Something I get asked a lot about is how to shop for ‘your’ colours in the shops. When you know the shades of colours which suit you best, it makes it far easier to shop as you can pick out the colour trends that do work for you. Plus, this knowledge takes you through each and every season! It’s one of the many benefits to having a colour analysis consultation and you can wear colour all year round after all!
If you don’t know the shades of colours which suit you best, then this task is a little harder and could be where you make some costly mistakes.
The time of year influences the colours we tend to see. Think about the weather and the seasons, especially in the UK. For example, if you have lighter features then you’re more likely to find the shades of colour which suit you better in spring and summer. Whereas, if your features are much richer and darker, then you’re more likely to find shades in winter.
Not every brand is the same though. Some retailers do tend to favour certain shades over others irrelevant of the time of year. Plus, there’s specialist brands like Kettlewell who focus on colours for those who’ve had their colours analysed previously. (Get in touch if you’d like more details).
Colour trends
Woman & Home recently contacted Colour me Beautiful MD Cliff Bashforth. They were writing a piece about fashion colour trends and how to wear them. Read the article here.
I’ll focus on some of the colour trends highlighted in the article below. But, if you want to wear a colour which you feel doesn’t look right or isn’t in your swatches; here’s a tip. Keep it away from your face! Instead choose something like a bag, shoes or trousers/skirt. What you wear closer to your face should be a shade which compliments you and lightens and brightens your features. Something which doesn’t will cast dark shadows, make you look unwell or age you unnecessarily.
Orange
I’ve discussed this in my last blog which you can revisit here. What you’ll notice is how bright and bold the clothes are in the shops and vastly different from the oranges we tend to see in the autumn. This will be great for you if you have red hair or toned down a little for warmer skin tones.
Same rule I mentioned before – keep it away from your face or choose accessories if it’s not that great for you.
Green
The article focuses again on the bolder greens out there but I’ve actually seen lots of shades of green this spring.
So, if you’re a fan of green and looking for some additions to your wardrobe then now’s a good time to look. Remember, green can have a yellow hue to it which makes it warmer so if you’re cooler don’t got to yellow based. If you’ve got white hair, you’ll want to avoid the yellow-y greens and go for icy shades.
Pink
The bolder pinks are better suited for those with more contrasting and brighter features. For others, you’ll need to tone it down or keep it away from your face.
If you’re following me on social media, I’ve shared a pink pleated skirt which doesn’t feature in my colour swatches (it’s too bright for me) but because it’s on my bottom half, it would have worked. Unfortunately, the fabric and the weight just wasn’t right and was too heavy for me so it didn’t suit my shape and frame. Colour might be the most visual reason for biting something, but if the style, shape or fit doesn’t work for you then it still won’t work. I go through all this and more during my style and image consultations.
White
An unusual ‘trending’ colour highlighted by Woman & Home and there was a few white pieces evidenced in the shops. I’d always recommend a soft white shade (think off-white) for most people pure white is too harsh for their features. We’re too early for Wimbledon, but how to wear white is something I’ve covered before! Read it here.
Seasonal guides
Still looking for a bit more help?
My spring / summer 2022 style guide is available which is an A5 double sided guide which features the colours and trends to shop for. I’m including an additional Pantone colour guide this time round too. Get it here.
For a little more guided detail, my presentation on the spring and summer trends is available as a pre-recorded masterclass. It’s a 30 minute recording which you can watch at a time to suit you. It’s available at a special introductory price here.
I hope this has helped to inspire you but if you need more help and guidance, do get in touch: Toni.carver@tlcstyleandcolour.co.uk