I wore a top in a deep shade of orange (persimmon, actually, one of my “pop” colors as a Deep Color Code) on a class field trip recently. As I checked in at the school office, one of the staff remarked, “Wow, I love that color. Not many people can pull off orange.” It reminded me that, yes…
I look good in any color.
And you can, too!
Watch the Youtube video to see this concept in action!
Looking good in any color has a lot to do with warm vs. cool tones.
If you’re not familiar with warm vs. cool tones, think of it this way.
Warm tones are like fire: red, orange and yellow.
Cool tones are like water: blue, green and purple.
Behold, the color wheel as a visual.
This image comes from a really terrific blog post about your color season. Cool = summer, winter. Warm = spring, autumn. Read more here.
When it comes to your basic wardrobe pieces and your jewelry, putting warm with warm and cool with cool helps you look more put-together.
Jewelry is the same way. Wear gold with warm colors and silver with cool colors.
White is cool. Black is cool. Silver is cool. It’s a lovely combination, as you can see below.
Cream or off-white is warm. Brown is warm. Gold is warm. You can see why that works in this photo, especially with the orange/red accents.
Your makeup can also be warm or cool and should coordinate with the colors you’re wearing.
You can bet that if I was wearing the black and white outfit, I’d be wearing my silver eye shadow and pink lipstick whereas if I was wearing the cream and brown, I’d be wearing my brown eye shadow and red-orange lipstick.
COOL MAKEUP
WARM MAKEUP
It’s important to note, however, that mixing warm and cool tones is an art. In interior design, a room of all warm or cool tones can actually be jarring and unsettling. The most appealing color schemes typically have warm AND cool tones. The same is true for what you wear.
What appeals to you? Warm? Cool? Or a mix?
I tend toward cool tones, even in my home decor, but I actually prefer a mix most of the time.
That’s why I love the scarf I’m wearing in this photo, it has both warm orange and rust tones and cool blue and pink tones. I’ve worn it with silver or gold jewelry, or the jewelry pieces I have that are a mix of both.
An important note for my red or silver-haired ladies!
While there are SOME warm silver-haired ladies and SOME cool red-haired ladies, in general…
if you are a Cool Color Code, stick with cool tones and silver accessories.
If you are a Warm Color Code, stick with warm tones and gold accessories.
The rest of you can feel free to experiment.
Why do I look good in any color?
I pair my warm tones with other warm tones, or cool tones with cool tones OR mix them up just right. AND I make sure that my makeup coordinates with what I’m wearing.
When in doubt, go with neutral shades of makeup–just make sure they don’t have any warm (orange) or cool (blue) undertones.
Have fun mixing warm and cool tones or wearing all of one or the other.
For fall, shades of rust, copper and butterscotch are delightful, and pair beautifully with shades of blue and green.
You can see more on the Pinterest board:
Follow Tabitha Dumas’ Blog’s board Your Signature Color :: Rust, butterscotch, copper on Pinterest.
You’ll find more COLORFUL ideas on my Color Love Pinterest board: Follow Tabitha Dumas’ Blog’s board Color:: color love on Pinterest.
If you’re local to Phoenix, AZ and want to fully explore your best colors, consider Phoenix Color Ansalysis.
Please pin and share!
What a lovelý article. It’s really a lesson. Well researched.
Very informative and well presented.
Why is it if you are a warm or cool color and supposodly can only wear those colors .But I have been complemented on the colors yellow , cobalt blue and brown and how good they look on me , so what is the answer here .
Great question! Sometimes ladies are more “neutral” and can pull off almost any color, whereas others are more true warm or cool. Cobalt blue is universally flattering on practically everyone, for example. And sometimes if you’re good at pairing certain colors together, they look better on you than someone else. And various shades and tones, plus how you wear your jewelry and makeup, also makes a difference!