Hello, Stylinistas;
Although all of the design elements are important in using illusion to project your body with the image you want, strategic use of color is probably the most important weapon in your styling arsenal.Today we are going to discuss the use of color in much greater detail.
Color attracts the eye; it is the first thing the eye registers; Color pulls the eye , color is what people notice first. Even the most clueless male will make a comment on how "nice", or "pretty" a woman looks when she wears a super flattering color. Women, of course, will more specifically compliment you on the color choice.Shiny and bright colors command immediate attention; dull and smokey colors fade into a background; hence our use of words "pop a bit of color"; or a color is a "neutral"; (a color that is not particularly noticeable on its own, and that will fade into the backgrounds). even white; white has to be very bright before it attracts the eye-hence "winter white" being the neutral.
The use of a monochromatic color (any color) scheme usually makes a woman look more slender, more polished, taller, etc., When used thoughtfully, it will usually flatter any body type. However, you do need to understand the effects and the prevailing guide lines for color mixing, and potential negative effects that you might have to overcome. Fortunately, most of them can be easily remedied.
Monochrome can be boring; you have the danger of looking like you were dipped in a dye vat; You don't see it much anymore, however, most of us older stylinistas can remember when many women dressed head to to in one color that had to match exactly. Often, the only color in an outfit would be the gold of jewelry worn with stones the same color of the outfit; even the eye shadow was in the same shade! (I must admit I was one of these for some time, and I still prefer monochromatic dressing as it suits my body type and aesthetic in so many ways).
Monochromatic dressing can look like a "uniform" , One does have to use other artistic considerations to pump up one color outfits. In the pictures above, I show you some of the tools I use. 1.) break up the shade of the color; I like to always use the same tone, but I do use light and dark values to relieve a bit of the monotony. If I use one shade on top and a different shade on the bottom, I try as much as possible to match my shoe to the tone of the top. This keeps the line of color long. Sometimes I will wear a shirt with a 'pop' collar of entirely different colors (a seasonal trend this year for fall). I broke the continuous line at my hip line by showing the blouse hem. (my hips are very narrow and I want the eye to skim over my thicker waist.)
Other interesting things one can do to minimize the negatives of dye vat dressing is to mix up your textures and fabrics. No one need adhere to perfectly matched materials. Move out of the conventional comfort zone (tastefully, of course); a bit of leather with lace, high grade polyester is now worn with everything, even wool and cashmere; the most exclusive designers are using all forms of man made materials and mixing them up in their collections. Any change in texture or tone will relieve any feeling of "old fashioned" or the monotony.
Using a broad base of one color and using small colorful accents to "pop" attention to your figure assets in another way to really use color to your advantage. Accessories are wonderful for this, or tops and bottoms broken by an undergarment such as a shell or tank break up the monotony of only one color. There is so much you can do just by experimenting. Monochromatic dressing is usually defined as a color scheme that is approximately 75-80% or less the same color. You can do a lot with just a bit of accent color and accessories. Remember, prints that are significantly prominent in the color of your chosen solid also can be qualified as monochromatic, especially if you use the classic solid jacket (sweater), and lower garment, and use a top with the print.
Basic design principles of color are really quite simple; darker and dull colors tend to make an area of the body appear smaller and can be used to make an area of the body appear smaller; lighter or brighter colors can be used to emphasize your best assets. Color changes should be strategically evaluated as to where they occur on the body as that part of the body will be emphasized. Strategic use of color can be used to advantage to boost or downplay inside lines of a garment. (more on this when we discuss the design element, lines.
The greatest problems occur when one chooses the wrong colors. Although any color has most of the same principles ,(the same color will produce different illusions depending upon what colors are used together) it is vastly important that you choose the right colors for YOU, That does not mean what some arbitrary pamphlet of color of your "season", or whatever new diet of color is in fashion tells you to use. The incorrect use of color is especially devastating on the mature women because our skin color changes as we age, and we simply fail to take note of the need for a re-evaluation. The wrong color choice is also more devastating on older skin.
I firmly believe in color analysis; the theory of choosing the right colors for you is very sound. Some women absolutely glow when they wear certain colors, some look drained, tired, sallow in certain colors. The danger comes from inadequate understanding of color, often by a 'colorist' who really has little or no understanding themselves and use blanket "rules" that simply do not apply to everyone. Most colorists have a "four size fits all approach" based on skin tone, (warm or cool), hair color (brunette, redhead, blond, grey), and eye color (blue, brown, hazel). Right away, you see just with those combinations (basic, mind you) you would need a minimum of 120 swatches of a specific color just to align to the "season" approach. I have never seen 120 swatches of blue offered to help me choose my best shade. Even with all that, generalizations occur. One of my former managers was a slave to her color chart; a conventional "fall", with reddish hair, brown eyes, and a warm brown skin tone. Unfortunately, she missed many opportunities for "rocking her age" because she would not even try on newer shades of color than was in her swatches. I also had a co-worker during those same years who looked marvelous in all her suggested winter colors except the suggested shade of fuscha she was given. The color accentuated the veining in her cheeks and neck that was simply unattractive. One other important note: colors a chosen for each season far ahead of time. Different "committees" determine the shades of colors and how much of it you will see. Those colors rarely match the swatches given by the color stylists. Trying those colors next to your own skin is the only way to be certain, and gaining a certain amount of knowledge of color theory (color wheel) will give you the ammunition you need to plan ahead for appropriate color mixing.
Through trial and error I have discovered that most of the colors suggested for "summer" actually work better for me. Just like other fashion rules, your best choice of colors are individual, and do not necessarily "fit a box". One of the best markers (beside your mirror, of course) is the unsolicited admiration of others. If you wear a garment of a certain color and you get "raves" all day, you can be pretty certain the color looks good on you. As we age, we do need to evaluate if last years color choices are still the best for us now. I will be re-evaluating many of garments in my closet because of the significant change in the color of my hair.
In all of the above pictures, you can see the influences of monochrome dressing I use in my own day to day clothing choices. ( It is not that I am so vain that I want to keep myself in pictures, but using them in pictures of me in my daily wear illustrate my results from using the design elements). Of course, most of these are casual, but that is my usual "role".
As the new fashion season emerges, now might be the time you consider taking a closer look at the colors of your garments. Are they your personal best? I believe of all the elements, if I had to choose one and only one as being the most important, it would be color.
Happy styling................Geneva
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