The Three Colors You Should Never Wear
Color and the ones we wear are on my mind more than ever these days for many reasons. I know it to be a tonic for our moods and have found my own wardrobe sadly lacking lately, just when I need it to cheer me up. I’ve been digging back into my color theory books and chatting with color consultants who all have varying ways to determine a woman’s best personal colors.
Let me start by saying there is no right or wrong way to type a person’s colors and the variety of ways seems endless. Part of my training to be an image consultant included color and how to determine a person’s most flattering colors. The system I learned was based on the teachings of Suzanne Caygill. Your personality and essence was an important feature in determining what colors and styles harmonized with you.
I am getting several color analyses done (virtually) and will keep you posted. I’m not sure color typing translates that well online because of lighting and variations in monitors but we shall see.
While I put more of my thoughts together about our colors, I thought I would share the 3 colors every woman should avoid. It doesn’t matter what season or color type you’ve been slotted into, these are universal and just a good idea.
Also – Personal Color Analysis: Is It For You?
Here are the three colors you should never wear:
A Color You Really Dislike
I suspect many of us have looked at the fabric or paper fan of colors we’ve been told are flattering for us, and see colors we don’t like. I certainly have. Don’t wear them. Wearing a color that you instinctively dislike is like taking bitter medicine. Research shows that the colors you wear affect your mood so if you dislike a color, wearing it won’t make you feel confident.
My color fan is too old to be of any benefit to me and contains many colors I would never wear. Those colors may have flattered my coloring, back in the day, but I disliked them so I never bought anything in them.
A Color That Drains You
The color that leaches life from your face and makes you look and feel older than you are. For many women, that’s black but it could also be a heavily saturated or bright color that’s too vibrant for your personal coloring. I like to say it enters the room before you do and so you feel overpowered by it. It could also be too pale for your complexion which makes you look and feel washed out.
Any Color With Bad Memories
Life is certainly too short for this. If you had to wear a certain colored uniform to school and it still gives you the heebie-jeebies, don’t wear it. If a certain color reminds you of a sad, traumatic, or tragic experience, I suggest you give it a pass. Our clothes should excite us and bring us joy.
- I love red but I never wear it because it feels overpowering.
- I never wear orange because it makes my skin look sallow.
I don’t have a color with bad memories, do you?
What color do you avoid at all costs?
Be well, be kind, and wear what makes you feel confident.
I don’t wear greens too much… wore green scrubs every day in the operating room for 38 years, so don’t tend to choose it in my at home wardrobe.
My least favorite colors are neon, super bright intense colors, then beige, black, brown, and earth tones. I am a summer. When I was on a trip to Italy, every time I took a pic of myself ( pale, pink skinned) near the earth toned walls ( which are beautiful) I looked awful! My husband who is Italian skinned looked marvelous! I found one white wall, and finally felt “ right”. The colors were making me sad, so I do think colors have a huge impact on us. If I had a color I didn’t like in my consultation, really look good on me, I would try to make friends with the color somehow. I realize it’s only my mind, that keeps limits on me, not the reality.
I used to wear red a lot as it suited my dark hair at the time. But I had several traumatic life events happen when I was wearing red and, irrational I know, I never wear red now.
I would be interested in getting an online color analysis done, as my hair is lighter these days.
It’s interesting that you noticed the connection between red and those experiences. I will share who I use and my thoughts about the process soon.
I never wear brown. When I was young, I attended the newest of a bunch of Toronto private schools and the board members wanted a unique look so we had to wear a brown and beige uniform. When the school launched, we had to sing a song called Children of the Brown and Beige (I’m serious!) For years, I could wear nothing in those tones and have only recently considered camel because I love the Max Mara coats so much. I tell you, it scarred me for life! lol Xx
I find colors can carry as many memories as scent. Xx
I love color! I had my colors “done” many years ago. I went to an excellent color analyst who draped me with various colors. It was a wonderful experience and I have used the colors in my “Spring” palette to great advantage since. It was well worth the time and money. The analyst was experienced and charming. Through the years I have used this knowledge to create outfits that I love. It has given me great confidence in my clothing choices. I highly recommend it!
Thanks so much for this post, Jennifer. I always learn so much from your expertise. I also like reading the the replies with your responses.
I, like many of you, was color typed by Color Me Beautiful in the 80s. I was a summer. I remember not liking the colors so much (don’t really remember what they were). I looked at the charts and tried to make myself fit some of the other color types (dumb, I know). I love the autumn colors but they don’t do anything for me. I wear lots of black and try to add color or sparkles with a tank or jewelry. Definitely need to have colors done again. I will be interested to see what you learn.
I did the brown, beige and rust thing in the ’80s. May I never see these colours again! Wrong colours for my colouring (I’m cool/bright colors) and I shiver when they are in the vicinity…
lol
I avoid pastels in general and white because they wash me out, and I really dislike “baby” pink and “baby” blue because they feel infantilizing on me. I prefer a coral pink or even a “dirty” (greyed?) pink, and greyed blues or deeper blue shades. Also kelly green looks awful on me and I’m not a fan of burgundy. I was typed as a Strawberry Spring many, many years ago. I hope to make it to Red Leopard for an update within the next year.
They are doing virtual typing because of the lockdown.
I would be interested also. I don’t know where to start.
I will share the ones I try
Green! My school uniform from age 4 to 16. We even had regulation green knickers!! I am the product of a convent boarding school in England. Terrific education, but all that green finished me off for life:)
That would do it:)
Fascinating! I had my colours done back in the 80s. I was in my 20s and had only ever wore blue shades because my mother loved them in me. I wanted to have more colour in my life so off I went for an analysis. At the time I was Called a pure summer. Recently a friend learned to do a different version and asked me if she could do my colours. She said I was a cool clear winter. So they agree on cool colours and I have noticed as my skin aged I had to reduce the lighter colours. I have done research and realize that isn’t really much of a change. My favourite colour to wear is red, as long as it includes none of my most dreaded colour orange! Thanks. I love learning more about colour and making it work in my wardrobe.
I love learning about color too:)
Purple. Hate it. Always have. I know I’m a rarity in that. I can handle lavender, but anything drifting into purple–maroon, cornflower–sets off my “purple nerve.” I don’t like the neons, especially in large swaths of solid color. I like earth colors, warm colors. I wear a lot of red. I sometimes wonder if I had some forgotten childhood trauma involving purple because I do have a visceral negative reaction to it.
Kay~I am a very senior lady (mid-80’s); for a good part of my life the color lavender would make me feel nauseous, just to see it! One day in my 50’s, my mother gave me a box that held some of my baby/childhood clothes. She pulled out a little lavender dress with rosebuds on the bib, “This was your 3rd birthday party dress; you & your 5 guests all had chicken-pox, so we went ahead with the party.” From that subconscious memory until the day it became conscious…the nausea went away; instead I came to love the color and purchased a lovely raincoat in that exact color. Who knew?!
Great advice on the 3 colors to avoid! Where did you find that beautiful swirl of colors in your post today? If it’s an outfit, I would wear it. If it’s food, I would eat it. If it’s a painting, I would buy it for my house. Love it!!
It’s a photograph of frosting…I would eat it too:)
I got stuck in a neutral track on my wardrobe until I forgot the great fun of wearing color. It brightens up my face. I just bought some medium range pinks, some black check gingham, floral mix and a pretty medium blue. Now I look forward to getting dressed.
I feel better in primary colors and versions of them. Lighter for summer, darker for Winter. For instance, med pink for summer and move toward pure red for winter. Light wash or white pants as in denium for summer and darker wash for winter.
I too had my colors done back in the 80s! And never revisited that list since it was a good list. Now (once I can get to my stylist again!) my hair is a little different color and I believe my complexion/skin tone may be paler that it was in my 30s. I was labeled as a summer or cool tone. My mother was a warm tone. I too saw color suggestions I just never wore – pale yellow being one of them. Just never thought it looked right on me. With a little adjustment in makeup I can go into some of the greens that warm tones can wear but I don’t do it often. I never wear orange or gold (remember these are the faves of the 70s?) It wasn’t until I had my colors done that I figured out why I seemed to have to wear much more blush and lipstick when I tried to wear them. I will watch with interest how Jennifer’s colors work out. She and I are similar in tonality although my hair is a bit darker but eyes and complexion are similar. Thanks for posting on this one Jennifer.
Purple and any shade of red or blue that leans purple are out for me. I LOVED purple for many years both in my wardrobe and my home, but when that era of my life was over (divorce trauma), I have found that part of the color spectrum to be particularly abhorrent and I avoid it all cost, in all items.
Oh my favorite subject! As an artist I love the mysteries, power, and language of color , as a designer my daughter works with it every day…so it’s in our lives in a big way on a constant basis.
Color is such a magical thing, and studying it is fascinating to me especially in terms of the energy of it and how we are affected by it. How light affects it. How businesses use color to influence customers, hospitals and correction facilities use it to calm and heal people.
How the wrong combinations are jarring to the senses and how clever Nature is with it.
I’ve so much appreciated your color consultant referrals in your posts. I was trained by a woman who developed her own theory based on color science. I’ve found it to be very accurate.
Theories that include a correlation between color and personality interest me.
One very important thing that I found is that we each see any given color and respond to it differently. A friend used to tell me I shouldn’t wear “orange” lipstick when I saw the color as pinky-coral. My daughter will see a color as blue when I see it as aqua. So whenever we talk about a color, I need to see a visual example.
There are colors I find depressing.. some sage greens and smoky dulled blues and pinks. Mauve. Remembering the “ country “ colors of the 80’s.
They don’t resonate with my energy. And seem to deplete the light and life around them. Whereas, spring green always attracts and energized me.
I love the richness of burgundy but can’t wear it. Black sucks the life from me. Orange makes me feel like a glowing pumpkin. IA warm red is flattering to my skin and hair but I feel like I’m screaming for attention so rarely wear it. I am finding lately that I’m attracted to more blue than in the past. It’s nurturing and calming.
One concept I struggle with is the idea of neutral colors or skin tone. ( neither warm nor cool ) I’m still digging into that theory. My training is all about warm and cool undertones and other features.
I’m looking forward to reading more about your experiences with color. As we mature, it seems our skin changes and we need to adjust our colors. It would be hard to convince me that we change from warm to cool or cool to warm coloration, but I’m open to all ideas. Color is it’s own alchemist.
Btw.. for those who love vibrant color, look at the art by Dorothy Fagan and Wolf Kahn. Two of my contemporary favorites. They have mastered the magical interplay of colors.
My Mom was a stitchery artist and I am a weaver…so I learned early on that there are many “reds” for example. She taught me to use the names given to Artist quality oils and watercolours because these have been a standard of sorts that is at least a couple of hundred years old….so much clearer to talk about “Paynes Grey” than some weird name that was thought up to sell a colour but no one has the foggiest idea exactly what it might look like 🙂
White tops are what I avoid. Beige, tan, ivory – any of these neutrals are better and much harder to find.
I love your take on colors to avoid. I work in women’s retail and I always tell my customers that while its good to break out of your fashion box, if an item or color doesn’t make you feel attractive, don’t buy it.
For me personally, I have a strong negative reaction to navy and gray combinations. They remind me of the school uniforms that I wore for 13 years.
My high school uniform colors also and I also have a strong negative reaction to this combination. Oddly I am ok with navy and white, my elementary school uniform.
How to get your colors done without spending money: Go into some great clothing stores with someone who really cares about you…best friend, daughter, etc. Go thru the racks and hold up differently colored clothes to your face. Ask for an opinion. Look in the mirror.
Some colors will illuminate your face. Others will drag it down. Remember which is which and, in the future, buy clothes in those colors. Do the same for your friend/relative. There will be at least one color surprise, I betcha. I never knew about the magic of teal or purple for me until I did this with my daughter.
The reflection bounced up to our face tells the whole story.
Years ago my color diagnosis designated me as an Autumn. I found that those colors worked well for me and stuck with them over the years. I tend to avoid bright orange, yellow and most pastels in general. I will be adventurous and try on colors or color combinations I have never worn. I would wear beige but dress it up with golden toned accessories. Too much black can be harsh so I will mute it with bright accessories to add a pop of color. A new hobby I have revived is shopping on EBay for fabulous vintage lucite jewelry to add lovely pops of color to my outfits. I love wearing an armload of lovely vintage bangles.
How fun! I love bangles but my hand is too large for many. Lucite it so perfect for stacking.