How Much Attention Do You Pay to "Your" Coloring?

[Manton]

the point is, I don't know what complements my face. And the explanations have never made sesne to me. So I but colors that I like, all classics like sky blue and pink, and I wear those. They seem fine to me but mmkn seems to think the are wrong.

 

[Holdfast]

You can put together a beautiful outfit regardless of skin colour.

You can put together an awful outfit while paying maximum regard to skin colour.

I also think a lot of the conventional theory around what colours work with different skin tones is, to put it mildly, overly prescriptive & narrow.

But a beautiful outfit that complements your skin colour will still look better on you than an equally nice one that does not.

So, personally, I think skin colour matters. For instance, I know I look worse in pastels than I do in more saturated colours, for example. This isn't a question of the clothes/outfit looking worse, but of me looking worse as a clothes/human gestalt.

 

[Makoto Chan]

I think if you start from a generally neutral wardrobe (staple colors), and work your way forwards from there, you'll have an easy time picking ties, shirts, jackets, etc. in different colors that you like, that look good on you. Mistakes will be made, but you'll move in the right direction overall. I think this approach is better than starting with a palette that has a seasonal name and trying to get all those colors.

 

[Gus]



But a beautiful outfit that complements your skin colour will still look better on you than an equally nice one that does not.

Good summery. Unfortunately, it isn't easy to summarize individual rules for each of us. The right shades of color and the right combinations are personal and there is some trial and error in the process.

Be careful of what fashion trends/retailers try and push on you. Just because green ties are popping up everywhere, try and be objective about what shade of green looks best for you and what shade to avoid no matter how "pretty" it looks on the display.

 

[Holdfast]

Quote:
Yup; most of the "textbook" advice on colour combinations is both too broad and simultaneously too specific to be useful, I think.

 

[Frankie22]

the point is, I don't know what complements my face. And the explanations have never made sesne to me. So I but colors that I like, all classics like sky blue and pink, and I wear those. They seem fine to me but mmkn seems to think the are wrong.

Well, I think it might have more to do with intensity and undertones vs. being wrong. That said, I've found that incorporating facial/eye tones into my accent pieces always leads to positive comments. So, if you have hazel eyes and rosy cheeks, repeating olives, appropriate hues of green and maroon into your accent pieces might warm up your face. Ideally in your tie as it sits under the chin.

If you have dark hair dark eyes and olive skin, you probably looks good in most everything, best in deep rich tones (navy, black, (ohmagawd), charcoal, etc -- and icy high intensity colors (pink, pure white, etc).

 

[repp_fink]

When I get angry or frustrated, my face becomes somewhat red. For this reason, I always make sure I have a spare shirt on hand to keep my colors complementary if I am angered.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

If you have dark hair dark eyes and olive skin, you probably looks good in most everything, best in deep rich tones (navy, black, (ohmagawd), charcoal, etc -- and icy high intensity colors (pink, pure white, etc).

Yes, probably, on an aesthetic level. But that's one of the big flaws of color theory. It ignores the messages involved. For example, many dark-complexioned men look like goons when they wear much black. Also, dress codes and manufacturers limit color options. If someone wants to slavishly abide by a color system, at least get the colors recommended based on that individual's coloring, ideally via a meeting an expert in person.

 

[Despos]



The thing is, I read Color for Men and I didn't understand it. Or, at least, I never saw what she claims to see. The Flusser photos were similarly unpersuasive and then once you notice they are doctored, even the possibility of belief drains away.

However, even if I did believe it, I am not sure how I would respond. I like all kinds of colors and combinations and I can't see giving them up to remain in the same narrow range just because they are supposedly "my" colors.

I believe the original concept of profiling for women was to help discover what color and tones of makeup to wear and then it rippled out to clothing and then expanded further to men. I use some of the principles when selecting cloth for clients but it's been more about the shade or tone of a color working better for some than others. It's valid more in shirtings. Have found that some men wear pink shirts well and others can't but some wear lavender well. Oranges are tricky for certain skin types.

I agree about the Flusser photography