Does your wardrobe look like a rainbow or does it center around just a few colors that you look fabulous in?
While it is important to build a wardrobe around the colors that suit you best, adding others to your palette will definitely revitalize it.
Of course, not everyone can wear the same colors as easily as the next person. That doesn’t mean you have to give up on great colors, though. I sure haven’t — even though I often complain about my “picky complexion”.
Anyone can enjoy the rainbow of colors out there, and here’s how.
Placement can be key
As I’ve learned, finding the right placement can make just about any color work. Try placing pops of any “difficult” color away from your face. Where you choose to place the color will depend of course on which areas you want or don’t want to accentuate, but there are plenty of places where you might add color: shoes, belt, skirt, rings, bracelets, or handbag.
For example, I love pink, but have a hard time wearing it because it makes my skin look too flushed. That’s one reason why I fell in love with my pink Longchamp bag. Now I can add pink to just about any outfit.
If you wear long pants you can get away with just about any color shoe, regardless of skin tone.
Try variations of a color
The answer might also be finding the right variation. Sometimes two seemingly similar colors can look very different on.
In my case, cool reds work great for me, while warm reds bring out too much orange and yellow in my skin. Also, really bright colors like lime green tend to overwhelm my fair complexion, but there are plenty of bright colors that I can still wear like kelly green. I can even wear pink near my face, if I opt for pale pink pearls.
Balance it out
Finally, some colors might work if you balance them out with other colors, especially in the same piece.
I have several shirts that have pink in the design, but they work just fine because they are mostly black. One of the only yellow pieces I have is a yellow sundress. Even though it’s predominantly yellow, a color that rarely does any favors for me, it works because there is a floral design in blue and green which balances out the yellow. And the one bit of orange I have is on a blue t-shirt where it has a great effect.
Layering colors can also work well. If you layer tee-shirts, let the harder-to-wear color peek out at the edges. Sometimes just adding a jacket or cardigan can tone down a bright top enough to make it flattering.
And if some colors really sap the color from your face, don’t forget that you can add some back by changing your makeup.
How do you wear difficult colors?
I’ve told you my hard-to-wear colors, and I’m curious: What colors do you have a hard time wearing and why? How do you manage to wear them, if at all?
Get your fashion bargains by RSS.
Glamour And Company said,
January 10, 2008 @ 9:42 pm
A article that works for both men and women. I’ve found that a very lite color like a peach will make me look “washed out”. But if you add small amounts of some color that doesn’t compliment you sometimes, it manages to blend very well, so coordinating is key.