Color is magic.  It’s a visceral relationship twined with our individuality, a marriage that creates a palette as unique as our fingerprints.  Finding your personal colors involves a little more than a packet of swatches.  Those are just the raw material.  It’s taking that information to the next level that creates your personal palette.

If you’re creating a morass of black in your wardrobe, it’s time to write a new script. Color used well infuses us with vitality and confidence as well as making us appear more attractive, slimmer (even better than black) and more interesting. The universal quality of black can be achieved with anthracite, espresso brown or charcoal.  If you’re not a color aficionado, then let a discerning professional paint a more exciting palette for you.

A color professional is going to help you interpret your personal colors and make applying them to your wardrobe easier and more satisfying.   Make sure you stop and cover some particulars before you let someone overhaul your appearance.  Colorful mistakes are expensive and may have to be lived with for awhile.  It’s a cooperative effort, not a decree.

Know what you like.  You may think you don’t know color but you make decisions about it everyday.  You have feelings about what you do and don’t like.  Identify your current favorites and your loyal neutrals. Avoid prescriptive color palettes and look for a kinetic experience of color draping.  No one can ever show you representations of all your colors. It’s more valuable if someone can show you how color lights you up or lets you down.

Set your expectations. Often when someone wants their colors done it’s usually a portion of a larger question, “How do I pull my whole look together” or “How do I look more current?”  Being specific with how you want to apply the information gives you more overall value.

It’s a working relationship.  Color is visual, emotional and practical.  It’s nice if you become friends with your consultant but good conversation isn’t the point.  You want someone who’ll help you make informed choices by showing you options.  The luxury of working with a professional is choice.  Be receptive to exploring but not pressured into agreeing.

Speak up.  There are estimates of five million or more colors visual to the human eye.  The reality is your palette contains more colors than you’ll ever use.  So explore together to find the ones you love, think together to create harmonious palettes and work together to strengthen your identification acuity.

Remember these simple color tips for best results:

• Is always harder to go to darker hair than lighter.
• If your make-up looks bruise-y or orange, the colors are off.
• Between shoes, belt and bag it’s better to match two and coordinate one.
• Bright colors are more fun but considered less sophisticated and neutrals are seemingly boring but suitably breathtaking if done well.
• Any color you love to wear is good for you.
• Don’t underestimate the impact of color; it can change your life in an instant.

“The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.” -Coco Channel-