STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

The only color 'don't' my mother taught me was the pink/red combo. To this day I cannot do it. Plus, I tend to feel valentine-ish. I think in elementary school I wore the combo to death on Feb 14, and haven't worn it since.

I do wear a lot of colors, but usually with black, and rarely wear all colors without a neutral (unless it is a dress). But, on the occasion that I do wear just colors, I feel very summery and fresh. I just don't know if I would feel comfortable at work, which is too bad, since we don't have a dress code.

I will say that certain colors don't work well with certain skin tones. I cannot wear yellow near my face. It makes me look sick. I have yellow undertones and blonde hair and it just doesn't work. Now, my mother can't wear peach with her skintone. And, my husband can't wear olive/army green well. I don't know that there is a formula to follow to discover what colors don't work, but I know them when I see them. And, I think it is better to accept that they don't work, and wear the color in accesories if you can't live without it. I happen to have a killer pair of yellow platforms sandals and a great yellow purse. :)

I guess I would consider myself a "warm spring"

Types of Springs

1. Light Spring:

• Eyes: Blue, green, turquoise, or light hazel.
• Hair: Light to medium golden blonde, ash blonde or light to medium brown.
• Skin: Ivory with peach tones, pink beige.

Best colors for Light Springs:

From Left: Camel, khaki, light gray, blue charcoal, taupe, warm pastel pink, baby pink, clear salmon, coral, watermelon, fuchsia, clear red, creme, light green, bright golden yellow, moss green, blue green, clear aqua, powder blue, light purple, periwinkle, violet.

2. Clear Spring:

• Eyes: Turquoise blue, green, golden brown or topaz.
• Hair: Medium to dark brown, or brown-black. May have red highlights.
• Skin: Bronze, deep warm brown, brown-black, light ivory, light peach, or porcelain.

Best colors for Clear Springs:

From Left: Navy, gray, charcoal, black, light grey, turquoise, yellow, marigold yellow, mint, green, dark green, clear teal, hot turquoise, true blue, purple, purple-gray, peach, salmon, true red, warm pastel pink, hot pink.

3. Warm Spring:

• Eyes: Topaz, olive green, light hazel, or warm turquoise.
• Hair: Light golden brown, red, strawberry blonde, or deep golden blonde.
• Skin: Bronze, golden beige, ivory, or porcelain. May have freckles.

Best colors for Warm Springs:

From Left: Camel, bronze, golden brown, dark brown, stone, gray green, peach, light orange, coral, tomato red, rust, buff, green, light true green, evergreen, emerald turquoise, jade, teal, moss, deep periwinkle.

Types of Summers

1. Light Summer:

• Eyes: Blue, gray or green.
• Hair: Light to medium ash blonde or light to medium ash brown.
• Skin: Pale beige, porcelain, ivory or pink beige. (Usually pink-toned.)

Best colors for Light Summers:

From Left: Light gray, gray blue, cocoa, taupe, powder pink, rose pink, rose, coral pink, clear salmon, clear red, light lemon yellow, light aqua, blue green, spruce, light navy, sky blue, medium blue, lavender, violet.

2. Soft Summer:

• Eyes: Gray-blue, hazel or soft turquoise.
• Hair: Light to medium ash brown, mousy brown. May have blonde in it.
• Skin: Light to medium neutral beige, ivory.

Best colors for Soft Summers:

From Left: Medium gray, light gray, taupe, cocoa, rose, raspberry, rose pink, deep rose, baby pink, soft fuchsia, burgundy, light lemon yellow, light green, turquoise, jade, green, forest green, navy, periwinkle, lavender, dusty purple, teal.

3. Cool Summer:

• Eyes: Gray, blue, or slate.
• Hair: Medium to deep ash brown. Little to no red tones.
• Skin: Ivory, pink beige, gray beige, or neutral beige.

Best colors for Cool Summers:

From Left: Light gray, gray blue, cocoa, buff, light brown, taupe, icy pink, soft fuchsia, deep rose, burgundy, turquoise, jade, green, aqua, light aqua, true aqua, lavender, dusty purple, warm dusty purple, periwinkle, navy.

Types of Autumns

1. Deep Autumn:

• Eyes: Dark brown, dark hazel, black, or dark green.
• Hair: Medium brown, medium to deep auburn, dark brown deep chestnut or black.
• Skin: Warm beige, neutral beige, golden brown, dark brown, olive.

Best colors for Deep Autumns:

From Left: Black brown, black, light yellow, marigold, peach, terracotta, salmon pink, tomato red, deep red, true red, dark rose, lemon yellow, camel, jade, moss, lime bronze, hot turquoise, cerulean, chinese blue, evergreen, dark purple, purple.

2. Soft Autumn:

• Eyes: Light brown, soft hazel, blue, or gray-green.
• Hair: Golden blonde to medium brown or mousy brown. May have blonde or red highlights.
• Skin: Ivory, neutral beige, warm beige, golden brown.

Best colors for Soft Autumns:

From Left: Mahogany, brown, medium gray, camel, khaki, gray, light peach, deep rose, light coral, dusty pink, coral, terracotta, buttermilk, mint, emerald turquoise, turquoise, jade, evergreen, purple, dark purple aubergine.

3. Warm Autumn:

• Eyes: Brown, olive green, hazel or topaz.
• Hair: Medium golden brown, red, auburn, strawberry blonde or golden blonde.
• Skin: Bronze, golden brown, golden beige, ivory, or warm beige.

Best colors for Warm Autumns:

From Left: Camel, khaki, coffee brown, cream, medium brown, dark brown, light salmon, dark peach, salmon, pumpkin, rust, terracotta, aubergine, light yellow, light moss, evergreen, marigold, emerald turquoise, teal, forest green, deep periwinkle, purple.

Types of Winters

1. Deep Winter:

• Eyes: Black, black-brown, or dark hazel.
• Hair: Black-brown, medium brown, steel gray, or salt & pepper.
• Skin: Black, medium beige, black-brown, or olive with no pink or peach undertones.

Best colors for Deep Winters:

From Left: Black, charcoal, black-brown, red-brown, icy gray, gray, hot pink, true red, rust, aubergine, blue red, mint, lemon yellow, light green, emerald green, olive, purple, clear teal, bright periwinkle, blue, navy, chinese blue.

2. Clear Winter:

• Eyes: Bright blue, hazel, violet, or green.
• Hair: Black, chestnut, medium brown, or dark brown hair.
• Skin: Black, deep brown, neutral beige, pale olive, milky white. (Usually translucent.)

Best colors for Clear Winters:

From Left: Medium gray, charcoal, black, dark taupe, icy gray, taupe, icy blue, icy lavender, lavender, icy pink, clear red, raspberry, raspberry pink, aubergine, icy yellow, bright golden yellow, hot turquoise, emerald turquoise, purple, dark purple, royal blue, navy.

3. Cool Winter:

• Eyes: Charcoal gray, blue, dark brown or violet.
• Hair: Blue-black, silver, salt & pepper. No red tones.
• Skin: Cool brown, olive, or neutral beige.

Best colors for Cool Winters:

From Left: Light gray, medium gray, dark gray, black, charcoal, taupe, rose pink, hot pink, purple, blue red, deep rose, burgundy, icy blue, icy pink, lemon yellow, emerald turquoise, hot turquoise, bright periwinkle, royal blue, purple, navy, dark purple.

Ahhh I can't find my season! I feel like I fit into quite a few of those descriptions. When I followed the link to the full article I just got more confused. Figuring out what colors look good/bad on me is one of my biggest challenges with dressing. I'm so intimidated by all the charts and graphs and flow charts that always seem to lead me to different answers!

Anyway, I can't do red and pink either. Maybe in little accents but I'd never wear the red/pink outfit above. Feels too costumey/valentiney/childish to me.

I also think there are color combos that rock that don't follow the lines of the color wheel (like the awesome pink/yellow combo at the beginning of the post).

Also sidenote - I LOVE the first polyvore set in the article, the navy blue with the star earrings!

Fun find, D! 

I've never seen these broken-down seasons before. They're great. I thought they would help me choose which one I am more easily than I have been able to in the past, but still not so.

I'm between a deep autumn, a warm autumn, and a deep winter. I think it might change as my hair color changes throughout the seasons (lighter and redder in the summer) - - and my skin too (tan vs. not).

I have to admit I mostly find this color/season stuff to be lame. I know it was a big cottage industry in the 80s, like life coaches are today, but...meh. Wear colors you like. Don't wear colors you don't like. Like decorating your house, you might be attracted to colors that flatter you - or you might not. But if it makes you happy...wear black, even if it washes you out, and put on extra lipstick.

Avocado and olive green make me look ill but I like them, so I wear them. There are colors that look great on me (like French blue) but I detest them and won't wear them. Lots of colors I don't like look awful on me (all yellows and beiges) so I don't wear them.

My grandma was quite a fashionista/nazi and had a million "rules" (such as your belt should match your shoes) but as structured as it seemed, for the most part she was right about them. One of them is don't mix black/brown or black/navy. I've seen it done well, sure, but most people don't do it well so it should be avoided.