I’m not sure if it’s just me, but everywhere I turn at the moment I am being shown a snippet of a Colour Consult and it’s got me thinking…
My first memory of the power of colour was way back in the 90’s when I was in my mid teens. I had a divine deep mulberry woollen coat and I noticed that whenever I wore it I received compliments. Then there was the first time I bought a red lipstick at the makeup counter in Myer. I clearly remember the lady saying to me, “you need to wear a blue based red” (and being all of 18) I nodded, thanked her and have been wondering if every lipstick I have bought since then has had the “right” base for me.
Fast forward to today and it seems as though with the accessibility of social media, there’s a whole new generation of people appreciating the impact that knowing “your colours” can have on you. I do believe that most people have a fairly good sense of which colours suit them more than others, but often times that knowledge comes through a lot of trial and error. I remember very clearly, one day early on in my ownership of Meg + Me, I had come to work but as the day progressed I just didn’t “feel myself”.
One of my super stylish customers happened to come in that day, looking fabulous and very put together, and I mentioned to her “I just don’t feel good about myself today”. Ever the diplomat, she kindly pointed out that the pants I was wearing “weren’t my colour” and even though they were a long way away from my face, the overall effect of wearing them was impacting everything…
Cue stars and lightbulbs flickering around my head! Really? Could wearing a colour that didn’t suit you really impact your entire mood, your entire day? Yes, yes it can. And I have proven it myself.
The concept of a “Seasonal Colour Analysis” gained modern day traction back in 1980, but in actual fact the fascination of the impact of colour dates back centuries at a minimum. Physicists, mathematicians, philosophers and of course artists have devoted countless hours to understanding colour and its relevance and impact on our lives.
One of the key foundations to the principle of a personal colour analysis, is to determine what kind of “undertone” you have. It is widely accepted that there are 3 distinct undertones, cool, warm and neutral. This is an interesting process and often correlates to which precious metal colour you prefer to wear, yellow gold or platinum/white gold or a mixture of both.
Traditional Colour Consultants will then use a series of techniques to determine which of the 4 main colour seasons you fall into, Summer, Winter, Autumn or Spring. More modern consultants will then dive deeper and potentially split you into a further sub-category of your season using terms such as “deep, light, cool or warm” but die hard colour consultants will stick to the fundamentals.
Once you’ve determined your “season” things become so much easier when it comes to dressing and choosing fashion. But what about when you find a stunning item that fits you like a glove, but it’s not in your “personal colour palette”? Well, die hard analysts will tell you to move on, but there are a couple of tips and tricks to blur the lines so to speak when it comes to wearing an item that isn’t in your Season.
Trinny lovers will know that Trinny is very aware of “her colours” but sometimes even she will buy something that sits a little out of her palette. The trick is, to have a failsafe accessory (preferably a scarf or statement necklace) in your best colour to add to the outfit. This ensures that your best colour becomes dominant in your outfit, drawing the eye, while allowing the other items to play a supporting role.
Now I could go on and on about this subject, but I have to go. I’ve been totally influenced. I’m off to book a Professional Colour Consult!
