By: Key Michel
Imagine the colors that you wear as the paint to your canvas. The canvas in this analogy being your body; and the clothes that you wear being the array of paint that exudes beautifully on your skin tone. Mastering your own personal color palette is vital in building a signature style that you not only love; but that 100% compliments you. Now this message has been discussed throughout time; but it became immensely apparent to me working as a part-time stylist at Club Monaco; how much color truly matters.
A beautiful sky blue dress perfect for the spring breeze and expressive sun is one of the store’s top sellers; and current main attractions. Anytime a customer walks in they find themselves gravitating to this dress, touching it, admiring it; and turning to you to ask the common question, “can you please help me find a size; I would like to try this dress on?” The fitting room at a retail store; is the section where you quickly learn how one garment can look extremely different on one person to the next. I’ve observed clients at the store with similar skin tones try on the dress; and the drastic difference in how it looked on one client from the next was always evident.
It was always intriguing to see someone try the dress on; and it looked like it was made just for them. While it wasn’t a common color in many people’s wardrobe; for the clients it compliment it radiated their own personal shine. It was never a debate when a client would walk out of the fitting room; as they naturally shined walking out of the dressing room. The light from the mirror shining back at them; as they smile to themselves in the mirror, as they feel their restoration of confidence grow within them . You immediately knew whether it was a yay or a nay when it came to this dress, not only based on the fit; but vastly based on how the color looked on them.
Understanding and discovering your own color palette is about intentionally finding colors that compliment you so well; that they make you stand out without even having to try. It’s not about being closed minded; but daring yourself to try new colors to learn what looks the best on you. It always amazes me the clients that come in the store; and they would try on an item with a color that they held a fixed mindset about. It was there in the fitting room; that several clients discovered how the color they in fact thought they disliked; was actually their long lost friend.
Invest in colors that complement your various features such as your hair or eye color; so everything can cohesively blend creating a true masterpiece in your outfit.
One of my favorite ways to experiment with color; is by thrifting and vintage shopping. A lot of my local stores have the styles organized by colors; which encourages you to simultaneously give a new color a try and double down on the colors that suit you best.
As you experiment with different colors; you will begin to learn what colors wash your skin tone out. Acquiring colors that look blend harmoniously with your skin tone; or make it pop.
Specific colors can make a person look younger or older; or even bigger or smaller. The right colors can completely change one’s perception of self; and skyrocket one’s confidence level.
Colors can also tie us to our heritage, ethnicity, culture and roots; creating a deep sense of belonging, identity and sureness within us that shines though what we wear. The right colors help us catapult the power that already lies within; encouraging us to put together outfits that show an authentic expression of our personal styles.
