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You look great. Your clothes are perfect, your accessories are on-trend, your make-up is Instaworthy, and you feel fabulous. But something is amiss!The clothes you love and which fit you like a glove; the clothes which draw endless compliments from your friends and even win you a few secret admirers are just not right because they don’t perfectly match your skin tone.Finding the ideal blend of skin tone and clothing shades is not easy, but it is possible if you follow a few simple steps!
Find Your Skin Tone…
Before you splash out on some new outfits (don’t fret, you can do that soon), identify your skin tone. An internet search can lead you to information that will guide you through the various natural skin tones and which one most accurately defines your skin.Your overall tone also incorporates your natural hair and eye colour, which must be considered. Conversely, if you die your hair or alter your skin color, such as through a fake tan, the ideal clothing colours will also change.
There Are Specific Methods For Finding Your General Skin Tone:
Standing in front of a mirror, without make-up and in natural light, hold gold or silver jewelry against your skin under your chin. The gold jewelry will cause the skin to glow in those with yellow undertones, while those with pink undertones will look better next to silver pieces.Another method is to hold a true white piece of paper or fabric to your neck. People with warm skin undertones will appear yellow next to the white fabric, while those with cool undertones will look pink or blue. Now you know whether to shop for clothes under the broad categories of warm or cool colours.Of course, you can and should always create your style, personality, and statement to the world because what matters most is that you feel confident and great about yourself and the skin you live in.You can still do this with some help from stylists and experts who know what best combines with skin tone variation.
How Do I Look?
Before searching for specific colours, try on some outfits and observe whether they make you look washed out or sickly, or whether they make you appear brighter, and allow your natural complexion to glow. Clearly, when assembling your wardrobe, you should favour the latter.Hint – the lighting in clothing and fashion stores can alter clothing color, so remember this when shopping. Furthermore, stylists recommend trying on the clothes at home without makeup and in natural light before deciding whether they are right for you.For The Sake Of This Article:We’ve divided skin tones into a dark skin, medium skin, light skin, and fair skin and compiled a list of colours that we think bring out the best in people with each skin tone.
“Dark Skin”
- Cobalt
Stylists and fashion experts recommend cobalt blue for dark skin. The bold colour is flattering for dark skin and can be worn for tops, bottoms, and other outfit components.
- Light yellow
Another recommended colour is a light yellow, which stands out against a darker complexion. Search for tops, jackets, coats and other wardrobe pieces in this colour, including a cozy sweater or a cardigan.
- Red
Red. Deep red, Ruby red, and dark skin; a beautiful look. Red highlights the inherent beauty of dark skin, whether it is in coats, boots, dresses or skirts. Formal or informal, winter or summer, this colour is a strong recommendation from those in the know.
- Olive green
Olive green and khaki are trending in the form of utility wear and edgy urban streetwear, and they make dark skin look even better. Opt for cargo pants and combat boots when you want to release your inner power or a short and jacket combination for smart casual wear. Find a pantsuit for the office or more formal situations.
- Cream
Let your skin glow with the contrast of cream. Wear flattering skirts and dresses in summer and fall back on easy and ever-stylish options like a T‑shirt or singlet top, which still looks great and serves you well for brunch, picnics, barbecues or trips to the beach.
- Magenta
Dark skin is a blessing, especially when paired with magenta. This colour does not flatter everyone, but it does combine well with darker skin and can accentuate your inner beauty in the form of an evening gown or formal dress, as well as casual pieces from any decade.
“Medium skin”
- Metallic
Be bold in striking metallic colours, and steal the show at any club or party with silver, copper and gold colours. Star in gold pants and recreate the days of disco or light up the night with a silver top or copper-coloured outfit. Bedazzle one and all with similarly coloured accessories such as jewelry, a bag or a clutch, and set the night on fire. Hint – have your camera and your poses ready.A silver skirt also combines perfectly with sneakers and a top of your choice for a casual but dazzling outfit when you want to dress it down. Casual can be cool!
- Dove grey
Dove grey complements medium skin tones and is commonly found in winter and autumn coats. Think falling leaves, crisp cool mornings and knee-high boots on visits to wineries or Sunday brunch.Dove coloured trousers, in various styles, also make an ideal alternative to jeans, and the colour is eminently suited to understate but on-trend business wear. Look good while you work and play.When winter arrives, enjoy matching dove grey coats with hats and gloves.
- Neon
Stand out and switch on. Neon colours complement medium skin and can be paired with plain colours in the remainder of the outfit to further accentuate their fun and vibrancy. With such loud colours, you can truly express your imagination and your joie de vivre.The beauty of neon is that it features many accessories, such as uber-cool and super cute glasses.
“Light skin”
- Camel
Camel is said to make pieces look more expensive. What a bonus! The style and sophistication without the price tag. For people with light skin, camel is a flattering colour, and as it adds an element of sophistication, it’s a great ‘go-to’ colour for classy outings such as high tea, a formal party or a wedding.
- Baby blue
The blue of the sky. The blue of your eyes. Wonderful colour in any context and clothing; baby blue matches your skin tone and can be found in a wide variety of pieces. A light blue leather jacket speaks of effortless sophistication. A baby blue cardigan is versatile and cute, and a baby blue pantsuit fits the office or many other occasions.Of course, the pants and jacket can travel solo. Even when they are apart, they make a worthy addition to your clothing range.
“Fair skin”
- Seafoam
This subtle shade of green is ideal for people with fair skin and is a lovely colour in its own right. It pairs well with white ankle boots and is a great colour for a long, flowing skirt. Seafoam is also a fantastic partner to white and other lighter colours, which can create a fresh appearance on a dress or top.A dash of seafoam on a short skirt will draw the right kind of attention to your legs and have you feeling carefree.
- Blush
A simply wonderful colour that speaks of subtlety, spring flowers and sakura blossoms. Fortunately for people with fair skin, it is a natural enhancement to your natural skin tone and is popular in faux fur coats, hats, lightweight sweaters and cute and sexy crop tops. Pair your outfits with a similar tone of lipstick and other forms of make-up, and you will look simply irresistible!
- Lavender
Lavender is a colour that defines a season, and it evokes thoughts of beautiful, blossoming gardens and calming aromas. It can also enrich your appearance with its inherent combination with fair skin.Knitwear appears to be created for lavender, and the calming colour lends itself perfectly to blazers over a light-coloured blouse and patterned skirts.
Last but not least
You deserve to look and feel fabulous. You work hard to look your best and feel great about the image you present to the world, but often one small feature offsets that great ensemble you put together – matching your outfits to your skin tone.There is a solution. Identify your skin tone and search for the best colour combinations listed above. Using this as your foundation, follow the advice of experts to acquire pieces from a select range of colours that best suit you and your skin. Then, add your style, personality and statement to create a wardrobe that makes you happy 🙂
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2 Comments
Kathy on January 5, 2022 at 3:18 am
I have been trying to teach my daughter the importance of choosing correct colors to wear. When I was 12 or 13 I had a youth leader teach my youth group about it. She has fabric swatches she would put up by our face so we could see the difference between warm and cool, gold vs. silver, spring and fall etc. My question is, is there a kit with fabric color swatches to teach this with?
Thanks a lot for your comment and thoughts! To answer your question: Yes, there are fabric color swatches sets. To my knowledge, I saw a couple of sellers on Etsy.com for different kinds of sets; I cannot recommend a specific seller, but I am sure you will find lots of collections to choose from, and you can message the seller if you have any inquiries before selecting the set. I hope you can find what you are looking for, and thanks again for reaching out to us!
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I have been trying to teach my daughter the importance of choosing correct colors to wear. When I was 12 or 13 I had a youth leader teach my youth group about it. She has fabric swatches she would put up by our face so we could see the difference between warm and cool, gold vs. silver, spring and fall etc.
My question is, is there a kit with fabric color swatches to teach this with?
Thanks a lot for your comment and thoughts!
To answer your question: Yes, there are fabric color swatches sets. To my knowledge, I saw a couple of sellers on Etsy.com for different kinds of sets; I cannot recommend a specific seller, but I am sure you will find lots of collections to choose from, and you can message the seller if you have any inquiries before selecting the set.
I hope you can find what you are looking for, and thanks again for reaching out to us!