Contrast is a hot topic amongst my 7 Steps to Style and Evolve Your Style program members, because once you see its impact, you can’t go back to ignoring it. It’s an important part of any personal colour analysis – discovering how to wear your ideal colours (not just what they are).
Colour contrast = (how many colours you have naturally occuring in your colouring and how different they are from each other – read up about it here – and discover your colour contrast here) is a topic that comes up again and again with my 7 Steps to Style members as the more people see it, the more they realise its importance.
Value contrast = (the difference between light and dark in an outfit or garment and that difference in your own colouring – hair, eyes, skin) is what many think of when they say “contrast”, but it’s just one of the two kinds of contrast.
And recently there have been comments asking about how to define if you are colour or value contrast dominant, so I thought I’d answer that question here.
Firstly – what is dominance – well it’s what we see first. What we notice first about your colouring. For some it’s value, for some it’s colour and for some of us, neither are particularly dominant – in fact they are equal in importance.
Colour Contrast Dominance
If someone is colour contrast dominant – the first thing you will notice about their colouring – well is colour! You will see colour in their features, from eye colour, to hair colour and even skin colour (a pinkish or golden skin can create an extra level of colour in features).
What to Wear – Colour Contrast Dominant
They will look their best when wearing colour – and often multiple colours that are in harmony with their own colouring. Avoid wearing just neutrals as it will look bland. High colour contrast works well with multiple colour patterns too.
Value Contrast Dominance
If someone is value contrast dominant – the first thing you will notice about their colours is their value. They will most likely be high contrast (light and dark features) or they will be low contrast (very similar value) but they are less likely to be medium value contrast. You will generally notice the difference in value, or that they have very neutral colouring (rather than any sort of obvious skin, hair or eye colour)
What to Wear Value Contrast Dominant
The value contrast dominant will look best when wearing the value that best harmonises with their own – either high contrast or low contrast. They ususally look better with fewer colours – more monochromatic outfits, rather than multiple colours at the same time. Avoid multiple colour outfits (unless you have a dramatic or creative personality).
Equal Colour and Value Contrast Dominance
Then there are those who sit in the middle between the two. With one coloured featured and the remaining two more neutral,and most frequently a medium value (though not always).
What to Wear Equal Colour and Value Contrast
They need some colour, but also only a medium or medium low value contrast to look their best unless they are an obviously coloured skin (such as bottom left) but still high value contrast. They can look dull in a complete monochromatic outfit. They are ideal in neutral plus a colour (or two colours, but not lots of colours at the same time).
Remember, no matter your natural contrast levels, that personality may trump guidelines.
You can see how I use contrast in these 9 Real Life Examples of Dressing to Your Contrast
Ahhhhhh, a lightbulb moment for me. I am pretty sure I am in that last category – Equal Colour and Value Contrast Dominance.
Great stuff! This really helps to understand how to put colours together. Can you also do something on the link between colour and personality, eg how dramatic personalities with lowish colour and/or value contrast should use colour (thinking being that muted blended colours don’t look particularly dramatic?) and vice versa?
Dear Imogen,
having been following your blog for quite a while now, I finally have to comment and say thank you:
Thank you for your detailled and valuable insight in how fashion can work for our bodies, thank you for breaking it down so I can understand it, too, and most of all, thank you for alway stressing that personality trumps style rules.
I only recently understood why a lot of looks and combinations that *should* work for me, according to body shape, colour and proportion rules, didn´t feel right at all. It just wasn´t me, it doesn´t fit my personality.
Still, I find it necessary to know about these rules so I can choose which I follow and which I break. Your articles are a tremendoes help in finding my way.
Learning about contrast added another piece in my style puzzle and explains why I feel more at home in neutral plus a colour that are pretty similar in value.
Thanks again!
Inra
Hi Inra, thanks so much for your thoughtful coment. It’s always useful to know the rules – so you can break them with knowledge.
Hey there’s me lol!! Thanks Im XX
Looking stunning!
: ) XX
This aspect of dressing for my colouring has made the biggest impact. I spent a long time poring over Imogen’s posts on colour and value and analysing photos. I changed my dress formula to two neutrals + colour and have never been happier. I feel amazing now when I am dressed. I’ve had a few compliments from colleagues and family but mostly I just can’t believe the difference it’s made mentally – I feel so much more comfortable and whole. Thank you so much Imogen for your advice.
Thank you Michele, so glad that this information makse such a huge difference.
I wonder if this is why I have so much trouble with nude lipsticks. I’m highly color dominant with red hair, green eyes, and fair peach-toned skin. My friend with both colored and neutral aspects, but very low contrast looks amazing in nude-for-her lipsticks, but I always feel like the color just drained out of my face when I try nudes.
Yes they can look bland
I just love your blog and your explanations. I have had several aha-moments reading your blog. ? Somewhere I read that you should not wear colours that are darker than your darkest feature. What is your opinion about this?
Ideally yes, but many of us who are lighter in value may need to wear darker clothes to convey authority at work. If you are overall lighter, rather than go really dark, go a few shades darker than the darkest element of you.
I am without a doubt color contrast dominant. I don’t have a very obvious value – my skin is light, but my hair and eyes are just ‘vaguely somewhere in between light and medium’ (which would give me low-medium contrast). It’s not like ‘DARK EYES!” “LIGHT HAIR!” it’s not obvious like that. The actual colours, on the contrary, are rather obvious and contrasting with very golden reddish hair and greenish eyes.
https://scontent.fbru2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19030224_1998786253689161_1176924946424962822_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru2-1.fna&oh=5ba797565661653c4895fe08f434d70b&oe=5C3E8B82
Hi, my dominance is rather similar to Emily Jane Browning. Is she balanced dominance or color dominant? Bekah Martinez is similar to me too, but Emily is closer and I think that has do with her dominance since they both seem medium contrast.
Would depend on hair colour as it varies in her photos. Emily has green eyes while Bekah has brown. Bekah looks more value dominant whilst Emily (depnding on hair) will go from being balanced to more colour contrast dominant
Thank you! I have eyes closer to Bekah, but I’ve now figured out that I’m naturally color dominant. Though I’m still a bit confused. Does that mean I can pull off makeup and hair that is lighter/darker than my natural coloring— as long it’s in my palette + it’s a color (not neutral)? Should I be going for a full head color rather than contrasting highlights/balayage? Also I’m more on the tan side w/ deeper features like Bekah… are there any examples of Color Dominant women like that? I briefly considered Alia Shawkat, but I think she‘s more likely value or balanced dominance.
If you’re really interested in learning more in depth about contrast I highly recommend you look at my Colour Masterclass as inside this program there is in depth information and a workbook that will walk you through finding yours. https://insideoutstylemember.com/product/colour-masterclass/ without seeing you it’s hard for me to make these judgements and giving specific advice – I also do this as part of a colour consultation – https://insideoutstylemember.com/product/online-colour-analysis/
Great post, Imogen! I just wonder if you can be value contrast dominant although your ideal value contrast is medium? I believe I am medium contrast and I think my features are all neutrals. I do have green in my eyes, but if you don’t look closely in daylight they appear brown. I think they might be hazel. My hair is neutral and I think my skin is neutral too. In your category of equal colour and value contrast dominance there are women with medium value contrast and one coloured feature. But what if you have medium value contrast and neutral features?
This concept is SO interesting. I always thought I was being picky, but it’s validating to hear there’s a basis behind having to wear a color. Even though it contrasts my introverted personality..
I’m trying to find others around my coloring who are balanced dominance or fully color dominant. Do Ruth Negga, Nathalie Emmanuel, or Jessica Lucas need at least 1 color at all times to look their best?
Yes they all look best wearing some colour rather than all neutrals – balanced rather than colour dominant. Introverts can easily use colour so they can save precious energy – https://16styletypes.com/who-wears-colour-introverts-or-extraverts/ I’m an introvert who wears colour most of the time as I can harness the energy of the colour to aid my communication
Thank you for the help, wow! It’s really helpful to know for sure about these celebs. Your natural talent & understanding of color is a gift!
That’s interesting about the introversion/color concept. I always believed that bright colors would make more people approach me. But the reality is that people approach me regardless, so I might as well let the color/style take some work off for me. I really resonated w/ that post. Thanks again so much
Actually, I’m curious… are there any darker haired, darker eyed POC who are completely color dominant? That you know of? I imagine it‘d have to be a POC with brighter coloring
Not unless they have dyed their hair into a rainbow colour.