Starting with Color

The book, “Color Me Beautiful” was written by Carol Jackson back in 1980. There were some before, and many after, but it was the most popular, and it is making a comeback. Why, because, very simply, it works!

You are born with a combination of coloring between your skin tone, your eye color and your hair color. It never changes! For example, you never go from an olive skin tone to a rosy beige skin tone. It will tan a certain shade, according to your “season”, and it will fade slightly with age, but your natural skin tone never changes. The same goes for your eye color. Once you reach maturity, your eye color never changes. Again, it will fade somewhat with age. Your hair color is always going to be the color that enhances your skin tone and eyes best - Mother Nature knows what she is doing! Oh, we change our hair color with the tides, but if left alone, it will always be some shade of the color it was at maturity. It may lighten in the sun, or gray with age, but the basic warm or cool shade of your hair is always going to be the same.

I have been doing color analysis for over 30 years, and I can attest to its validity without question. My color analysis training was based on The Fashion Academy Inc. theory, and the book, “New Image for Women”, written by Gerrie Pinckney and Marge Swenson. In addition to very in-depth color training, I particularly like their “inner season” analysis, which is based strictly on their observations of the personalities of their clients over the years. Having observed my own clients, and, having three of the seasons in my immediate family, I can tell you they absolutely nailed the “inner seasons” to a tee!

When you take the color quiz, under “Quizzes” on my website, if you get stuck between two seasons, like “Spring” and “Summer”, read the “Inner season” description to someone who knows you well, and see which one they pick! AsI said, this is not scientific, it’s just fun, but uncanny in its accuracy!

The colors that flatter us most become even more important as we age, why, because we have more imperfections. Let’s face it, when you are 20, you can wear most any color and look good in it. My daughter loved black when she was younger, but she told me recently that she doesn’t buy black any more now that she is older. In fact, she rarely varies from her “Spring” colors at all.

After all, you have to buy your clothes in some color, so why not colors that will always be your best and flatter you the most? If you build your wardrobe around the “neutrals” for your “Season”, it will ground your wardrobe and give you a place to start. Being a “Winter”, I chose pure white (for summer) and stone, which is a grayed beige, for my neutrals, with a little dark navy thrown in. Stone is much better next to my skin tone than a yellow beige like, khaki, which is better on a warm season like “Spring” or “Autumn”.

So, take the color quiz, to determine your “Season”, and you are on your way to building your wardrobe! You will be amazed at how your colors mix and match. Your neutrals will not drain you and make you look tired, and your lights and brights will add the fun and spice to your wardrobe.

Remember, if you just cannot figure it out on your own, you always have the option of having your colors done by a professional Color Analyst.

Example of a "Winter"

I am what is called a “Snow White Winter”. Like Snow White, I have pink beige skin (she has ivory), black brown hair and blue eyes. This is not a typical “Winter”. Most Winters have dark hair, brown eyes, and many have olive skin tone. My sister, brother and I got a double dose as both our parents were Snow White Winters.

Example of a "Summer"

My sweet “Summer” husband. Just look at this darling man in his taupe shirt, rosy skin tone, cool platinum silver hair and cornflower blue eyes. I did have a hard time convincing him that pink was “Summer’s” best color. A flight attendant complimented him on his pink shirt on our way to Hawaii, and, after that, I couldn’t get it off him! Sadly, he passed in 2019. We miss him every day.

Example of a "Spring"

My bubbly, life of the party, optimistic “Spring” daughter when she was seventeen. Warm, ivory skin, strawberry red hair (which has turned platinum blond like her dad’s) and blue eyes. She has grown up knowing her colors, and the older she gets, the less she varies from them. She definitely brings the fun element to the family!

Example of a "Winter"

My hunky, Harley-riding, handsome “Winter” son. Rose beige skin tone, dark black/ brown hair and electric blue eyes. (Looks like I spit him out). The go to staple in his wardrobe is black leather, and why not, as a “Winter”, it is his color, and as a Classic Dramatic, it is his style, so he is right on! He is our sage philosopher whom we all go to for advice!