By Jaimee Dorris
Do you have a closet bursting at the seams yet feel like you have nothing to wear? Is coordinating outfits challenging? Do you love a certain item in your wardrobe but find that it never seems to work on you?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, you, my friend, probably are buying clothes outside of your best color palette.
WHAT IS COLOR ANALYSIS?
Seasonal color analysis is not new. It grew in popularity back in the 1980s with Carole Jackson’s book “Color Me Beautiful.” I remember my mother having her colors done as part of a professional training class back then. The color craze rebounded again in recent years, with new social media filters and phone apps helping people find their “season.”
The theory is simple: Each of us has a certain palette that best harmonizes with our natural skin, eye and hair colors. If we wear colors in that palette, we will effortlessly look our best. If we shop only from our palette, then our clothing will effortlessly match.
THE FABRIC DOESN’T LIE
The next question naturally becomes, “What’s my palette?” There are plenty of ways you can answer this question. Online tools and free tests abound, as well as books on the subject. I offer a technique called “draping,” where I physically drape my clients with fabrics of various shades in natural light in a white room. Together we witness how each color brightens, dulls or discolors the skin. Some shades enhance wrinkles and blemishes; others minimize them. It’s a fascinating process because the fabric doesn’t lie. You can see the results in the mirror!
The good news is most of us are naturally attracted to the colors in our seasonal palette. The bad news is most of us also are easily influenced by trends and colors that we love on other people. The goal, then, of a color-analysis session is to help you discern between the two and shop with confidence. When you know your palette, you can ignore everything else that’s not.
YOUR PALETTE DOESN’T CHANGE
The best thing about seasonal color analysis is that it doesn’t change. Sure, you can dye your hair or adjust your skin with a spray tan or makeup, but your natural palette will be the same throughout your life. The colors that look great on you as a teenager also will harmonize well when you’re older. It’s an investment of an hour or two that ultimately will save you time, energy and money over the course of your life. Let 2024 be the year you discover your best colors!
Jaimee Dorris offers seasonal color-analysis draping sessions at her studio in Bay St. Louis. Learn more at JaimeeDorris.com.