**Congratulations! You have landed on my most popular blog post! If you read these and start to email me to tell me they don’t work for you, here’s the disclaimer. After working with THOUSANDS of women, these are the colors that look good on MOST women. There are infinite colors out there but these are universally flattering ones that are also easy to shop for. When we do a personal appointment together we can drill down on YOUR very best colors according to your Color Code. Discover your best colors when you take advantage of Phoenix Color Analysis. Beyond that take this as my professional opinion.**
I recently heard a young fashion expert talking to Ryan Seacrest on-air and he asked her about fashion “rules.” She said, “Forget about the rule that you can only wear certain colors, like colors for autumn or spring. You can wear any color you want to!”
Well, sure, you CAN wear whatever colors you want and like. You’re a grown-up and if wearing a certain color makes you happy, go for it!
However, most people look BETTER in colors that suit their complexion and their personality. So here are
the five colors that look good on everyone (recently updated to seven!)
First, a few notes.
1. If you are a red-head or a Warm Dominant Color Category, you’ll need to choose the warmer versions of these colors (an orange-red, a mossy green)
2. If you have silver or gray hair or are a Cool Dominant Color Category, you’ll need to choose the cooler versions of these colors (a blue-red, a royal purple) **Go to the end for your own graphic!**
Go here if you are wondering, What is my Color Code?
3. If you are neither of the above, these colors will look great on you. Just match the intensity of the color to how low-contrast or high-contrast your coloring is. In other words, if you have pale skin and light hair, a lavender purple will suit you better. If you have dark hair and darker skin, a deep purple will be smashing.
Here are the colors and they are technically all neutral colors.
Not neutral as in brown or beige…but neutral as in they are neither warm nor cool.
If they start to be slightly more red/orange (warm) or blue/green (cool), they’re not neutral anymore.
You can wear gold or silver jewelry with any of these colors and pair them with almost all of your neutrals.
Purple
I love to put men in purple shirts, especially if they are gray or going gray. It’s not the traditional blue that so many men wear and can perk up a pale OR tan complexion quite nicely. For women, purple goes beautifully with white, black, denim or gray and looks regal and sophisticated.
Emerald Green
Green is fresh and energizing without being overly bold. Try green with navy blue or gray. A green scarf or green jewelry really jazzes up a plain outfit.
True Red
It’s hard to find a red without orange or blue undertones but a neutral red is a power color and an instant confidence booster. I recommend that every woman owns a red wrap or shawl because it works for the holidays, Valentine’s Day and goes great with your little black dress.
Hot Pink or Fuchsia
A fun and sassy color, hot pink brightens virtually any complexion. A hot pink blouse is an unexpected addition to your professional wardrobe and if you’re more the type to wear athletic clothes, hot pink is so much better than gray or black.
Turquoise
Turquoise looks just as good with white shorts in the summer as it does with gray slacks in the winter. Not too fun and not too serious, it also happens to be MY Signature Color!
TEAL is also very flattering on most skin tones! I especially love it for Deep and Soft Color Codes.
~~NEW!~~ I’m now re-thinking hot pink and thinking royal blue is a better universally flattering color! What do you think??
And those are the five SEVEN colors that look good on everyone!
~~NEW!~~ It was pointed out to me that I had under-represented the COOL Color Code so I created this graphic just for you! (That’s my mom in the purple!) Of the seven, my favorites for my COOL ladies are these: red, purple, royal blue, fuchsia and teal (or turquoise). The only one that’s tricky for COOL is emerald green because it can be a bit warm. I hope that helps!
Do you have these colors in your wardrobe? Which color would you like to try?
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Me in teal as a DEEP Color Code!
O my God. Do not agree with you
all types can wear all colors.
I can not.
Purple. My natural colors are very much
as the woman’s in the middle.
White skin. Reddish hair.
Am a Warm. That bright top would
totally overpower me..
Thought that was a typical color
for Clear Winter.
Best purple for me is the one om the left.
It looks medium enough, still a pretty obvious
rich pigment.
Emeraldgreen. Have not found any that suits me.
All seem to be bluish. But can wear medium cleargreen.
Fuchsia and hot pink are way to strong.
Red yes. Love it.
Turquoise. Must adapt to my natural coloring.
Clear turqs would be too bright. Must choose
softened versions.
Hi there!! Thanks for your feedback! This post is certainly not an “all women can wear all colors” post, as I stated in the beginning. If you are a WARM, they are definitely among the hardest to find colors for! And there are so few Pinterest images to pull from as good examples. I did the best I could 🙂 There are so many variations among the six categories, this post is a general guideline for MOST women. So many talk to me about these colors and wonder why I don’t recommend them for their category–it’s because they’re “neutral” and look good on lots of different people! Still, within each category, there are the colors that USUALLY look BEST. Unfortunately, this is not an exact science. It sounds like you know what colors work for you, though! And, the hardest part is that shopping for specific colors is a challenge! I’m just trying to help woman have a place to start.
The title of your post is ‘5 colors that look good on everyone.’ It’s misleading. I can’t wear half of what you’ve shown. I’ve had a personal stylist come to my home and help me on finding the colors that look best on me. Purple, Turquoise, Fuschia? No. I look 10 years older. Frumpy.Washed out.
Hi there, Anna! I’m grateful for the feedback. I have worked with over 500 women in my time as an image consultant and am often asked, “What colors look good on everyone?” because they want an idea of what will suit them outside of the usual black, white and gray. In my appointments and virtual consults, those five colors look flattering on MOST women. At my in-person appointments we drill down on their very best colors, which depends on their coloring and their preference. Calling it “the colors that look good on most people” just isn’t as catchy and there are always exceptions to the rule. Some women often change their hair color frequently which makes their best colors a moving target and extra challenging. I’ve done my best to highlight fun, vibrant colors MOST women enjoy wearing. Would you be willing to share which Color Code you belong to and which colors you love wearing? I am always open to learning! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Tabitha!
Sorry, but I really can’t agree with you on these colour choices. I second purple (maybe a less lavender and more mid-toned violet shade, though), but true red and fuchsia are way too harsh for a lot of people, and turquoise is deffinitely a warm colour. I have a pretty neutral colouring, but most of these look horrible on me. The colours I noticed look good on most people are navy, which can be a good basic, violet, as I mentioned, and teal. What do you think?
Thanks for your feedback. Color is certainly an art AND a science. I get asked frequently about “no brainer colors” from people who want to know what works on MOST people well. MOST of the women I work with are quite neutral–not silver-haired or red-headed–so they look fabulous in the colors I mentioned. Once you get into VERY dark hair, VERY olive vs. pink skin or VERY light hair, certain colors definitely don’t work as well. Turquoise is a definite favorite and I see it as more cool than warm, actually. The color of a cool ocean! Teal can be too deep for some people and violet too light. I give teal to my DEEP ladies and violet to my SOFTs. Navy is my favorite neutral–it looks good on almost everyone, including the red-heads and silver-heads! I don’t assign it as a Signature Color, though, because I consider it a neutral, not a “pop” color. My most popular Signature Colors are actually purple (I tell them whether a deeper or lighter shade is best), turquoise or teal, royal blue and green.
Tabitha is correct, turquoise is not a warm color. It is actually very cool. A color wheel can confirm this.
I think there are shade variations to fuchsia that might pop more than a “true fuchsia” like one with either more purple undertones or one with more red undertones. Or you could try hot pink like the Tabitha suggests in the article.
One thing that Tabitha shows in some photo examples but doesn’t mention, probably due to the length of the article, is color saturation or intensity. Maybe a typical turquoise color doesn’t work on you but a lighter shade of turquoise might. Or the opposite, a vibrant turquoise might work. What is fun is taking the article’s suggestions and playing around with them to find what you like on yourself. Color is fun!
Thank you so much for weighing in! I truly appreciate it!!
Great topic. I get that Pantone creates seasonal color demand, which fuels the apparel market’s sales, but there comes a time in your adult female life, that you get away from fashion, and adopt your own personal style.. I am a petite brunette, 34D and a size 3/4. I love turquoise, orange based colors, purple, and some yellow on me. I like to have a rainbow of choices, and my summer long linen skirts fit the bill. I am married to no color choices. I use to think my orange was too loud, but I saw Jane Fonda in a great orange/white print summer blouse, and now I’m wearing it with pride. Goodbye rules! I use to be a tan & white gal, and now I express my inner desire to be happy.
Finding your personal style and creating your own rules is KEY! Sometimes I teach concepts that give a foundation so they can go create what they love and that makes me happy!! I’m sure you look fantastic but the best part is, you feel amazing!
Interesting that the title is “Five Colors that Look Good on Everyone” but every single picture featured is of a Caucasian women. It would be great to feature women of all complexions in the article.
Thank you for that feedback, I truly do appreciate it. It’s actually a challenge to find women of color wearing solid colors, and the RIGHT colors for their code, for me to use the images. I will try more diligently to include their beautiful faces, and enlist some friends to see if I could take their picture in their best colors!!
Hello again! Based on your feedback I spent the day scouring Pinterest and updated all of my graphics to reflect a wider range of skin tones. I was impressed that there seem to be more options now on Pinterest and I hope to add even more in the future. Thanks again for commenting!
I appreciate seeing examples on all shades. Thank you Tabitha for updating your photos! Representation matters <3
Thank you so much for this comment and the encouragement. I appreciate it more than you know!
Thank YOU!! Every woman I come in contact with is beautiful! I love helping ladies of every skin tone 🙂
I am very pale with dark (almost black) hair and green eyes.
I used to wear mostly black (because it was easiest and always looked out together) but have discovered through trial and error that I also look good in very vibrant jewel tones and bright yellows…and yes fuchsia…but no to blues.
I can’t wear pastels or white. They completely wash me out.
Do you think you are a CLEAR Color Code?? If so, it makes sense that the vibrant jewel tones work well. No pastels or white sounds right to me! I’m glad you are figuring out what works!
I have gray and white hair, hazel (sometimes green) eyes, but yellow undertones in my skin. What category would I be in??
Hi there! Great question! If your hair is more white, you would be closer to LIGHT. If you have more silver/gray, you would be closer to COOL. If you are a warmer cool, you could do cooler colors like greens and oranges as opposed to true COOL gals who have to stick to true Cool colors like blue and pink. You can probably embrace purple too! Feel free to email me a picture and I’ll take a look! tabitha@tabithadumas.com
I like your post and I love all the colorful clothes, but I’m having a hard time finding items in such beautiful colors. Mostly I see black, white, olive green, light blues. Do you have any online shopping suggestions? I used to love spending hours going through racks, but I just don’t have the patience anymore.
I hear you on that one!! How would you describe your style?? Talbots has some nice blues, reds and greens if you’re more classic. https://www.talbots.com/new-arrivals?start=0&sz=72 J Jill is a more organic, flowy style. They have some turquoise and peach! https://www.talbots.com/new-arrivals?start=0&sz=72 Soft Surroundings can be pricey but they always have beautiful colors! https://www.softsurroundings.com/clothing/ I hope that helps!
Thanks for the suggestions. I seem to gravitate to classic/casual styles. I had never heard of J Jill or Soft Surroundings. They have some really nice items. I don’t mind spending more for quality items that I will wear often. My favorite color is purple and I often receive complements when wearing it, but it’s hard to find. I used to sew my own clothes. I might have to break out the sewing machine again.
That’s funny because I have a goal to learn to sew in 2020, partly so I can create the styles I want in the colors I want–which is a huge challenge when shopping! I love turquoise but so many clothes in turquoise are summery, light and cutesy…but I love to wear it year round, and would love some more elegant pieces! Let me know if you whip up any purple clothes, I’d love to see! 🙂
I just need to say…I look terrible in most of those colors. I have neither a warm nor cool tone to my skin, my mother is Irish and my father Native American, so I have a pure neutral. Teal, turquoise, true red, and hot pink make my skin look so shallow I should be in a sick bed. Black, grey, NOT TAN, navy blue; these are colors I feel truly look amazing on girls of all tones, even those strange hard to place tones, like my own.
Hi there and thanks for the feedback! Having a neutral skin tone is so nice. The post is about colors that look good on everyone so I didn’t cover what I consider to be neutral colors. I mean neutral as far as wardrobe neutrals, meaning black, gray, navy, cream, etc. I’m often asked about the COLORS to wear for head shot pictures or special events and they’re not looking for a neutral, they want to “real color” like turquoise, which almost every woman who comes through my studio likes on their skin. I wish it were a true science but a lot of it does depend on preference as well as how we perceive ourselves. Some women want to look more tan, some more pink. That’s why I love in-person color analysis–we get to try colors to see what they truly prefer, which is a combination of what they look good in and what they actually like. The last appointment liked royal blue and red but discovered for her personality, an army green suited her much better. I love that discovery process! Some colors that I think look good are colors they don’t like on themselves and that’s totally fine! I’m glad you figured out the neutrals that work well for you. With an Irish/Native American background (I have both of those, too!), I’m sure you are beautiful! Are there any non-neutral colors you feel you look good in??
I’m 60+ and I’m letting my hair go naturally grey (for various great reasons). That means my coloured hair, which is dark, golden blonde, has grey-white coming through. My skin is yellow based and fair, my eyes are blue with a tinge of green. As a result I was very interested in your website/blog posts on colour. I think I’m changing from an Autumn colour to something else that I’m trying to establish (I’m finding it difficult to know) I can see that several of the 7 colours you mention I totally agree with, and I love to wear them – reds, certain blues, pink. I’m interested in looking at your other suggestions, however I have difficulty realising how to identify a yellow based colour and a blue based one when I go shopping.
Hello there!! I just emailed your from tabitha@tabithadumas.com so check your email 🙂
I love all of these gorgeous colours and would wear them all except perhaps the turquoise and I would wear it on a beach vacation. It’s just a quirck with me. The rest are glorious and look great with my very light cool complexion and a silver blond hair. However, like another commenter said, trying to find good quality clothing like the ones depicted in colours shown whether online or brick and mortar shopping is next to impossible. It’s sad for those of us that like to dress well. But thank you for this inspiration.
Hey there and thanks for the positive feedback! Turquoise is a very beachy color, isn’t it?? 🙂 I can definitely empathize with how difficult it is to find the clothing like in the pictures. Someday I might expand my business to find cohorts with clothes! Wishing you good luck in your shopping endeavors. Thanks again for coming by!
For 40 years only two colors have passed the test of time for looking good on almost everyone: aqua and coral. I do like the colors you’ve selected though!
Thanks for that feedback, those are definitely at the top of my list! When coral was the Color of the Year I argued with plenty of people about there being a shade of coral for everyone. It’s so flattering! And aqua is a personal favorite 🙂
I love the colors you chose. I think royal blue does look good on everybody.