colour wheel to understand your colours blog by seahorse silks

Know Your Colours

The study of colour and its effects can be quite deep.

Nature has provided us with colour.  We are bathed in light rays every minute of our lives.  The coloured rays affect not only our physical bodies but our emotions, moods and mental faculties.

colour pigments yellow red blue green

 

We will stick to talking about wearing colour today.

We all have a unique skin tone, hair colour and eye colour combination.

Learning how to compliment your skin tone with the correct palette of colours is the key to looking your best and achieving that “Wow” factor.  Wearing the right colours can make your eyes pop, have you looking fresh and even younger!  The wrong colours can wash you out, leaving you looking wan and downright ill.

 

We fall into 4 main categories named after the seasons:

 

Spring

Skin:  creamy ivory, ivory with golden freckles, peach, peach beige, golden beige or golden brown, rosy cheeks (may blush easily)

Hair:  flaxen blond, yellow or honey blond, strawberry blond or redhead, auburn, caramel, copper, champagne, creamy white

Eyes:  blue, steel blue, green, green with golden flecks, clear green, blue green, topaz, aqua, teal, warm amber, warm hazel, caramel, turquoise

lady showing spring colour palette

 

Summer

Skin:  pink, rose or blue undertones, pale beige with pink cheeks, light beige, rosy beige or rosy brown, very pink, light ivory, grey brown, porcelain

Hair:  white blonde, ash blonde, dark ash blonde, mousy brown, ash brown, dark brown (taupe tone), pearly cool grey, grey blonde, pearl white

Eyes:  blue (with white webbing in iris cloudy look), blue green, green (with white webbing in iris cloudy look), soft grey blue, soft grey green, bright clear blue, pale clear aqua (eyes change from to blue to green, depending on clothes), hazel (cloudy brown smudge with blue or green), grey

lady showing summer colour palette

 

Autumn

Skin:  beige, ivory, peach, golden beige, caramel, maple, dark beige (coppery), golden brown

Hair:  red or auburn, coppery brown, golden red, chestnut brown, dark warm brown, golden brown, mousy brown, dark golden blonde

Eyes:  dark brown, golden brown, amber, hazel, green gold, green, olive green, turquoise (in red haired), topaz 

lady showing autumn colour tones

 

Winter

Skin:  porcelain, very white, white with slight pink tone, beige, roy beige, grey beige or brown, rosy, olive, almond, cocoa, mocha, mahogany, ebony, black with red or blue undertones

Hair:  blue black, jet black, brown black, dark brown with ash highlights, medium ash brown, salt and pepper, silver grey, white

Eyes:  dark brown, black brown, cool hazel, grey blue, blue with white flecks in iris may have grey rim, dark blue, violet, grey green, charcoal

lady showing winter colour palette

 

If you have never had your colours done I strongly recommend it.

You will have more confidence in what to wear.  You will stop buying things that do not suit you just because they are on sale.  You know the ones I mean!  They were not a bargain – they were a waste of money….. just saying! You put them on, look at yourself in the mirror and go “not today” and choose something else, don’t you? Honestly, how many bargains do you have that have never been worn?

When you wear something that fits well, is a fabric that feels good and is the RIGHT colour, you will be amazed at how wonderful you feel and all the compliments you receive.

I have been collaborating with colour consultants "Your Colours" here in Perth on a range of scarves that fit perfectly into each category.

turquoise bay australia wearable art scarf design by seahorse silks

SPRING - Turquoise Bay Scarf

 g and t time large scarf wearable art design by seahorse silks

SUMMER - G & T Time Scarf

 stone wall design wearable art scarf by seahorse silks australia

AUTUMN - Stone Wall Scarf 

leaves of hot pink wearable art scarf design by seahorse silks

WINTER - Leaves of Hot Pink Scarf

 

Now it is not a law. You will not be arrested if you wear the wrong colour. But you will be rewarded if you get it right. Your reward will be looking great.

The trick is to know your best colours and which ones are the worst and really do need to be avoided. Then you take this knowledge and work with what you have. A good old wardrobe declutter is actually fun. Sort out what has to go and give it away. If you don’t have a friend or family member who would love it, then drop it off to your local thrift shop.

Then, when you do shop next, be more careful in choosing the right colours. It is not always easy as colours can look quite different. Warm light, cool light or actual daylight can really change some colours. They can also pick up warm or cool tones from another garment or accessory they are being worn with. Whilst this may sound as if it is getting really tricky – it’s not. It helps you get away with colours that may not be absolutely “perfect” but close enough. This is especially so in the case of buying prints. You will not always be able to get that gorgeous floral print shirt in the perfect colours for your “season”, but wear it with a jacket, scarf, skirt or pants that are perfect and you will get away with it.

Be aware of what colours work for you and work with them. Have fun.

Of course I have more scarves that fit well into "Seasons".

Shop Scarves now to see if you are better equipped with this new knowledge to choose the right scarf for you.

To learn more about it and to book your own Colour Consultation click on this link: 
your colours colour consultants logo
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