Personal Color Analysis: Is It For You?
I have a complicated history with color. Like many women, I’ve had my colors analyzed and been typed into a season. Several times, in fact. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on personal color analysis and why so many of us may love the concept but are less than thrilled with the results.
Most of us are familiar with Carol Jackson’s book, Color Me Beautiful which became a pop-culture phenomenon when it burst on the scene in 1974. She was far from the only person doing seasonal color palettes but her book was the most commercially successful. It slotted people into 4 categories (seasons) based on the intensity and undertone of their personal coloring.
I continue to discuss our personal color by seasons because most of us understand the concept.
It promised to make shopping easier because once we knew our “true colors” we could always dress in our most flattering colors. After the success of the book, she began selling color fans (fabric swatches by season) to use as a shopping companion, and trained consultants to advise women on what colors they should wear.
This system was helpful for many of us and disastrous for others. Many women were typed incorrectly plus the 4 season system was too general and limiting. It was later expanded to include 12 then 16 categories which were inclusive of more women, but still not foolproof.
Your personal coloring can now be typed as soft, light, muted, bright, deep, warm, cool, clear, fresh, calm, rich, crisp, bold, and on and on. You can be typed by Feng Shui element, your DNA and personality. The end goal is always to tell you what your most flattering colors are.
Here are my current thoughts on color typing:
If you want to be typed, find a very skilled pro. We have great instincts about what colors do and don’t flatter us, so trust yours.
It’s smart and more cost-effective to build the backbone of your wardrobe in neutrals, but you don’t have to. If you want to use leopard print as your base, go for it.
If you’ve had your colors done and they don’t resonate with you, don’t limit yourself to wearing them.
If you feel great in a color, wear it.
I’ve had my colors done multiple times by fellow image consultants and always find my color fans extremely limiting. I also feel washed out in many of them. Most may be flattering on me but they don’t always send the message I want to project with my appearance.
It’s true that I am taking a hiatus from wearing black. But that has more to do with my own boredom and our gray weather than anything else. Although black is not one of my best colors, I will wear it when I want to feel a bit edgy, cosmopolitan, or project authority. I’ll wear white when I don’t want to commit. I’ll reach for beige when I want to dress quietly.
Do all these colors flatter me? No, but color can influence our thoughts and behavior so I will use it as a tool to affect my mood and the impression I give others.
My color training was based on the work of Suzanne Caygill who believed in the fundamental link between style, color, and a person’s personality. I was typed as an iridescent winter with her system. Then an iridescent summer.
Thanks for reading ladies and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
Jennifer I’m coming to this discussion a bit late. But very much am interested in the subject, as many others are.
I agree with you that skin UNDERTONE does not change. It’s quality may change but not it’s temperature
Bright colors worn in youth may be muted down later in life and perhaps this change in intensity and value is mistaken for temperature change.
I have studied color as an artist and as a color consultant. Understanding the scientific components of color is essential for accurate color analysis, which should always be based on skin. I also agree that there are many consultants who do not have this in-depth
training.
My first question when consulting was to ask what
4 items of clothing the client always reached for. Invariably people have instinct about their best colors.
We just worked on increasing their confidence and ability to recognize their palette. It surprised many people to learn that they could wear any hue, as long as it was in their undertone and intensity. All hues come in both cool and warm variations.
Personally I find it is as important to use ones colors in their environment as well as clothing, as much as possible.
I recently had my colors done by an image consultant with 20+ years of experience in color typing (her name is Ginger Burr). She has moved away from the season classification system as she found sometimes individuals straddled seasons. The system she currently uses has over 2,000 color choices from which she selects only those that are the absolute best for each person. I appreciate her more individualized, seasonless approach. I look forward to shopping with my unique wheel of best colors and seeing the changes that it brings.
I met Ginger at an AICI conference years ago and know she’s very talented!
I was correctly labelled a “spring” by a Color Me Beautiful consultant. This is the hardest category of all. Redheads can be autumns, but with pink skin undertones, blue veins, freckles, golden highlights in my hair and gold flecks in my eyes that make them appear aqua green at times: spring.
Now there are subcategories of spring in color systems. As my hair has gone gray, it’s trickier. The subcategories are more accurate and better defined for me.
There are a lot of pseudo experts doing color typing these days.
Those sub categories are crucial. Graying hair changes the intensity and brightness of colors that flatter you but won’t change your skins undertone.
Jennifer, that light mint green is so pretty on you!! Thanks for the mention. It will be interesting to see how we each settle into our colors.
You’ve inspired me to play around with my colors. It’d be awesome to get a group together so Red Leopard would come our way to do some assessments.
Not sure who Sue is, but would like to see the colour options, they sound fun. I am a winter, but find my skin tone has darkened and my hair is silvering…so some colours, like bright cobalt, no longer flatter. My best tip I learned was to close your eyes, bring the colour close to your face, and look in the mirror. If shadows and imperfections are the first thing you see, the colour is not for you. I use this tip all the time!
Thats a great test for a color! I do something similar.
Thx..Please continue this discussion. I want to follow my colors but they make me feel bland. Would love to hear more about what to do. Perhaps I should have them done again (been 20years). Just want to feel like I have a handle on how I dress.
I had my colours “done” back in the 1980s and was told that I was a spring. At the time, I found it quite helpful. I especially liked the fact that it gave me the confidence to try some colours that I hadn’t worn before. Over time, however, I began to colour outside the lines, so to speak. The recent resurgence in interest in colour analysis prompted me to dig out my old swatches and take a look at my closet with a somewhat critical eye and I wasn’t entirely happy with what I saw. While I definitely won’t restrict myself to only those colours in my assigned palette, I do plan to move some of the less flattering colours out and focus more on those that look best on me.
I had my colors done back in the 80’s and then again about 8 years ago. I couldn’t believe how much more helpful and accurate the process is now. I loved it so much I gave it to all of my daughters and my mother as a gift and I think it’s saved us all a lot of money. We’re buying clothes that look great on us and we have way fewer orphans in our closet. Kerry Jones at Indigo Tones is great! She travels and does this now too – used to just be in our area. BTW I’m a soft autumn. And you’re right Jennifer, it addresses more than just colors. I’m much better in heather fabrics/soft edges. It really helps my bland (haha!) face stand out.
Such an interesting subject! I too had my colours done according to the Color Me Beautiful model. I was an Autumn back in my 20s and recently had another analysis as I no longer colour my hair and it has made me wonder if my colouring changed overall. I wasstill classed as an Autumn now at 69. The Autumn colours resonate with me and I was drawn to them even before I knew they were “my colours”. This year there seemed to be more warm colours available up until the winter season. Winter in Canada makes it hard to find clothes as most everything is the cool colours black and grey. I would love to find a great winter coat in my colour!
I, too had my colors analyzed way back when. The lady said I was unusual and she could not tell if I was summer or spring and that I even looked good in black! I tried to figure it out myself by reading “Color Me Beautiful”. I couldn’t figure it out either! All these years I have worn most colors, but there are some colors I just do not care for. Gray seems to wash me out. I wear beige and get lots of compliments, so maybe I am warm. Who knows? I would love to have my colors done where Susan had hers done in London if I ever get to London. I think she looks so much better in the bright colors instead of black, but maybe that is because as I have gotten older I gravitate to bright colors!
I was typed as an autumn in the 70’s when I had red hair (not totally natural). Now thru aging, grey hair and paler skin, I am definitely not that type. I am still experimenting with what colors I feel best in. I don’t feel comfortable with all this typing, it’s too limiting.
An iridescent winter sounds so interesting!
Like everyone else, I followed the Color Me Beautiful rage. I was typed as a winter, and I still try to follow these colors. I do feel comfortable in them. Some are better than others. But for me, it’s a place to start. I still struggle with finding a lipstick that works. I have a lot of tubes that I thought were going to work, but sadly they’re sitting in a drawer, unused.
I love the colors of the outfit you have on. It is very flattering. But, the lipstick color is just perfect on you! Makes a big difference
Thanks Sue.
I was fascinated to learn of color analysis in the 70-80’s, and read color me beautiful. However, I didn’t feel it was accurate. When I heard of And trained with other systems, Color One, Color Profiles, and others, was amazed at the difference I saw in those who applied their new knowledge of their best colors. Unfortunately, many people had a little training, but didn’t have an accurate eye to see the variations of undertones in color, and many women were inaccurately diagnosed.
As for women who have allowed their silvers to shine, your best colors remain, but may need to change level of contrast. Best colors are determined by skin tones, not hair color.
@Jane & Jennifer: So agree about undertones in color as feel they play a major role when choosing, similar to that in interior decor. -Brenda-
Like others I was color typed back in the 1970s. I was Spring but now I hear there are actually 3 Springs! I just went online and if I’m on target I am a Clear Spring!
(There are 2 others). Navy still flatters as does a deep Cadet Blue. (Deep sky blue).
It’s interesting and used to be so helpful early on in my career when looking fir work clothes that were polished and flattering. Today? I just use the mirror as you suggest. I’ve learned a lot from you! Thank you!
Just take someone whose opinions you trust and either go thru your closet holding up colors next to your face and ask their opinion about what suits you and what brings out your natural coloring and what does not.
Or go shopping and hold up different colors next to your face and ask that person what suits..
I trust a friend or family member more than someone who wants to slot me into some strict systems. I think most people can wear a wider range of color than that. And listen to their ideas…
Recently, my friend says pink and teal for me…she’s right but only if they are pale versions of each.
Color help is at home…don’t need to spend money on special consultants or books.
I had my colors done in the early 80’s and was listed as a Spring. When I learned my “best” colors, it was no big surprise because they are the colors I have always gravitated to. Only big difference was I had more black in my closet back then, so for many years, I did not buy any black except for pants. Then a few years ago, I starting buying a few black tops, but not because I feel that black looks great on me. In the past year, I have been drawn to grey and again, it’s not because I think grey looks good on me. I use the grey or black as a base for other colors, or to emphasize a statement necklace or colorful scarf. Spring colors are still my go to and my happy place.
I am another one that is turning gray. I am adding a little champagne weaves into it as I look washed out now. Seems my skin tone has jchanged somewhat now. I have always been a Winter color but feel that is not always true now. I think my skin tone is changing from under tones of pinkish to more a yellowish. The aging process. Would like my colors done now.
This is a great article, thank you. Maybe you could do something about color and grey/white hair. I see a a number of your readers touched on this. Since I turned grey years ago I do notice that it is easy for me to looked washed out and tired. I have no interest in coloring my hair nor wearing lots of blush. It would be good to have your opinion about this.
Going gray can mean we need to soften or brighten our colors to compensate. You’re not likely to go from warm to cool or vice versa but the intensity changes.
As a therapist, I have always been interested in color in terms of your environment, and the way one dresses. It can have so much impact on your mood as well as your confidence in clothes. I had my colors done in the early 80’s, and discovered I am a Winter. I then tried Carol Tuttle’s program, Dressing Your Truth. Again, all my colors revolve around cool winter colors. As I look back on pictures of my adolescent years before color analysis, I always chose my colors true to these systems. I guess it’s important to trust yourself and know what colors you feel best wearing,
The color of my environment effects me greatly, I spent three months in earth toned Italy, and while beautiful, as a cool toned summer, I felt out of place visually , white walls made me happier. My Italian husband looked perfect in his surroundings!