Color Coordination

Choosing colors that are good for you can be a strenuous task. But it’s very important that we have an understanding of color theory because it can help you to match colors in your closet, coordinate you clothes to create stylish outfits for every mood and occasion, and choose colors that flatter you skin tone.

There are a few basic tips when shopping for colors that match well with your skin tone.

• Build your wardrobe around neutral colors that can be dressed up or down, and can be easily used season after season.
  
• When choosing colors always go 3x’s darker or lighter. Meaning that if you have a fair skin tone, don’t choose colors that are pale and will wash you out. If you have a darker skin tone, light colors will give you more of a contrast. Dark colors on someone who has a darker complexion will be more subtle.

As I mentioned earlier we want to be able to create stylish outfits for every mood and occasion so choose colors that creates emotions. You are probably wondering what I mean by that. Warm colors, such as magenta, red, orange, yellow, and greenish-yellow are stimulating colors that motivate energy and excitement. Cool colors, such as shades of purple, blue, turquoise and green usually cause people to feel more calm and relaxed. These two pictures of Beyonce are prefect example of the warm vs. cool colors. The colors that she is wearing on the left are warm colors which create more excitement, which goes perfect with the mood, because it looks like she is performing. The cool colors on the right that she is sporting are more welcoming, these are colors you would want to gravitate to when going on a date.

Going back to the basics, we remember from elementary school that our primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. To put a different spin on these colors and get a different look, you can use complementary colors. These colors can be added to give you more of an intense look. Notice the color wheel here. You can always know what the complementary color is, because it’s directly across from the primary color.
Red’s complementary color is green
Blue’s complementary color is orange
Yellow’s complementary color is purple

Complementary colors command attention. So if you are looking for a mellower or blend in with the crowd look, maybe an office party you would want to stay away from these colors.

At the end of the day do what works for you. If you have confidence to boldly embrace color, go ahead and wear large amounts of bright color such as tropical colors. If not, stick with what you are comfortable in. If you want to incorporate small amounts of color you can do so by layering a bright color under a more neutral base color or have basic colors with colored accessories for that pop of color.