You know from the neck up. I’ll send you a few pics for you to take to your hairdresser.

Next step is the face.

Oh yes and the make up in the right colours is a real game changer. If you’ve noticed some really bad looking make up on celebrities for example, I can guarantee they are in the wrong seasonal colours make up.

Remember Colours make up is in the seasonal make up colours. So it takes all the guess work out of choosing the right colour make up.

The next step is wearing your seasonal colours.

Even if you’ve had your colours done with me and are pretty good with your colours, I’m certain I can help you fine tune that wardrobe even more. At least add some more pizazz and scope and inject some things you’ve not thought of before. Always start with your colours.

This lovely client, was wearing just the wrong colours on the left and switching to the right colours in her wardrobe changed the way she looked completely. Note the difference in body shape as well.

If you feel you’re not sure about your colours or if someone has not done your colours correctly, please have them checked until you’re happy. There are some interesting information around colours these days.

Lastly putting the whole thing together, can add that final bit of flair to your style.

Having an outside opinion is always a powerful thing to do and especially with a colour specialist so what are you waiting for?

Get your colours right check out the check list and contact me if you need any help.

Ros Your Colours and style.

Step by step Colour analysis

Colour analysis has gone through many changes over the last decades. 

Some changes are not so good because the colour drapes some consultants are using are a bit dubious and you would have to say open to interpretation. Many colours are added to certain seasons that do not belong.

So let's just go back to basics and highlight a few simple but good and accurate steps to follow a logical path to do a colour analysis and come up with an accurate and good result. 

Tester drapes

What is a good way to compile a set of drapes, to determine skin tone and value?

We start with a warm shade usually peach and then a cool shade usually pink to denote a cool shade, as the first part of the analysis.

Then there is one of each shade in each season. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter yellows, and blues, greens whites and reds. There are 22 drapes in all.

The analysis begins by determining the underskin tone. 

Is your underkin tone warm or cool?

This is done by the very first part of the colour analysis.

A warm cloth is draped over the client wearing no make up and covered hair.

The hair is covered so as not to confuse warm or cool as the hair may throw warm or cool tones.

This cloth is usually a very predictable warm colour like peach.

A cool cloth is a very definite cool pink. These two drapes are a real decider when it comes to determining underskin tone

What you're looking for at this stage is the cloth that enhances the skin tone and face.

For example which cloth makes the skin appear more even without changing the natural skin colour.

Other things to look for are eye brightness, clarity in eye whiteness. Note if the face turns more red, or dark or pigmented.

Skin imperfections become more obvious with the wrong shade. Teeth will look more yellow with the wrong shade. Shadow will appear under the chin with the wrong shade.

Dark shadows around eyes and under the eyes are more noticeable with the wrong colour.

Once you have made a clear decision about warm or cool, you can then eliminate all warm or all cool shades respectively. 

Warm colours are in the Autumn and Spring palettes. Cool colours are in the Winter and Summer Palettes. 

The next step is determining the value. By value I mean depth of shades. 

The stronger shades are in the (cool) Winter palette and the (warm) Autumn palette.

                  Winter blue                                Autumn blue

If you've eliminated all warm colours then obviously you're left with Winter and Summer colours only.

 Summer blue

If you eliminate the Deep value of Winter colours then you're left with the softer more muted shades of the Summer palette.

Just a note here. You can see that doing your own colour analysis is not that simple.

In fact over the years I've seen lots of clients that are just plain confused and have no idea what season they are, no matter how hard they try to work their own colours out.

The most important reason for this is because there are over 16million colours and in fact there are an infinite number of colours. Also because it's only experience that helps you to slot those colours into their categories.

Without some pretty in depth experience you're going to find it difficult to determine what is a warm or cool colour and then what is a Winter, Summer, Autumn and Spring colour.

You can have a guess but it's only a true experienced colour consultant who can really identify all the colours correctly.

As much as it's a lot of fun trying to guess or work out your colours, I strongly suggest investing in a one time colour analysis and get your colours right to start with.

For more expert information please contact us.

You may try the online colour analysis for an accurate colour analysis or of course attend my workshops or one on one colour and style analysis.

Where did the colour theories begin?

Johannes Itten (1888-1967) was a Swiss painter, designer and theorist.

He believed colour could invoke feelings, and I agree. What do you feel when you walk into a strong bold monochromatic office? How do you feel when you visit a warm old country farm enriched with the golden hues of the Autumn Palette?

What colours do you envisage would enhance a seaside apartment, and how do you feel when you are in that space?  Do you feel light, airy, fresh and happy in the shades of the Muted Summer Palette.

Then there are the bright and light colours of Spring and how do we feel at that time of the year, when we experience new growth and blossoms of the bright spring palette?

Itten theorized seven types of colour contrast, contrast by hue, value, temperature, compliments, simultaneous contrast, contrast by saturation and contrast by extension. He explained by using a colour sphere with the primary colours of red, yellow and blue.

He was the first to associate colour palettes with four types of people and labelled these with the four seasons.

What are the four seasons?

After many years the four seasons were developed in the 1950’s.

These four seasons reflect the seasons of nature. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

It was a clever way of grouping the seasonal colours as they reflect characteristics of the seasons they represent. Colours of the Winter season like the black sky, the white ice and grey days, paint a picture of dominant cool clear colours.

The soft muted colours of Summer-clear blue sky, soft yellow sand, soft green grass and the calypso colours that accompany our beautiful summer season.  

Autumn ushers in the mossy greens and the brilliant colours of autumn leaves with the burnished colours of the trees.

Finally the delightful and delicate and bright colours of Spring with the fresh green grass and spring collection of budding flowers.

In relation to people, a particular colour palette with loads of variety can be designated to each person.

How did the four seasons  become 12 or 16 seasons?

After many years, certain colour consultants deemed that 4 seasons were not enough to identify the numerous “types” of people on the planet.

This only managed to dilute and distort a perfectly functional and accurate way of doing colours.

The original stated whether you are warm or cool ie, Autumn and Spring warm or Winter or Summer cool.

Then once that is determined a further breakdown accessed if you were the deeper or lighter of that breakdown.

So simple and so straightforward was this system. The problem was colour consultants failed to “see”the colours against the clients skin, thereby giving a false reading.

Therefore needing more sub categories.

And so we now have a further diluting of each of the four seasons, calling Spring warm, light and bright. Summer cool, light and soft. Winter bright deep and cool and Autumn warm, deep and soft which is just a further explanation of what these four main categories are. It’s just a repetition of what they are.

Further confusion with the seasonal colours.

Sadly now we have thousands of interpretations of what each of these colour breakups look like.

If you search it out each colour analyst will have different colours in each palette, and in fact most have a combination of all the seasonal colour palettes included in each category, with the colours from each of the spring, summer, autumn and winter palettes.

This leads to ultimate confusion for the client and a colour palette they adhere to with a real miss mash of colours and a totally uncoordinated wardrobe.

 I see these clients after a while and they are not adhering to their palette at all because the palette may only have some of their colours and many wrong colours.

My final analysis on colour.

Stick to the four seasonal colour palettes.

Find accurate colour palettes that identify colours this way.

Winter colours are Cool, blue based, strong, primary and bold. They include black, white, all greys, Deep deep chocolate brown, extremely pale icy colours for contrast and the rich primary colours.

Summer colours are also cool, soft, muted and contain the deep colours of milk chocolate brown, beiges, taupes, soft grey, soft denims, burgundys, mint greens, soft emeralds, lemon yellows, muted pinks and purples, wedgewood blues, light blues and soft muted navys

Autumn colours are rich and deep and warm. Pumpkins and ochres and rich warm purples and golden yellows and warm golden browns and creams and teal and muted blues and rich warm burgundys as well as orange reds and all oranges.

Spring colours are similar to Summer colours and are often mistaken because they are the less intense, versions of colours, but they are much brighter due to the warm component and yellow base. You have lime greens and soft warm corals and peaches and warm browns and warm caramel browns and yellow beiges. Bright blues and bright greens and bright yellows are the happy colours of Spring.

This is just a small sampling of the colours that fit into the four palettes. All I know as an experienced colour analyst your colouring will suit one only of the four seasonal colour palettes. From there the rest is easy just start wearing ALL the many many many colours in your beautiful palette for a beautiful and colourful and co-ordinated functional wardrobe.

For more information contact Your Colours and Style.