Wanna look your best, save time and money, and with not much effort? Well you can when you pull out your best colors and rock them fiercely. *Tyra smize*

Back in the 80s, having your colors done was a big thing (along with big hair, big shoulder pads, and big ole contoured cheeks). Though styles have changed drastically since then (thankfully) the color theories can still apply today.

Now—why would you want to know what your colors are?

Well, wearing the right colors can help you appear more vibrant, alert, and even younger. The wrong colors can make you appear sickly, older, and can wear you instead of you wearing it.

I’ve put together a crash course on color to assist you with choosing great colors for your own coloring.

Colors have many different characteristics. Because of this anyone can wear any color/hue based on their own characterstics and those of the color.

Color characteristics:
Hue: the color name (i.e. blue, yellow, red, green, etc.)
Intensity: how bright or muted a color is
Tone: how light or dark a color is
Temperature: how warm, cool, or neutral a color is

More on temperature…
You’ll know you’re warm toned if: you have a yellow or golden undertone to your skin, your eyes are golden brown or green (or have gold flecks), your veins are green, or you look better in gold than silver.

You’ll know you’re cool toned if: you have a pink or blue undertone to your skin, your eyes are dark brown or blue, your veins are green, or you look better in silver than gold.

You’ll know you’re neutral if: you have neither apparent warm nor cool undertones or you look good in both silver or gold.

Note that undertone has nothing to do with skin tone. Being light or dark skin does not automatically dictate undertone.

We also have color characteristics naturally (in our undertones, hair color, eye color) that help decide which colors look best on us. Anyone can wear any hue, it just has to be the right temperature, intensity, and tone.

Luckily there are also color groupings called seasons that give us a guide as to which colors look best on us. They are:

Winter: your coloring is cool and clear (meaning there’s a high level of contrast between your skin tone and hair color). Look for vivid or icy tones like pure white, navy, emerald green, deep hot pink, true red, bright burgundy, royal blue, charcoal gray, black. Accessorize with silver or platinum.

Celeb examples: Kelly Rowland, Demi Moore, Alex Wek, Salma Hayek, Cassie, Kelly Osbourne

Summer: your coloring is cool and muted (meaning there’s a low level of contrast between your skin tone and hair color). Look for cool, soft colors, like most blues (including periwinkle, blue-gray and navy), off-white, rosy beige, brown, lavender or pastel pink (with blue undertones). Accessorize with silver, very pale gold or pearls.

Celeb examples: Vanessa Williams, Amber Rose, Gywneth Paltrow

Spring: your coloring is warm and clear. Look for clear, delicate and bright hues, like creamy beiges, light royal blue, peachy or bright warm pinks, turquoise or aqua, pastel green, golden brown or medium purple. Accessorize with gold or pearls.

Celeb examples: Jada Pinkett Smith, Charlize Thereon, Kerry Washington, Alicia Keys

Autumn: your coloring is warm and muted. Look for strong shades with warm undertones, like camel, dark tomato red, forest or olive green, all oranges, coffee or chocolate brown, teal blue. Accessorize with gold.

Celeb examples: Beyonce, Queen Latifah, Julia Roberts, Serena Williams

Contrast has to do with the difference in color between your hair and skin. You have a high level of contrast if your hair color is much darker than your skin tone. You have a low level of contrast if your hair color is about the same color as your skin tone.

Check out some color swatches based on seasons:

These color theories work for both wardrobe and makeup. Now that you know what your best colors are, take a refresher on The Color Wheel: How to Combine Colors in Your Wardrobe.

It’s safe to go outside your color box and wear something that doesn’t go with your coloring if you wear the item away from your face. For example, if hot pink is not a color that works with your coloring, avoid the hue in a tank top, but you can pull it off as a skirt.

And there you go—a quick guide on how to choose your best colors. Questions? Leave them in the comments or contact me.

Just like nature, color seasons are classified by four categories:

Winter: Your season is Winter if you have olive-or cool-toned skin and your eyes are a deep shade (like dark brown). Look for vivid or icy tones like pure white, navy, emerald green, deep hot pink, true red, bright burgundy, royal blue, charcoal gray, black. Accessorize with silver or platinum.

Summer: Your season is Summer if you are an ash blonde or have light ash-brown hair (often characterized as “mousy”); your hair bleaches quickly in the sun; you have pink, even translucent, skin; your eyes are blue or green. Look for cool, soft colors, like most blues (including periwinkle, blue-gray and navy), off-white, rosy beige, brown, lavender or pastel pink (with blue undertones). Accessorize with silver, very pale gold or pearls.

Spring: Your season is Spring if you are golden blonde or were blonde as a child and your hair retains a golden cast; your skin has a warm undertone and is creamy ivory, peachy-pink or beige; you have rosy cheeks and flush easily; your eyes have gold flecks. Look for clear, delicate and bright hues, like creamy beiges, light royal blue, peachy or bright warm pinks, turquoise or aqua, pastel green, golden brown or medium purple. Accessorize with gold or pearls.

Autumn: Your season is Autumn if if your hair is brown or red with gold or red highlights; your skin has a peachy or coppery cast (and maybe freckles); your eyes are golden brown, hazel, green or teal blue. Look for strong shades with warm undertones, like camel, dark tomato red, forest or olive green, all oranges, coffee or chocolate brown, teal blue.

Source

You want to focus more on your skin’s undertone and your eye color when it comes to figuring out your season. Hair color is not a major factor since many women have colored their hair in a shade that does not agree in harmony with their season. Use the hair color descriptions above to help you decide on a new hair color.

Check out some color swatches for the seasons:

Source

The Style and Beauty Doctor offers many personal style and beauty services, including color anaylsis! If you live in the NYC area, contact us to schedule a consultation.

Just like nature, color seasons are classified by four categories:

Winter: Your season is Winter if you have olive-or cool-toned skin and your eyes are a deep shade (like dark brown). Look for vivid or icy tones like pure white, navy, emerald green, deep hot pink, true red, bright burgundy, royal blue, charcoal gray, black. Accessorize with silver or platinum.

Summer: Your season is Summer if you are an ash blonde or have light ash-brown hair (often characterized as “mousy”); your hair bleaches quickly in the sun; you have pink, even translucent, skin; your eyes are blue or green. Look for cool, soft colors, like most blues (including periwinkle, blue-gray and navy), off-white, rosy beige, brown, lavender or pastel pink (with blue undertones). Accessorize with silver, very pale gold or pearls.

Spring: Your season is Spring if you are golden blonde or were blonde as a child and your hair retains a golden cast; your skin has a warm undertone and is creamy ivory, peachy-pink or beige; you have rosy cheeks and flush easily; your eyes have gold flecks. Look for clear, delicate and bright hues, like creamy beiges, light royal blue, peachy or bright warm pinks, turquoise or aqua, pastel green, golden brown or medium purple. Accessorize with gold or pearls.

Autumn: Your season is Autumn if if your hair is brown or red with gold or red highlights; your skin has a peachy or coppery cast (and maybe freckles); your eyes are golden brown, hazel, green or teal blue. Look for strong shades with warm undertones, like camel, dark tomato red, forest or olive green, all oranges, coffee or chocolate brown, teal blue.

Source

You want to focus more on your skin’s undertone and your eye color when it comes to figuring out your season. Hair color is not a major factor since many women have colored their hair in a shade that does not agree in harmony with their season. Use the hair color descriptions above to help you decide on a new hair color.

Check out some color swatches for the seasons:

Source

The Style and Beauty Doctor offers many personal style and beauty services, including color anaylsis! If you live in the NYC area, contact us to schedule a consultation.

Just like nature, color seasons are classified by four categories:

Winter: Your season is Winter if you have olive-or cool-toned skin and your eyes are a deep shade (like dark brown). Look for vivid or icy tones like pure white, navy, emerald green, deep hot pink, true red, bright burgundy, royal blue, charcoal gray, black. Accessorize with silver or platinum.

Summer: Your season is Summer if you are an ash blonde or have light ash-brown hair (often characterized as “mousy”); your hair bleaches quickly in the sun; you have pink, even translucent, skin; your eyes are blue or green. Look for cool, soft colors, like most blues (including periwinkle, blue-gray and navy), off-white, rosy beige, brown, lavender or pastel pink (with blue undertones). Accessorize with silver, very pale gold or pearls.

Spring: Your season is Spring if you are golden blonde or were blonde as a child and your hair retains a golden cast; your skin has a warm undertone and is creamy ivory, peachy-pink or beige; you have rosy cheeks and flush easily; your eyes have gold flecks. Look for clear, delicate and bright hues, like creamy beiges, light royal blue, peachy or bright warm pinks, turquoise or aqua, pastel green, golden brown or medium purple. Accessorize with gold or pearls.

Autumn: Your season is Autumn if if your hair is brown or red with gold or red highlights; your skin has a peachy or coppery cast (and maybe freckles); your eyes are golden brown, hazel, green or teal blue. Look for strong shades with warm undertones, like camel, dark tomato red, forest or olive green, all oranges, coffee or chocolate brown, teal blue.

Source

You want to focus more on your skin’s undertone and your eye color when it comes to figuring out your season. Hair color is not a major factor since many women have colored their hair in a shade that does not agree in harmony with their season. Use the hair color descriptions above to help you decide on a new hair color.

Check out some color swatches for the seasons:

Source

The Style and Beauty Doctor offers many personal style and beauty services, including color anaylsis! If you live in the NYC area, contact us to schedule a consultation

We’ve all seen movies and TV shows like The Devil Wears Prada, Girlfriends, and Sex and the City, right? Who hasn’t drooled over some of the wardrobes that characters like Miranda Preistly, Joan Clayton, Carrie Bradshaw, and Andy Sachs (post-makeover) wore?

Now who here dresses like that at least part of the time at your own job?

If you’re like me and work in a conservative industry (I’m in finance and it’s no wonder that a few years ago I veered to the left to become a stylist and makeup artist, albeit part-time) you likely have somewhat of a strict dress code. My dress code includes suits, nothing above the knee, pantyhose with skirts (although I’ve gotten away without wearing any in certain offices), closed-toe shoes (although I’ve gotten away with open-toes at certain offices), no cleavage, and hair must be dyed natural colors–you know BOR-ING stuff. I also see clients all day so I can’t walk into work looking like I’d actually want to (with facial piercings and bright pink hair….just kidding…lol), so I have to be conscious about what I put on yet since I’m a creative spirit I have to let my personality shine through my wardrobe.

So if you work in a similarly conservative environment, here’s what you do:

1. Think basics with a twist. Who says you must don the basic white button down blouse all the time? And who says it has to be white? Try pretty options like these under your suit jackets instead:

First row (from left to right):Miu Miu Pussy bow shirt at net-a-porter.com; Vivienne Westwood Red Label Popeline collar cotton shirt at net-a-porter.com; Vince Cascading ruffle blouse at net-a-porter.com; 3.1 Phillip Lim Smocked-bib tuxedo shirt at net-a-porter.com

Second row (from left to right):Silk Pleated Top at Banana Republic; BR Monogram Tuxedo Blouse at Banana Republic; Short-Sleeve Pleated Blouse at Banana Republic; Silk Pin Tucked Blouse at Banana Republic.

Third row (from left to right):Women’s Plus Lightweight Ruffle Tops at Old Navy; Women’s Tie-Waist Linen-Blend Tops at Old Navy; Women’s Cowl-Neck Tops at Old Navy; Women’s Sleeveless V-Neck Tops at Old Navy.

2. Don’t think a suit must consist of a jacket and matching pants or skirt. Think outside the box and go with different shapes and prints. Don’t be afraid to mix and match–force yourself to never wear a matching suit together again!

First row (from left to right):Marc by Marc Jacobs Tweed cropped blazer at net-a-porter.com; Vera Wang Tartan print jacket at net-a-porter.com; Oscar de la Renta Silk pleated sleeve jacket at net-a-porter.com; Matthew Williamson Cotton cropped jacket at net-a-porter.com.

Second row (from left to right):Marc Jacobs Chain detail bouclé jacket at net-a-porter.com; Vivienne Westwood Red Label Stretch wool blazer at net-a-porter.com; Textured funnel jacket at Banana Republic; Peplum jacket at Banana Republic.

Third row (from left to right):Cotton mandarin-collar jacket at Banana Republic; Crocodile cocktail jacket at J. Crew; Casette-tweed Marcel jacket at J. Crew; Crocodile cocktail cardigan at J. Crew.

3. Don’t forget to accessorize! Choose a big, bright bag over a brieface—it can hold all your belongings and it adds punch to your outfit.

First row (from left to right):Miu Miu Bow detail tote at net-a-porter.com; Miu Miu Matellasse tote at net-a-porter.com; Chloe Shelby shoulder bag at net-a-porter.com.

Second row (from left to right):Marc by Marc Jacobs City Bag tote at net-a-porter.com; Marc Jacobs Robert canvas tote at net-a-porter.com; BSweet at Steve Madden.

Third row (from left to right):BTina at Steve Madden; BSelma at Steve Madden; BHOTSTUDHB at Steve Madden.

First row (from left to right):Tayla at Steve Madden; Tantlize at Steve Madden; Fortay at Steve Madden.

Second row (from left to right):Bijoux Heart Stone embellished necklace at net-a-porter.com; Square Stackable Rings at Banana Republic; YSL Arty Dots ring at net-a-porter.com.

Third row (from left to right):Barrel Cuff at Banana Republic; Hammered disc snake necklace at Banana Republic; Coin Bib Necklace at Banana Republic.