Life in Colour - 2: Why Black Isn’t for Everyone: Understanding Colour Analysis Basics

Episode Date: October 29, 2024

Ever wondered why some colours make you glow, while others just fall flat? In this episode, I dive into why black isn’t the universal go-to colour it’s often made out to be and why it might not work for everyone. I’ll break down the basics of colour analysis, helping you understand how finding your unique palette can transform the way you dress and see yourself. From understanding cool vs warm undertones to recognising which shades enhance your natural features, this episode gives you a starting guide to discovering colours that make you look and feel your best. 1:47 The Limitations of Black 7:24 Understanding Seasonal Colour Analysis 12:33 Finding Your Best Colours 18:40 The Impact of Colour on Confidence 25:45 Breaking Free From Trends Want to learn more about seasonal colour analysis? Get my free Finding Your Colours Guide @ https://www.lovingcolour.au/findyourcolours Or want to know your perfect colour palette now? Purchase a Virtual Colour Analysis with me to find out exactly which colours light you up! Go to https://www.lovingcolour.au/colouranalysis Follow along on Instagram: https://instagram.com/lovingcolour__

Welcome to Life in Color, the podcast where we dive into the real, raw and wonderfully colorful aspects of life. I'm your host, Ashley, and I'm here to explore the ins and outs of seasonal color analysis, navigating motherhood, thriving in your 40s and beyond, and embracing health and wellness with a healthy dose of humor. Join me as we uncover the secrets behind finding your perfect palette, share stories of the joys and challenges of being a mom. And from practical tips to heartfelt conversations, life in color is your space to laugh, learn and live life. unapologetically in all of its colorful hues. So grab your favorite drink, settle in and let's add some color to this adventure that we call life. Welcome to Life in Color.

Today, we're going to be talking all about why people are stuck wearing the color black and why the color black doesn't suit everybody. I know shock horror, I went there, I said it. But as a color analysis consultant, I can tell you hand on heart, the color black only suits about a quarter of the population. Now, I know for some people, black is the color that they turn to when it's easy. They know that it goes with everything. But you know what?

It doesn't suit everybody. So we're going to dive into that a little bit today. And we're also going to talk about, well, what other colors can you wear? And this is how and why knowing your best colors is so important because you know what? It's going to save you time and money at the shops. It's going to save you time in the morning getting ready because you'd suddenly have a cohesive wardrobe that actually suits you and looks amazing. And you're going to start getting comments from people like, oh my goodness, that

color just looks phenomenal on you. And trust me when I say, when you hear that, it never gets old. It's like, thank you very much. I had my colors done so I know which ones to wear. So let's deep dive into it and talk about why people are stuck wearing black and what you can use as an alternative. So the reasons are most people are taught. and I was taught this as well from a very young age that if you wear the color black,

it's going to be the most flattering on you. Obviously, a lot of people use it for its slimming effect and that it goes with everything. And when you go into a store, a majority of the time, you're going to see quite a bit of black in there because, you know, it's that universal thing that black suits everybody. Everyone should have a little black dress. And I'm going to go against the grain and say, no, that is not the case. not everybody should be wearing black. So people wear black in order to have that slimming effect

and in order to make their life easy. The thing is, is that black can drain you. For somebody who is warm toned, so I'm going to get into that in a second, but for somebody who is warm tone, which means they need warmer colors that have much more of a yellow undertone to them, they're going to feel completely washed out in it.

It's going to take all of their life, so they're going to look pale. Now, when you look pale, what do you do next? You pile on makeup in order to counteract that. So suddenly, you've got a color that you think suits you or is easy to wear or easy to use and that goes with everything. And then suddenly you're like, actually, you know what, I look a little bit pale. So I'm going to put on some makeup. And then so suddenly you're putting on all of this makeup that you don't necessarily either want to wear or need to wear.

That's the beauty of color analysis is that when you are in your best colors, you don't actually need to be wearing makeup. If you don't want to, I love makeup. Don't get me wrong. I have so much makeup and I do wear it most days. However, I know a lot of my clients, especially for us that are, you know, we're in our 40s, we're in our 50s. You're not wanting to wear as much makeup.

You're not interested in doing that. And so there are so many people, again, in that age demographic that are feeling that, you know what black is actually starting to be a bit too harsh against me and these are the reasons why is because black is draining it's a very harsh color it's very high contrast and not everyone can pull it off but one of the other reasons why people wear black is because they're intimidated by color and they feel that when they venture into color that perhaps you know you need to go for the brights you need to go for the bolts and that's not necessarily the case There are so many different colors out there.

So within seasonal color analysis, you have 12 different seasons. And within those 12 different seasons, you have things that, yes, are absolutely bright, bold, intense. But then you have other colors as well that are soft and that they're muted and they're more delicate, or they're really rich and warm and earthy, or they're cool and pastel and summery. So there are so many different colors out there. And I think sometimes it can be very intimidating when you go into a store.

And if you're not familiar with color and fashion is not your thing, to think, you know what, I'm just going to go safe. So that's the other reason that people stick to black is because they feel that it is a safe color to wear when they don't know what other colors to choose. So there are so many other neutrals out there for people to wear other than black. Obviously, you have grays, you have charcoal, which for somebody who, prefers to wear that deeper, darker color, a charcoal, it's just not as harsh. It's just not as intense against the skin. Just, you know, think about the edge has just been taken off.

You then have navies. Navis are absolutely beautiful for cool, toned seasons of winter and summer. You then have whites, creams, off whites, ivories, tans, caramels, olives. There are so many different colors that you can choose from, but I can understand how when you go into a store, it's very easy to just turn to the black. But I promise you, if you start venturing out and looking into other colors, you will start to feel that there are ones that harmonize with you much, much better. Now, I know it can be scary, especially when you have worn black your entire life to try and move away from that, because, you know, it becomes a bit of a security black.

blanket and I can totally understand that. I wore black when I was in my 20s, even into my 30s. Now I'm very much known by my Instagram followers, my clients and the members within my color collective membership. I do not wear black. I look dead when I wear black. And literally, I think the one time I tried something black on, it must have been a couple of years ago, I came downstairs and my kids looked at me and they said, are you going to a funeral today because they just had never seen me wear black because for me it just doesn't harmonize. So when I'm talking about harmonizing, where does all of this come from when it comes to seasonal color analysis? Now, stay with me. It can get a little bit technical. It can get a little bit

tricky and a little bit complicated, but I'm here to guide you through it. So seasonal color analysis came about in the 1980s and it is very scientifically based on the fact that there's, are like anything there is warm tones and then there are cool tones. So back in the 80s, there were only four seasons. They were winter and summer, which are the cool seasons. And then you have spring and autumn, which are the warm seasons. Now within those seasons, you have two that like I mentioned before, are bright, intense, bold, highly saturated colours, which means that those colours have not been mixed with white or grey in order to alter the base of the colour. They are true, true colors.

So winter and spring are the two high intensity color palettes. Then you have autumn and summer. And autumn and summer are lower intensity color palettes. They are softer. So you have sub-pallets and they venture into light summer, which is a color that has had a lot of white mixed into it. You can then go into soft autumn, which has had quite a bit of gray mixed into.

into it to make them soft and make them mute it. So within seasonal color analysis today, whereas back in the 80s you only had the four seasons, we now have 12 or even 16 seasons to choose from. So it is a lot more highly personalized today than what it was back in the 80s, but the core presence of what it is remains the same. So what do I do as a color analysis consultant in order to determine if somebody is warm or cool. I first look at do they look better in cool-toned colors or do they look better in warm-toned. Now, if you're at home and you're wondering how you can figure this out a little bit on your own, a way to do this is if you put something orange against you and you want to be standing in front

of a mirror in good lighting, really you want sort of more the middle of the day because in the afternoon you get that sort of more golden kind of hue and, early morning it can be quite a cooler kind of sunlight that you're getting. So you want to stand in front of a window and you want to get something that is very warm toned, which would be orange, because orange is a warm toned color. And then you want to get something like a gray or a navy and you hold them up against you and you look to see what happens to your face. Now you have to do this with no makeup on. You can pull your hair back if obviously your hair is long so that your hair is not interfering with it.

Ideally, like, no tan or anything that can alter the undertone that you're trying to test. And based on that, if you are cool-toned, the orange will give you kind of that orangey, yellowy, sallowness to your skin. And you should be able to start to see it. Likewise, if you're warm-toned and you put something cool against you, like I talked about with black, it's going to wash you out. Now, this is obviously just a very quick test that you can do at home, but that is where I start with my in-person and my virtual colour consults. I am looking to see whether somebody is warm

or cool-toned. From there, I then go into the process of figuring out, okay, do they suit colours, like say in spring and winter that are highly intense and bold, highly saturated, can they take that intensity of colour? Or, Do they need something that's a bit softer like in summer and autumn? And do they need something that has more white in it to make it nice and light? Do they need something that has a lot more coolness in it? So for cool summer, there is no hint of warmth in there whatsoever. You're as cool as a cucumber.

And likewise, if you are warm autumn or warm spring, you are so warm that any hint of coolness against you, it just is in total disharmony with you and your features. So it is quite a process that I go through in order to determine what somebody's color palette is. But the thing is, is when you know your color palette, it will open up so many doors. Now, I know a lot of people can say, oh, it can be really restrictive, like how many colors do I get?

So for me, for example, if you have a color analysis, you get 30 colors in your primary palette and then you get 90 colors in your sister palettes. So that's 120 colors that you get to play with. So that is plenty. And it's not about restricting you. It's about opening up your opportunities and helping you recognize the colors that suit you the best so that you can start to build that wardrobe. And the beautiful thing about that is that when you build that wardrobe, all of the colors start to go together because they are either cool based or warm based or they have more white in them or they have like deep autumn and deep winter. they have more black in them. So you start to make it so much easier for yourself when you go shopping

and also when you're getting ready every day because it takes the guesswork out of it. Now going back to talking about the color black, can you still wear it if, for example, it's not in your color palette? Now, you can still wear black, but I would recommend putting it on the bottoms because like I said, it doesn't suit three quarters of the population. So if you have something right up against your face, that is where the light is going to reflect. So that is where I say to people, make sure that if you're wearing a color that's not within your color palette, that you're putting it on the bottom half.

So it gives a bit of space between you and your face and where it reflects. Now, I say to my clients all the time, this is not about rules and restrictions. This is not about you not being able to. to wear anything. I'm not about that. I'm about wearing what you love, but there are so many women out there spending so much money on items because they don't know what suits them. And yes, there are times when it comes into it that it is the shape or it is the cut or it's just the style doesn't suit you. I can guarantee you though. There are so many things hanging in your wardrobe that you have never worn or you don't reach for that often and it's the colour. Nine times out of ten,

I have clients say to me, now I understand why I never wore that coat or that dress because it just didn't feel right. And feeling is a really big thing when it comes to color. So to give you an example, when I first started learning about color analysis, it stemmed from, I had a caramel tan jumper. And I have had this jumper in my wardrobe ever since, gosh, I must have been, I was at uni, so I must have been like 21. It was a point. It was a. Portman's jumper. And I put it on because I was like, oh, I'm going to get that out and I'm going to wear it again. And I looked in the mirror. And I was like, geez, that doesn't look right. So I went down to my daughter's room and I ended up trying pretty much every mirror in the house.

And I went around and I was like, what is going on? This used to suit me or I thought it used to suit me. We can come back to that another time. But I was like, I look yellow. I look terrible in this. What is going on? And when I took it off and I started to try and find other colors that sort of were caramel and tan, and there was a coatigan that I had purchased a couple of years ago. And I put that on and that coatigan looked really, really lovely. And I'm like, but it's in the same color family. Surely all of it should suit me.

And it really didn't. And at the time, I couldn't understand why. today I absolutely know why. It has so much yellow in that caramel that it literally makes me turn yellow when I put it on. I look sallow, I look sickly, and I can tell you right now, no amount of makeup is going to take that away because it just does nothing for me. It actually, it just, yeah, it makes me look terrible. So that is kind of where I started thinking about this color journey.

Now, I liked that color so much. I was determined to get more tan caramel into my wardrobe. And so I went shopping with my best friend. And I tried on this knit dress in that color. And because here's me thinking that I could still wear that color, that it was just the jumper. It must be the jumper because it's a roll neck or it's high neck or whatever. And I went and I tried it and I came out of the changing room and I looked at her.

And she was like, no, no, no, no, no. That just there's something about it. I don't know what it is because it's a really nice dress. it fits you beautifully. Still again, not really twigging, that it's the color. And the sales assistant came to me and said, actually, we've got that in a petrol green. Do you want to try that on? Now, this is a color.

It's like a teal petrol green. And I don't wear a huge amount of dark colors. And so I was like, oh, well, yeah, all right, I'll try it on. I tried it on. I kid you not, I came out and I was like, wow, I look a million dollars. I sent a picture to my husband saying, look at this dress. It looks amazing. still going on about the dress.

And then it was later on because I bought that dress because it looked amazing that I was like, hang on a second. It was the colour. It was the colour that was the difference between the two. One was warm toned, like very warm toned. And the teal was cool toned. Now, I've actually started to realise teal is one of my best colours.

When I do colour analysis for my clients, I give them their five best colours. So even within your palette, you're going to have colours within that that just literally light you up from the inside out and make you look amazing. And so teal happens to be one of mine. And you know what?

Would I have tried that color on if the shop assistant hadn't have said anything? At the time, I don't know. But now when I go shopping, I have specific colors in mind that I'm looking for. And I'm not just buying everything in anything. And I'm like, oh, yeah, well, okay, I can make that work. No, I'm looking at it to think, okay, is this in my color palette? Is it in my sister palettes? If it's outside of my color palettes, how do I make that work?

If it's an item that I really, really love, which I'll be honest, it's very rare for something like that to happen to me now. But the beauty of learning about color, and that's where my process and my journey started with learning color and loving color, hence the name of my company is called loving color. And it's all about learning how those colors do light you up. And sometimes it can be quite a process. Sometimes it can be a bit of a shock as to what color palette you are. And it can be a journey to lean into that.

And I've had that with clients and I guide them through what to do when that is the case. And then others, I've had, that makes total sense. And the other night I took a deep dive on some photos from like my 20s. And I can see that my hair color was way too warm. I can really see it now. and it's to the point where when I go shopping, I can walk into a store and immediately I can see whether my colours are in there or not. And so I walk straight back out again if they're not there because what's the point?

I'm not going to try on something that I know isn't going to work for me. Now, where colour analysis can come in handy, yes, I've talked about obviously when you're going shopping in your everyday life. But there are so many other areas, it boosts your confidence so much because you know. No, there's no guesswork anymore. You know that those colors suit you. So say, for example, you've got a really important meeting or a presentation, for example, and you're standing on a stage.

And normally you'd go for a really bright color. It doesn't necessarily suit you, but you'd go for a bright color because you think that then people can see you on the stage. And I totally understand that. However, imagine if you went for a color within your color palette that lit you up so they saw your face before they saw the color of the jacket that you're wearing. It's all about learning how to bring you to the forefront rather than people seeing the color first. So when people say that color looks amazing on you or even, wow, don't you look amazing?

It's because it's lighting you up from the inside out. It brings a beautiful freshness to your skin and it brings a flush to your skin. And it just makes you look happy and amazing and it boosts your confidence so much. The other time I think color analysis really comes into play. is for women, there are so many of us, obviously, throughout our lives that go through so many hormonal journeys. And for me, obviously, you're probably new to the show because it's, you know, the first episode. However, you may be following me on Instagram. So you know my journey, my hormonal journey, and I've had endometriosis my entire life. I've also had a hysterectomy.

And so when you have hormonal fluctuations that can show on your skin and your hair and your weight and your shape. And so by dressing yourself in colors that you know work, it's not about your shape. It's not about your size. It's about highlighting your best features, but also making sure that your hair and your eyes and your skin tone, everything just flows and everything works.

And you can imagine for women that have just had a baby, if you put black on someone who is warm toned, they're going to look even more tired. Even if they have had a night's sleep because the baby slept through, they're going to look more tired because that color just doesn't suit them. Whereas if they switched it to, say, like a chocolate, then that color harmonizes with them much better and it's not going to drain them. Likewise, for somebody who is warm toned,

if you are wearing the color white, again, the white is just going to wash you out. whereas if you change to an ivory or a cream, that's going to suit you so much better. It's not about trying to conform you into what is in the stores and what society thinks you should be wearing. Anybody who knows me and who follows me knows, I do not do trends. And there is a reason I don't do trends. It's because not everybody should be wearing the same thing. I mean, obviously, this is a podcast for another time, but not. everyone should be wearing the same thing. There's a reason for that. We all have different

style personalities. We all have different body shapes and sizes. You know, you can take two same size eights and their body shape could be different, completely different. And so what will suit them will be different. And I think when you're trying to conform yourself into the trends or the colors that are in season, because I know that sometimes it is so hard to actually find the colors within your color palette, and I totally understand that. But that's where you become so much more intuitive with your shopping, but you're also making investments into items that are going to stay in your wardrobe for a really long time rather than buying something that you think that you should be wearing. Now, don't get me wrong, if there is a

trend that has come out that you absolutely want to try because you're like, you know what, I think that would really suit me. That is totally my vibe. That has got me written all over it. Go for it. It's more that you're trying it because you want to and you like it rather than thinking, you know what, in order to stay relevant and fashionable, I need to wear that. It's not about that. So I'm going to give you an example. So you know how the last couple of years, the maxi denim skirts came in. And that was one of the trends that I looked at and I was like, you know what?

I actually wouldn't mind trying that. I actually quite like it. And I wanted one that had a slit in the front. So not like the full because I'm only 163 centimeters. Some of those, oh my goodness, they look like a 10. pent on me. They swallowed me up. They drowned me. I'm a rectangle shape. So they gave me no shape whatsoever. I looked terrible in them. But you know what? I kept on going a bit like this caramel thing. So here I should really be taking my own advice. I kept on going because I did

think that there would be one out there that would suit me. Now, I must have been looking, gosh, must have been about a year. And then I found one. Now, the denim wasn't quite my denim. So yet again, warm or cool does come into it with denim. A cooler denim is going to have a lot more blue and a lot more white in it. And a warm tone denim is how I describe it as 1970s retro denim, very sort of a brighter, more intense denim that's got a lot of yellow in it. Like, imagine that you've got a paint palette and you've got your blue and you're mixing yellow into it and watch that color change. That is what you're looking at. And so I tried it on.

It was in a light denim and I tried it on and I was like, oh yeah, I was with my daughter. I was like, yeah, I think I like this and it wasn't cheap. And I bought it, but it's slightly too warm toned for me, just ever so slightly. And you know what? I can only wear it with a white t-shirt. And then every time I wear it, I walk around and I can hear the noise of the denim flapping between my knees as I walk and it's just, I feel so ridiculous in it. But I'd taken the tags off.

And I'm like, no, we're committed. So that was a lesson to me in when you come home. And now I tell people this all the time, make sure you have enough items in your wardrobe to go with it. And that's the thing when you start to dress in your color palettes, you will start to find that things cohesively start to go together. You're going to have some outliers. Always you will.

But for me, having one top that could go with the skirt is not enough. And also, when I wear it, I realize that as much, much as I liked that trend, it just doesn't really work for me, my body shape and I just, I couldn't make it work. So that was a little tangent there, but yes, trends and I, I don't go for trends and I don't think everyone should wear it. And maybe that's because I'm now in my 40s and I'm like, stuff it. I'm going to wear what I want to wear, not what society and the internet and the stores are telling me to wear. And I really think a lot of women are. starting to get to that point.

And I love how, I think in the younger generations, like I've got a teenage daughter and, you know, you see a whole load of teenage girls at a bus stop and they've all shop and they've all shopped at the same place. And I totally get it. I was a teenage girl too. And they're all wearing the same thing. And I love now how as she's getting a bit older, she's starting to be, you know what, I actually want to wear this or I want to wear that because she's defining her own style.

And yes, she does know her colours. So that makes it much, much easier for her in order to be able to go shopping for herself because now she knows what suits her. So I know I've gone off on a few tangents today on this episode about why you're stuck wearing black or why you shouldn't be wearing black. But it comes back to does the colour, are you warm or cool firstly? Do you feel that it suits you? Or are you doing it because it's safe?

And like so many things in life, you can fall into that. rut of it's just so easy. But yes, it's so easy, but it would also be so easy if you knew the right color that suited you, be it a chocolate or an olive or a navy or an off white rather than a hospital grade white or a cream. How much easier would it be to go shopping if you actually know what colors suit you rather than guessing or going for something because you think you should? I, on the right person, so my daughter, she's a deep autumn, she can wear blank because it's in her sister palette of deep winter. Now I know this is a bit confusing. I will properly do a full conversation explaining the whole, all the different seasons and what they entail. But I didn't

want to overwhelm you in this first episode and get too technical in the first episode. But it's she can wear it. She can pull it off. She looks amazing in it. Amazing in it. However, the majority of the people that wear black don't suit it. And when you go out, I, I, I, dare you, I challenge you to look at it on yourself, look at it on family members and look at it when you're in the office or when you're out in the supermarket. And you will start to see like, oh, actually that person, it really washes them out. It doesn't do anything for them. Or do you know what? It doesn't necessarily wash them out, but it's just a bit too intense on them. Or, you know what? I think that looks phenomenal on them. They must be in the category of the quarter of the percent of

the population that actually can wear this because they can rock it and they look the bees, knees in black. I've got nothing against the color black. It's just so many of us can't wear it. So yes, that's all about why you're stuck wearing black. Don't be intimidated by trying color. And I'm not talking about wearing color from head to toe. I'm just talking about be a little bit more open that when you go into a store,

instead of gravitating straight towards black because you think it's safe or because you think it's slimming or because you think it's the best color for you to wear, have a look around, see what else you think. Like, hold up that chocolate. Does the chocolate suit you better? Does the Navy suit you better? Or should you be looking at a car key? Have a look and see what other neutrals within those stores would look better on you.

Try the orange versus the black or navy test at home. and see whether potentially you're warm-toned or whether you're cool-toned, just to give you that little bit of a hint in the right direction as to figuring out the first step of what colours suit you. But don't stay in black because you feel you have to. I think there's nothing worse. And I know that fashion and style and clothing can be really, really intimidating. And I know that it also can be intimidating with shop assistants

and so many of us in our 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, like my mom in her 70s, you can feel invisible when you go into some of these stores. And so therefore it's easy to pick up the black top, take it to the counter and purchase it because you don't really want to go into the trial, into the changing rooms and try something on and have the shop assistant be like, oh, how are you going? Is there anything I can get you? And feeling like you shouldn't be in there because there's nothing worse than that as well. And so I totally get it.

but just for me, go and have a look at the stores and have a little bit of a different look at colour and I promise you you will start to find other colours that suit you better than black. If you have any questions, then come along over to my Instagram page. I am at Loving Color, double underscore,

and drop me a message, send me a DM. I've got lots of information on there as well, but if you aren't sure if black suits you, then come over and have a quick chat with me. I am always happy to help. If you have a question that you'd like me to answer on this podcast, then just send me an email to Ashley at lovingcolor.com. I love answering questions on Instagram,

so I would love to do an Ask Ashley session over on here as well because I get so many questions to do with color analysis. Thank you so much for joining me on this episode of Life in Color, and I will catch you next week. Take care. Have a great week. And I will chat to you. you soon. Bye.