Skin Tones – Choosing The Right Colour For You
Have you ever tried on an outfit or an item of clothing and figured out that for some reason it just doesn’t look right? It could be that the colours don’t compliment your skin tones. However, its not purely about aesthetics. Knowing what works for you and using it to your advantage can make you feel more confident. Manipulating colours in certain ways can make others perceive you as more assertive, powerful, friendly or loyal.
Determining your skin tone
The first step in finding clothes to complement is to figure out your skin tone. In order to keep things simple, we’re going to talk about 4 key skin tone groups; pale, light, olive and dark.
Pale Skin
If you’re prone to freckles, get burnt to a crisp at the mere mention of a sunny day and don’t really tan at all its very possible you have pale skin. You’ll probably notice that certain shades have a tendency to wash you out.
Colours to Avoid
There really aren’t specific colours you should avoid, just colours you should avoid wearing on their *own*. Light pastels are a good example of this, wash out hues will sap the colour from your skin and make you appear dull.
Previous
Next
Colours to wear
Try going neutral, stick to grey, beige and navy. These colours will bring out your colours more affectively. Many of the lighter colours should always be worn with darker shades. For example, you could experiment with a rich pastel T-shirt as long as you layer it beneath a navy bomber jacket or a forest green over shirt. The aim to to create contrast, just not too much.
Previous
Next
Light Skin
Skins that is a light colour yet tans relatively easily without burning falls into the lighter skin category. This is good news and means you have many options. However, there are still some considerations to be made.
Colours to Avoid
Give colours that resemble your skins a wide birth. Again, this means pastels, nude shades and anything too bland or pale. You want to be aiming to bring out your natural glow and pale colours will drain you.
Colours to wear
Earthy tones such as greens and browns work very nicely for when you offset it with a white T-shirt or some demin. Likewise, autumnal shades of orange and maroon can have a similar effect when used in the same way. Play around with layering these types of colours. Use a monochrome base layer to keep things anchored.
Olive Skin
You may make others envious with you natural, year round glow but there is still certain colours that you’ll want to swerve if you looking to stay your best. Individuals with olive skin tend to tan easily. If that sounds like you, then this is what you need to be stocking up your wardrobe with.
Colours to Avoid
Its been said before but its worth saying again, avoid colours that match to closely to your skin tone. This means any yellows, greens or browns that come too close should be cast aside.
Previous
Next
Colours to wear
The good news is that your blessed with one of the most forgiving complexions. This is VERY helpful when it comes to colour options. Its pretty much a case of anything goes. Obviously the usual rules apply, play with contrasting colours to create balace in your overall outfit then use simple, pared black pieces to keep things grounded.
Previous
Next
Dark Skin
Those with a skin tone any dark than olive have hit the colour matching jackpot. You will be able to successfully play with almost any hues you chose to have them work nicely.
Colours to Avoid
In this instance, colours that march your overall skin tone can be worn, but used sparingly. It’s fine to throw a shirt or something in the mix, but avoid going full head to toe monochrome.
Colours to wear
Where lighter complexions can easily be made to look washed out by light coloured clothing, dark skin doesn’t suffer from the same problem. It offers a natural contrast that looks superb. This means you are free to wear pastels, pale shades and white without any negative aesthetic consequences.