Sheens Image Consulting

How To Choose Your Best Colors

Ever wondered why some days people gush all over you exclaiming how “great you look today” or why sometimes after no sleep at all in conjunction with food poisoning, people think you look “just terrific”?

This can be attributed to the colors you are wearing. Colors that compliment your inherent coloring, or the natural coloring you are born with, will brighten your skin, eyes and hair color. Wrong color choices will dull your hair and eyes and show all the imperfections on your skin.

To determine what kinds of colors will suit you, the first thing to do is identify your skin tone, natural hair color and eye color. If you have more yellow or gold in your skin, most likely you will glow in warm colors that have the same yellow or gold base. Colors like orange, peach, salmon, olive-green, browns, khaki and reds will look most natural and visually pleasing. People with this skin tone will also look better with copper, bronze or gold jewelry.

On the other hand, if you have slightly pink-ish/violet skin it is likely you will radiate in cooler colors. For you, the blues, pink, mauve, violet, burgundy reds, grey and navy blue will look most visually pleasing along with silver jewelry. Some people can actually be a combination of both cool and warm, but will predominantly be more of one than the other. Remember that the colors associated with your “color temperature” should be worn closest to your face, and those that are not, should be worn as pants or skirts. By doing this, you will automatically radiate and your eyes will sparkle and your skin and hair will have a healthy glow. You will also feel better and more confident about yourself.

Some recommendations for a warm and cool color combination would be a navy blue suit with a salmon colored shirt, or a beige skirt and burgundy colored blouse, or a plum colored dress with an olive-green belt.

Colors carry an image and when determining what colors to wear to work, an interview or to a conference where you are presenting, take your time to assess the image you want to project. For example, if you wanted to stand out at a networking event, in order to appear more confident and powerful, high contrast colors can do the trick. That means a jet-black suit with a crisp white shirt and striking red tie will achieve that look for you. If you work in the public sector and you are giving a presentation to a group of mothers, warmer more approachable colors like earthy tones and subtle colors work best. If you are young, energetic and creative and have recently joined a marketing firm then wearing bright, bold colors like a yellow and red are a good idea. Think about the situations you encounter on a daily basis be it interviewing for a job or meeting client and formulate in your mind the image you want to project, and follow that by making smart color choices.

So remember next time sometimes stops you and admires how wonderful you look, take a moment and clue in to the colors of the clothes you are wearing, this might be the insight you are waiting for!

This post first appeared in Tabla’s print edition.