All colours (apart from the orange spectrum) have a warm and cool undertone version so a colour that we may call “red”, “burgundy” or “maroon” could be either warm or cool. Red is a colour that has many permutations, from baby pink to coral, magenta and burgundy. Unlike blue or green, that when we add…
Recently whilst dropping my daughter and her friend to dancing class, her friend said “you really like blue don’t you, as you’re always wearing it?“. I answered in the affirmative as I do love blue as I have blue eyes and blue is a signature colour for me as it is an eye enhancer. Blue…
Some people feel at odds with the colour palette that flatters. For example, a bold or dramatic personality (loving bright colours) whilst the colours that flatter may be softer and smokier and lack that obvious drama. Ideally you want to create balance between the inner you, your personality, and the outer you, your appearance and…
I recently found this Colour Matching Guide and think it’s a nifty tool to help you find the value of a colour. In fact, using it will make you an expert in finding the value of a colour and then putting together the right value contrast for you. How to Use the Colour Matching Guide…
Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz says “Clothes should match a woman’s presence – her figure and colouring – and when you discover a shade that works well for you, wear it! The right colour gives you power, no matter what it is.” It’s great to see a designer understand that clothes should be about flattering you…
One of the properties of colour is undertone (sometimes called temperature). When we think about colour undertone (or temperature) warm relates to yellow (the sun), cool to blue (water). If you want to make a colour warmer in undertone, add a little yellow – which is why a yellow-green is warmer than a blue-green…
No matter the print, whether it’s florals, animal, abstract, ikat, check, geometrics or stripes, finding prints that relate to your value and value contrast will make your outfit look so much better on you. Just as with colours where you should wear the colour rather than the colour wearing you. You should be the one…
The ageing process changes many aspects of your life, from body, to lifestyle and how you approach style. And then of course there is colouring too, which is the topic of the video in this post as Jill Chivers of Shop Your Wardrobe and I discuss how colouring changes with the ageing process (and show…
There are a couple of things to consider when choosing a metallic accessory such as jewellery or metallic garments. 1. Undertone (or temperature) of your colouring 2. Brightness of your palette and sheen of your skin Let’s look at each individually. Undertone or Temperature Whether you have a cool or warm undertone will make a…
Not sure what to wear or how to put an outfit together? Stuck for ideas on what to wear so you keep going back to that same old tried and true formula? This weekend, do something different and why not go monochrome and put together an interesting, layered outfit. Watch the video and see examples here…
Monochromatic, meaning one colour (read up on the definition here), outfits can look extremely sophisticated and gorgeous, or if you’re not careful, a little boring and plain. So how do you ensure that your monochromatic outfits are stylish and sophisticated not dull? Jill Chivers of Shop Your Wardrobe and I discuss ways to put…
Navy Blue is a colour that seems to get a lot of attention these days. It’s back in fashion (yay!) and makes a great neutral for so many people as it’s way easier to wear than black for the majority of the population. The name came originally from the Royal British Navy and the…
So you’ve got some clothes in your wardrobe in colours that don’t really agree with your colouring. It could be an element of an outfit, or it could be a whole piece. It could be a uniform that you have to wear. So how can you wear those colours that don’t do anything for…
When you think about the value of someone with a darker skin tone, usually they have also darker hair which makes their overall value down the deeper darker end of the value scale. But what is their value contrast and colour contrast? Frequently their colour contrast is monochromatic – one colour – dark brown eyes, skin…
It’s very easy to get stuck in the same colour combination rut. You always put red with white and blue, wear your orange with your brown and then just stick with adding any colour to black as it’s ‘safe’ and you’re really not sure how to mix colours. So sit tight as it’s time to…
When you’re choosing a print, how do you know what contrast it is and how to choose the right value and colour contrast prints to flatter you? Jill Chivers of Shop Your Wardrobe do a show and tell inside my wardrobe with a bunch of patterned clothing items. In the video I talk about my “stair”…
Would you consider doing an article on spring and summer looks for high value contrasts? I can’t wrap my head around how to get a summery look with dark colors. Especially if I don’t want to wear navy all the time. I’d love some photos to help me see how to make it work. I…
What are the differences between London and New York Pantone Forecasts? London has a cooler, brighter red in Flame Scarlet as compared to New York’s Grenadine. London’s Primrose Pink is a more muted pink than New York’s highly tinted Ballet Slipper. London’s Toast is a slightly cooler beige than New York’s Butterum London’s Royal Lilac is…
Answering another lovely reader’s question about how to work with a limited colour palette, Jill Chivers of Shop Your Wardrobe and I took up the challenge to help demystify and share our secret sauce on the subject. How to Use a Limited Range of Colours and Not Get Bored Is it really limited or is it…
Given the cash that is splashed around in Hollywood, and how many professional stylists are employed to help celebrities choose the clothes they wear both on and off the red carpet. It always amazes me just how much bad advice they are given and how many outfits they wear are not quite right. Doing the…
Contrast – both colour contrast and value contrast can be quite tricky concepts to grasp. Once you see it you can’t go back, but learning to see what is and isn’t working and understanding why can sometimes take a little time. I’ve explained how to figure out your contrast levels in this post – with…
