Readers, I like mustard. I like to eat it and I (used to) like to wear it. It also happens to be about the least flattering color this pasty white boy could wear. (I ended up giving that tee shirt back to the thrift store from whence it came.)
Then there's seafoam. This is a really good color for me, or so I'm told by my own personal Color Me Beautiful expert, Michael. Problem is, I don't really like the color. I mean, it's OK, but I'm not drawn to it when I see it. It's so Key West.
Same goes for this violet. It's "my" purple, but I don't like the color. Yet if it flatters me and I want to look good in my clothes (and I do), should I wear it?
This ties into something that just happened, friends. I was at the Salvation Army earlier today, and in the section where they sell old sheets and blankets, and from time to time, fabric, I stumbled upon this huge (easily five yards long and 60" wide) piece of cement gray twill. Not particularly soft, not particularly gorgeous. I figured, however, I could muslin my bomber jacket with it and since it only cost $2.99, it seemed like a better deal than the washed-out cotton/poly flat sheet I could have bought for one dollar less.
Back home, I did a burn test. The fabric swatch didn't ignite. It had an acrid smell and formed a hard bead. According to the burn chart I consulted, this suggests some sort of synthetic, perhaps acrylic or polyster. Come to think of it, it does feel exactly like Dickie's work pants.
But Michael tells me it's a great color for me. He calls it taupe or light cocoa: color-naming is very subjective, obviously. It does have a heathery undertone which is flattering, I will admit (I'm a summer). Please take into account I'm feeling a little under the weather and could use a shave.
The color does bring out a certain glow (what's left of it) in my complexion, but believe me when I say that this is probably the last color on earth I'd ever be drawn to. It's so....blah.
Friends, I don't want to get into another one of those Color-Me-Beautiful-YEA-or-NAY-type debates: I know some people buy into this particular color theory and some people don't. But assuming that some colors are more flattering to us than to others, are you of the opinion that you should...
a) wear the colors that are most flattering to you and, ideally, learn to love them.
b) wear the colors you like most (i.e. that make you happy, since happy people look better), Color Me Beautiful and its ilk be damned.
c) just wear black: you'll look sophisticated and thin.
Seriously, readers, do you love your "best" colors? If not, do you still wear them since they flatter you, or throw caution to the wind and wear whatever you want?
Finally, is my taupe twill too good to waste on a muslin?
Jump in!
Posts
You do look strangely gorgeous in taupe! What's up with that? I vote for option A. No sense in trying to wear something that doesn't look good. I can enjoy colours I like in other ways.
ReplyDeleteC & use it as a muslin.
ReplyDeleteI go for A. I never thought of C, but I think it's funny. I say, if you like a color that doesn't flatter you, wear it on the bottom (pants, skirt, shorts, etc.). By the way that gray greenish taupe whatever color is really good for you!
ReplyDeleteI agree completly here! I use colors that do not flatter me for skirts and pants or acessoires and it makes me happy without making me ugly!
DeleteAnother agreement. I love that camel/beige color but it looks terrible on me. So I am making myself a skirt in that color.
DeleteI actually really love the colors that look best on me (jewel tones, yay!), so it's kind of a moot point as far as I'm concerned. Personally, I say wear what colors YOU like best, flatteringness be dammed. Even if, say, pastels look stunning on your complexion... no point in wearing something that you secretly think is hideous, you know? And you can always employ the trick of wearing certain colors on the bottoms, as the farther away from your face they are, the better.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm in the minority here, but I actually like that yellow on you!
For me, "a" and "c" coincide (black is one of my best colors), though whether I ever look either sophisticated or thin is another matter.
ReplyDeleteIf that fabric is really polyester, it might pill, so muslin might be best.
Happy! Wear the colors and clothes that make you happy and screw that color theory mumbo-jumbo. I, too, love mustard (both for it's culinary flavors and it's chromaticity) and I even dare to like that lovely mustard shirt on you. However, I do concede that the taupe brings out a warmness to your skin tone.
ReplyDeleteI say A and B! Wearing a color that brings out your complexion will always get you lots of complements, which will make you feel happy! Put it next to your face. But why not add accents of your favorite colors? Mustard lining or binding? Accents and details are what make an outfit. And if you use the colors you love, you'll be happy every time you put on that outfit!
ReplyDeleteYa know, it's funny I'm uber pale myself and I've found that I have an unhealthy obsession with heather grey t-shirts. I know I "should" wear bright colors (tan colors as my ex called them) but I actually rock the grey surprisingly well.
ReplyDeleteThat color does become you sir. I think wearing colors that make you happy is a simple pleasure. I adore orange, and it does flatter me, but not as much as Winter colors do. I can fake it as a Fall/Spring until you compare it to the real thing. Women can make less flattering colors work with make up, because I persist in wearing yellow/gold since I adore it. Red lipstick fixes a lot of bad color choices.
ReplyDeleteThe taupe twill (jacket) with the aforementioned violet (shirt)...and yes, I would make a garment from the twill rather than a muslin.
ReplyDeleteThat taupe does look good on you, Obi-Wan. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) I could see it paired with that violet underneath, too. Make a muslin with it, at least.
ReplyDeleteI am supposedly a winter, but I certainly don't like all the winter colors. I've been wearing more fall colors, which I think I can get away with when my hair color fades to a reddish, which seems to be about two days after I color it light brown.
1) Just because CMB says you SHOULD wear something doesn't mean it's right.
ReplyDelete2) I LOVE that fabric color for you. It makes you look so... Obi Wan (the real one in episode IV, not the dorky younger one in the prequels).
3) You ABSOLUTELY can get away with wearing a color you LIKE even if it isn't your BEST color by using it as an accent and keeping it away from your face. ;-)
If I listened to CMB, I'd never wear earth tones. But they look GREAT on me. I have green eyes and browns/greens/rusts look much better on me that FUSCHIA! and ROYAL BLUE! and PURPLE! I look like death in white. Even though CMB SAYS I'm a "winter". Yeah. Whatevs.
Wear the colors you like, that also flatter you. There are enough colors and shades that you should have plenty to choose from. And if you're really drawn to a color that isn't flattering to the face, wear it in a garment that doesn't frame the face.
ReplyDeleteI think you should wear the colours that suit you and the colours that you like! Just mix and match and be more careful with what is right next to your face. Besides, I find that the more I wear colours that suit, the more I like them.
ReplyDeleteYou do look great in the taupe, so it could be a keeper - wearable muslin? Oh and I second the Obi Wan comparisons - be at one with the force young Jedi!
I was going for more of a St. Francis look... ;)
DeleteIf that's the case, maybe wear the yellow t-shirt as a turban so you get the 'Saintly halo glow' required! :D
DeleteIs it the tone of the colour as well? I knit my partner a tweedy mustard sweater and, while I couldn't wear a bright mustard t-shirt, I think the tweedy mustard looks ok on me (luckily the sweater fits me too!)
ReplyDeleteOoh, I like that Valerie!
ReplyDeleteI think the taupe is very sophisticated, but at the same time, that yellow tee makes you glow in a much better way, I think.
ReplyDeleteI wear colors that flatter me most of the time and the others that I like I use as accents. I just happen to like both. I think you can use most colors as long as you're careful how you use them.
On the other hand, I loathe all black. Maybe because it's been my uniform, but I feel like so many people do all black to look chic that it has fallen flat and lost its punch completely!
I say wear flattering color when a garment is close to your face, but wear whatever color you like if it's far away (on the bottom). I love mustard, too, but can't wear it near my face. I look terribly sallow. So I made a mustard color skirt that I love. Best of both worlds!
ReplyDeleteUgh, I hate most shades of "coral" and I'm told I look good in it. Screw that. A combo of options B and C for this lady! Your clothes should make you happy.
ReplyDeleteI think I am lucky enough to look good in my favourite colours. Although if I understand having your colours done, it's about the shade of the colour more than the colour itself (like the heather tones in that grey that does look good on you).
ReplyDeleteFor colours that make you happy but aren't your best colours, could they be used more as accents or away from your face? I hate to tell someone not to wear colours they love or to only wear colours that don't make them happy. Green might be a good colour for me, but I won't look happy wearing it so net-net, it's not a good colour for me.
There's nothing wrong with wearing colors that don't excite you so long as they are paired with something in a color that does. It makes for good wearable basics when the fabric choice is a little boring. The one thing I really do like about CMB or similar systems is that the color palettes are already made up, so even if you don't particularly like one color, it will still match with a color that you might like and that will look good on you. I could see that taupe pairing very nicely with your pink shirt. If you were holding some kind of cotton twill, I'd say it would be a waste not to use it for something wearable, but since just looking at the close-ups of that poly weave is making my hands feel rough, I'd warn against making anything you plan to love out of it. Even the most gorgeously colored fabrics lose when the battle is trying to drape polyester gabardine in a flattering manner.
ReplyDeleteI haven't put very much thought into what colors I look good in, so I guess I fall into group B.
ReplyDeleteI don't have very much in my wardrobe in very light colors like cream, light grey, putty, and white. I don't think these colors do me any favors, but I prefer brighter colors anyway so it's not a hardship.
My favorite color is orange, and as a redhead (via a box), I do think twice about clothes in oranges and orangey browns because I'm not a fan of wearing things that match my hair.
I think that taupe looks great on you! Maybe you can make it a wearable muslin.
I try to only wear colors/patterns/textures that I think flatter me in some way. A very good friend of mine will only buy bed sheets based on the way she thinks she'll look on them. Since she told me, I cannot think otherwise. I've gotten compliments (and I'm not talking about the sheets - LOL!)
ReplyDeletePut me on Team A. The colors I see are mostly not the ones I'm wearing. Those are the colors other people see. The colors I see are mostly those in my environment, and I'm all for making *those* colors my favorites. (Which explains why I'm typing this from my shell pink living room.)
ReplyDeleteThe colors I wear should show me off to best advantage. When I see the photo of you in the mustard shirt, I see the shirt first. When I see you in the taupe twill, I see *you* first and even under-the-weather and unshaven, the taupe makes you look darn good.
Option A. Definitely A.
The cement gray almost looks green! It is far too nice to waste on a muslin!
ReplyDeleteThe yellow is bad on you, but great on me!
You know, I embraced the color/season thing in the 80's and even played consultant for a while. Now that my hair is gray, I think I might get away with wearing some of those colors I love, but know don't look great on me (burgundy/maroon, for instance).
Bottom line, if you feel great, go for it. If you glance in the mirror and you feel nauseous, pass!
Pantone's color of the year: Emerald (PASS!!!!). Although beautiful, not my color. Now, Tangerine Tango was another story!!!!
Wear the colors you love! You can also balance them with colors that look better on you. I think that the trick is to have the colors that are more flattering on you closer to your face, like a trim.
ReplyDeleteb) I love bright yellow too and I wear it anyway with a buffer color- like a black or navy yoke at the top of the shirt by your face, or as a skirt, or even with a big neck scarf.
ReplyDeleteAll black clothes all the time is visually depressing. c) reminds me of what Cary Grant said to his aunts in Arsenic and Old lace, "For god's sake you two look like a double blackout."
You know what? Life is short. Very, very short. I say, wear what rocks your boat and love it.
ReplyDeleteI'd go with A - my swatch has about 50 colours in it, so there are enough ones that I love to ignore the ones that I don't. Supposedly I look good in pinks, but I hate them. So I just ignore that part of the colour wheel!
ReplyDeleteI'm with K.Line, there are other ways to enjoy colours that don't look so great when they are attached to your body.
Just look at your face in taupe grey... Wonderful color and vibrancy. Your skin looks great. I vote for the taupe/grey clothing for you. It is a revelation. One grey linen suit and pale grey shirt is calling from your future... Make ME. Make mustard yellow throw pillows and wall hangings.
ReplyDeleteLol, for some reason, that last picture reminds me of Tess of the d'Urbervilles. I like the yellow on you, but I say wear whatever color makes you feel your best. Great blog by the way. I've been going through your archives to catch-up and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm a newbie seamster but have been knitting for years. My best to you, Michael, your mom and the little doggies for a very healthy and happy new year.
ReplyDeleteCalvin
Columbia, SC
Regardless of the color, a polyester twill will never make you happy, so use it as muslin.
ReplyDeleteForget the colors argument, here's a vote to keep the beard and 'stache for a while. They look GREAT!
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteUse it for a muslin if its not particular soft or not particulary gorgeous. My color theory. Everyone can wear every color it's just getting the right shade.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Typo. Other people look at me, so whatever I'm wearing should show me off. "You look great!" is so much better than "Are you feeling ok?"
ReplyDeleteI look at the stuff around me. That's where I put my fave colors. I'm a winter (so 'they' say) and I wear jewel tones a lot. No yellows, no orange, lime looks hideous on me, as do pastels. My sewing studio is all oranges, lime and purple. I love it that I can have my citrus fix and not feel the need to wear it. I can also indulge in crazy prints for home dec. Wearing those don't work for me either.
I like the idea of using a favorite color for lining or other details.
Oh my goodness, I constantly debate this issue with myself. There are certain colors that I just love, but know they do not flatter. My hope is that I feel so wonderful wearing those not-so-suitable colors that it balances out the not looking so great factor?!
ReplyDeleteI had a fifth grade teacher who wore bright blue paired with yellow almost exclusively because someone had obviously told her they were “her” colors. But goodness gracious, variety is the spice of life, and she looked bland, even while wearing the loud colors.
By the way, that fabric looks really great on you! Perhaps they would make a nice pair of pants that you could pair back with a color you truly love? Or does that defeat the entire Color Me Beautiful premise?
THere's always the path of compromise- wear colors that flatter your skin tone around your face, and match them with colors you love elsewhere, or wear patterns that combine flattering and favorite colors...
ReplyDeleteWow, this post is über-weird: like you read my mind! I am also head-over-heels in love with mustard... but I am not sure it suits me. The greige color suits you fabulously, that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteFor a few months now, I have been pondering the same questions as you. Thing is, I don't actually know what colors suit me well, so I wear the colors I love (with a LOT of black!). I know that any kind of beige or pastels looks dreadful on me, but that's about it. I read a lot about color theory, and even watched a special episode of Trinny and Susanna about colors, but it is still difficult to apply it to myself without help.
I find this is a major obstacle to my sartorial endeavors: I actually want to integrate more colors to my wardrobe, but I am unsure how. In fact, this bugs me so much that I have devised a plan with a friend in order to learn which colors I should avoid and which ones I should embrace. Here's my plan: with my artist friend and her keen eye, I plan to go to my local fabric store. Once there, i'll take pictures of myself with large swatches of fabrics in colors I like and dislike. She'll give me her honest opinion, and I'll be able to keep the pictures for future reference.
Four words: away from the face. Then again, I like the colors that look good on me. I do wonder if I like them because they make me look better, or if I wear them because I like them.
ReplyDeleteI love mustard, too! I have basically the same complexion as you but for some reason, this color looks great on me. Try experimenting with different shades of your favorite colors and you might find some that you like AND look good on you. YOu could get a muted mustard and it won't make you look so harsh or a softer seafoam that doesn't make you feel like a fish, heh.
ReplyDeleteThe new twill looks great on you and you might really like it in the bomber jacket. It might just be one of those muslins that turn out really good. But, if you really aren't loving the color, by all means, use it as a muslin.
You should wear whatever color you like, just maybe on your lower half! I've taken to buying/making pants, belts and shoes in colors I would never wear as a shirt or sweater. Hello fire engine red cigarette pants!
ReplyDeleteI love yellow ... it is happy and cheerful and in an ideal world it would be so me. However it isn't so I bought myself some yellow shoes instead :-)
ReplyDeleteI do think there is a medium to be found between colours that you love and that suit you.
I'm a summer too and find that some of the colours are a bit blah to look at. I tend to lean towards the colours with more depth, so I choose summer shades that fit into that group. Peacock, purple, raspberry etc work well on me and in my head; taupe is fine for skirts/trousers etc but not a top.
ReplyDeleteI can wear some yellows, but not mustard, not unless I want the local undertaker following me to see when he can re-bury me.
I am still unsure what colors would be the most flattering on me, or what my CMB season would be? Maybe I need to have a session with Michael ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree with others that there must be some happy medium between A and B. The taupe does look great on you!
I like a, b & c. You should do them all, when you want. I do think you look great in that fabric. Is there enough for hooded rain coat?
DeleteI definitely think the taupe coloured fabric looks great on you and this fabric is too good for a muslin...use the sheet instead and then make it up in the taupe. I happen to be quite fortunate in that the colours I love seem to suite me (well I think they do anyways LOL). My favorites are purple, orange, pink, red and black... and just about everything inbetween. I'd love to have someone like Michael around to provide a personal and professional opinion and who takes an interest in what you wear. Mind you my hubby's pretty good and when I ask for an opinion he generally lets me know if he likes something on me... but he's not always sure if its the colour or the style he likes.
ReplyDeleteI perhaps came to the whole color thing backwards, because I discovered the colors I was really drawn to, were the colors that were best for me anyway. In actual fact, I found a few other colors that suit me that I hadn't thought to try, but now are sneaking into my wardrobe too.
ReplyDeleteMy general thought is if you really love it, wear it. If you loathe it, why put yourself through it.
Like most everyone else, I agree the thrifted taupe fabric does look well on you - if you can bear it.
I'm of the A, B & C school of thought. I will wear colours that look good on me, but might not be my favourite - usually with black (A). If there is a colour I absolutely adore and it doesn't look good on me (buttercup yellow or certain shades of orange), I will wear them on the bottom of my outfit (or as my shoes)(B). I'm not a fan of navy or taupe and white looks hideous on me, so my neutral is usually black (C).
ReplyDeleteThe taupe fabric does look good on you, but if you don't love it, then will you wear what you make with it?
I think wear the colours that suit you close to your face. I once wore navy and was asked if I felt ok and did I want to sit down (learnt the colour was not my best).
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think the bottom half and accessories - wear what you like. Then you have the best of both worlds!
If you don't love the color then you will never wear it even after you make it. It may as well cost a $100, if you wouldn't buy a jacket from it RTW then you won't wear it just because you made it. I have made a few dresses that always get compliments but I never feel great in them. Is either a color I don't love or a cut that just doesn't jive with me personally. They never see regular rotation and I only wear them out of sewers guilt on a truly heinous laundry day.
ReplyDeleteA, B, and C. Or rather, a combination. Wear colors that YOU feel good in AND flatter you!
ReplyDeleteHowever, ITA that the Obi-Wan color is a good one on you....and if I may share an experience I recently had. I was in a fabric store & found a luscious feeling fabric (the touch & feel of fabric next to my skin is VERY important to me), and the right texture & weight for a project I have in mind, but the color? meh. Neutral meh. So I went around the store & accosted all of the well-dressed strangers I saw with the question "Can I wear this color? Does it look good on me?" Luckily, they were a friendly bunch, and to a person, they said "Yes...it's neutral; looks good, just accessorize it with colors/shapes/textures and it will be great."
So that's my answer, if a fabric has some appeal to you, and it's a good one for you, but the color doesn't jump up & down to make you happy....accessorize it! :)
That IS a smashing colour on you!
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it, wear the colours that suit you.
Wear the colours you like but dont suit you, on your lower half! Or as accessories.
Less chance of making you look ill and you still get to use those awesome shades :-)
Well mate, mho is: your 'adviser' is right; it looks good around your face!
ReplyDeleteBtw.: what's sooo horrible wrong with it, since you're yourself in general quite a 'hot spot' to look at; yeah 'quite a tad better' with some colours than with others?!
Can't you combine both? The flattering ones closer to your smart face and the really loved ones closer to your smart a * * * , oops, 'four letter body part'?! There you can actually even look at them way easier ;-) !
( ... and duck and run away here fast :-D !)
Greets,
Gerlinde (some cheeky Aussie)
Btw.: happy New Year; might not become a perfect one since I'm occasionally popping in and 'p * * ping' ;-) !
I think the colour (if you can define this as a colour) looks really good on you! If I were you, I'd make a nice casual jacket. That way it'll work with anything you want to pair it with. :D
ReplyDeleteEvery colour schema, be it a C-M-B or one of the other systems like the Australian Colour Swatch system (which I prefer)I find there are generally so many colours you will love AND suit, you don't need to wear colours you don't like.
ReplyDeleteI think the twill is meh. And you are not meh. So stuff the suiting your complexion, if it doesn't suit your Peterness, it's no good! It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that...je ne sais quoi!
Good point! I take my comment above back. :D
DeleteI'm a wear what brings out your best AND fits well. A leason I've learned rather of late. For instance, nearly every red hue looks good on (lucky) me, however if it doesn't fit well, what's the point.
ReplyDeleteI am quite lucky, as the colurs that suit me best, I love. But sometimes - I go for a colour that i just love which does nothing for me, but i love it anyway. I also say keep the beard and tash, you look great with it.
ReplyDeleteI started wearing a lot of black when I was 13 because I liked it (shocking!) and continue to wear it at an age when I probably look like a widow from the old country (not far wrong) because I still like it. I am also very fond of chartreuse, reputed to be the world's most hated color, which one should never ever wear to an interview if one hopes to obtain gainful employment. I wear it any d...... time I feel like. There is a certain very popular color (which will remain unnamed to avoid hurt feelings) but I hate it and would never wear it. Luckily, I like my "best" colors so all is not conflict. The moral of this story is: Whose life is it anyway??? BTW, there are lots of "best color" and "season color" formulas out there and they generally do not agree. Happy New Year to you and yours! Live it!
ReplyDeleteI am attracted like a magnet to colours that don't suit me. That ones that do (violet, magenta, coral, turquoise) are not colours that I feel comfortable wearing as clothes. So I use them as pops of colour in accessories. Could you get yourself a mustard duffle bag to go with your new cement bomber?
ReplyDeleteI like the color on you, but since you are the person who'll be wearing it, I vote use it as a muslin - make it how you'd do a ell finished jacket, not just a trial one used for fitting purpose only - THEN see how you like the color, whether it grows on you...
ReplyDeleteif yes, you can go for a better softer fabric in same color! If not, well, at least you gave the color a try! ;)
Look for versions of the colours you like with different undertones. It might be that cooler or warmer tones flatter you better, and you can wear the version of the shade you love that suits you! Barring that, wear it away from your face, or use it to decorate!
ReplyDeleteWhere what you like. That said you do look good in the taupe.
ReplyDeleteI wear the colours I like - which happens to be the colours that suit me the best - or so I tell myself. I'm a colour-block'er - I don't wear florals or other bold prints (note to self: make 2013 the year you start making clothes using prints). And by the way - I think those greys makes you look... and how come yellow's not your colour? I think it looks cool on you.
ReplyDeleteDo both. I'm lucky to like most of 'my' colors - but colors that I'm extremely fond of (scarlet comes to mind) that wipe me out can be worn as accessories or decorated with en masse. (I have a scarlet couch and scarlet drapes, lol).
ReplyDeleteAs for the fabric you have in hand? Use it for a muslin. Maybe after you put it together you'll find that you enjoy the color as a base for other, more exciting, combinations. It does look amazing on you. I guess you could also go with the drape and make a jedi hood?
I vote for wearing the colors you like to wear. There are some colors I love, but don't like to wear, because they don't look good on me and I know it. (I'm perfectly happy wearing not top-notchly flattering, but when you come downstairs and your own mother asks you if you're feeling ok....)
ReplyDeleteThe taupe is a great colour for you!
ReplyDeleteLook for that in a really good fabric, a tweedy wool with variations of the colour.
You do look great in that taupe, but if you won't love it, no sense spending all the time that it takes to make a jacket. BUT. I think it would look RAD with a mustardy zipper and lining... would that seduce you into making and wearing it?
ReplyDeleteDarling! Life is far too short to waste one's time frittering over color, when there are so many more important matters at hand, like: is my next martini ready? I myself wear all manner of odd/garish/hideous color combinations, when I'm not in my usual black with feathers. I say, whatever curls your toes: anything goes! Do you think Vivienne Westwood or Betsey Johnson fret about what color they're donning? Don't you want to be just as fabulous as they are?
ReplyDeleteI'm not into colour theory, but I have been expanding the amount of colour I wear for a few years (I used to be more of an 'option C' type) and I am still learning which do and don't work for me. I love mustard too, but I only use it for skirts. Close to my face, it makes me look ill. I do wear a dark shade of taupe because it flatters me and works really well with all my brightly coloured skirts.
ReplyDeleteSo, I don't think you should let colour theory rule your life but it can be helpful. And by the way, I think the taupe is flattering you.
Obi Wan (the old one), the taupe looks amazing on you. So a.) would be my answer. Pair it
ReplyDeletewith a navy shirt and you are good to go.
I'd make a wearable muslin from that since you have a big piece and it's a good color for you. If I lived in the garment district city I would find a cheap roll of some flawed ugly or damaged stuff to check fit. I have a bright yellow tee that I plan to wear at home when spring comes and let the color soften from repeated washing. It is currently too bright for my taste (don't ask why I bought it-stupid purchase) but is an expensive tee so if I have to it will have a standing date with the clorox until it gets that not new I just bought it toned down look and I can wear it out of the house. Most of those ultra bright colors will settle some after a few harsh washes.
ReplyDeleteThere must be some colors that you like that look good on you. The yellow makes you look jaundiced so really glad you gave the t shirt back or people would be asking if you were ill. The taupe does look good on you; gives you a nice, healthy look. I try to only wear colors that look good on me; I need that added glow at my age.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to do both - wear the colours that make US feel fabulous, and also wear the colours that make other people feel so wonderful just to see us in - like you with that taupe!
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to put time and effort into a color, however much I like it, that will not make me look good. Luckily, over time, I've learned to love what flatters me most, and the rest, well, you can always make a cushion! And then, some things you just must get out of your system, so if you like it, try it. By the way Peter, the unshaven look is very becoming to you :)
ReplyDeleteThe taupe is spectacular on me, I mean you. I get us mixed up because we look alike. But it's acrylic, and it was cheap. Use it for a muslin, since that's what you bought it for. But do look for a lovely wool or silk in the same colour to make something spectacular for yourself. I have in my stash some handkerchief linen that colour that I think will be a breezy summer dress this summer. No, taupe is not bold or exciting, but when it looks that good on you (and me), you don't need bold and exciting. Stunning will do.
ReplyDeleteOh, forgot to tell you, I JUST cut a length of mustardy, heavy weight silk that I've had for 22 years. Gorgeous stuff in this hideous colour that I could never wear, not even on the bottom. Now it's about to be underlining. It will never show, but will add terrific body and drape to my new coat.
DeleteThe yellow is disturbing, Peter. Jaundiced or liver failure, not sure which. PJs out of that would be fine since you love it - just don't wear them out of the house. The taupe looks great on you, but the content of the fabric makes it muslin worthy. I love colors that look best on me. My 8th grade art teacher pointed out that I only used colors in my projects that look good on me. I thought I was a fall having red hair, had my colors done by CMB and discovered I was a spring - blue eyes. I wear both palettes happily. You do look good with the facial hair.
ReplyDeleteThe yellow is disturbing, but you like it, so wear the taupe but use the yellow in a scarf, not next to your skin. Don't use the twill for a muslin, is there enough for a trench coat? looks like it would be an awesome trench coat.
ReplyDeleteI have seen that yellow complexion before — on my daughter, when she was a couple days old and a little bit jaundiced as most babies are. I think it's endearing the Michael is so dedicated to his colors. I have no idea what mine are. Perhaps I need a consultation?
ReplyDeleteI'd recommend giving yourself time to grow to love the colors you look good in. I am a recently "diagnosed" Soft Summer. At first, I hated all the dull colors. But over the past two months, I have grown to love many of them, mostly because they look so good on me and with each other. In fact, my new favorite color is taupe! I agree that maybe I am not ready to wear it all over but it looks awesome with all the other summer colors. So experiment a bit and see if you don't find yourself loving your new colors. You might find as I did that I just can't go back to the garish colors that really aren't me.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you make a coat out of the color that looks great on you, and use the color you love to line it? I just made a coat that is a practical, goes with everything grey wool, and made the lining and pockets out of hot pink! I know the pink is there and it makes me super happy to catch peeks of it when I put the coat on and when I move around in it.
ReplyDeleteI like the mustard on you! (maybe my monitor needs correcting?) Damn those colour experts. You are the one that has to wear it so I say wear what you want.
ReplyDeleteLuckily for me black looks good on me and I love the (non) colour.
That color looks terrific on you, and I would still use it for a muslin, but make best efforts for it to be a wearable muslin. Win-win. I do wear colors that aren't great against my skin as accents, skirts/pants, etc. You could wear the colors you love as shirts, but with a solid color collar that does work against your complexion, add them as piping or pockets, or make crazy-colored pants. That way, your outfit complements your coloring and also makes you smile. That's most important.
ReplyDeleteI think good taste is highly over-rated. If you are wearing a color you love and it makes you happy, you would be beaming positive ions into the world and it would be a better place. I love color, but you do make a very nice ST. Francis.
ReplyDeleteHow can anyone be happy in a color that makes them look less than fabulous?
ReplyDeleteI'm the same as you--I'm drawn to colours like orange and yellow. With the exception of a few specific shades, I do not look good in those colours. I love bright/intense colours, and am drawn to them, usually passing over the neutrals.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is something to be said for basic pieces like jackets and slacks/skirts in a good neutral besides black (which gets a leetle boring). Like black, it can be worn with nearly everything, but isn't as dull, and is easily brightened up by a bright shirt/sweater/scarf.
Also, I've seen yarn or fabrics in this colour that I blew right by, only to see someone else take the same or similar fabric and turn it into something eyecatching. They either trimmed it with black or red or navy, which really made it pop, or used design details that would get lost in something brighter or more busy.
B! Definitely B! You look great in the mustard - it's fun, the colour makes you happy and it helps portray a certain image of you. Whereas I see someone in bleargh colours, and I think they look boring. I don't stop to think - "but it matches his eyes...".
ReplyDeleteDamn! You made me re-analyze myself and my coloring. I've always been sure I was a winter who played with warm colors and (sometimes) got away with it. I love rich bright colors, and I was aware not all of them looked good on me. But the fact was - I didn't find myself in any of the classical 4 seasons. Yesterday I discovered there were 12 and even 16 seasonal coloring groups! And now I'm undecided if I'm a deep winter or a deep autumn. I wear shades of both seasons, but would like to include more flattering colors in my wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteAs a reply to your question - I'd play with options A and B, as many have said. One should look and feel great in his/her clothes.
B! I'm lucky and my most flattering colours are also ones I love to wear, but I think if your favourite happy colour doesn't suit you, why not wear it away from your face?
ReplyDeleteMustard trousers with a taupey/grey sweater? Best of both worlds!
Oh, Peter. Such disappointment! First, if you look good in it, don't ditch it. Secondly, Why not make it a "fun" shirt (various panels of different materials, similar texture, but different colors), so that it is the basic yoke/color & pocket color, or back color, with black/white or other color panels? Use those creative juices ! It won't be boring, but will still look good on you.
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