Planning the Perfect Outfit Palette

Consider your skin tone.

A good number of colors out there just aren’t for everyone. In order to determine if a color is right for you, check your skin tone.  It may give you a clue as to whether you can get away with bold colors like hot pink or lime green. It maybe frustrating but the best path for you to take is to choose colors that enhance and flatter your skin tone.

If you have pale skin, avoid wearing brown, tan or grey.  Also, avoid shades that are either too light (they may make you look sallow) or too dark (they can potentially drown you out).

For dark skinned people, stay away from dark blue, dark grey, and all other dark, potentially unflattering shades for your skin tone.

A comprehensive way of determining your skin tone and the colors that suit you is to categorize yourself as belonging to one of four types of skin tone: Winter, Summer, Autumn and Spring.

Click here for details on how to determine your skin tone

Complement the weather

While choosing your wardrobe, choose colors according to the weather conditions. The colors that we choose to wear in relation to the weather affect both our mood and physical activity.

Summers are hot so choose light and bright colors; this will keep you bright and fresh all day long.

Choose cool colors like mint green, lavender, pink, sky blue, etc. and your wardrobe will automatically compliment your natural beauty. Include lots of blue, red violet during winter. Winter means dark shades that provide you a sense of warmth. Yellow and orange in turn, go hand in hand during spring and autumn.

Photos by Idhren & Antikris under the Creative Commons License

The idea for dressing according to weather is to both compliment and contrast. Notice how during the winter and summer season, it is recommended to wear colors that oppose the actual feel that the weather evokes. Spring and autumn being the turnover seasons, fashion gurus often suggest that people wear the hues complimenting the season.

Click here for tips on how to dress according to the weather

Dress up according to your body shape

The right color combination can visually remove all your negative features, and compliment the assets – provided that you choose what suits your physique.

Photo by Lori Photography under CC by 3.0

Plump people can look slimmer by wearing certain camouflaging colors like black, violet and brown. Slimmer individuals on the other hand should choose light colors like white and pale yellow, which give them additional volume. Red, though a dark color makes people look heavier.

Right color of clothes flatter your shape. Meaning it should make your frame appear balanced, leaving no portion wider or chunkier than the other, as well as producing a contoured waistline.

Be guided by the occasion.

Your instincts would tell you that you can’t wear your assaulting fuschia pink mini dress or your super tight denim jeans and tank top during a wedding, in the same way that you can’t wear your stiff, black corporate dress during that Saturday night out with your friends.

Formal wears come only in selected colors. For instance in the office, where uniformity and formality are needed, you should avoid loud and flashy colors like deep red, ostentatious orange, fluorescent colors, bright yellow and the likes.  The same rule goes (and must be enforced) during interviews and other business occasions. Formal shades like dark blue, black and grey should be worn less at festivals and private functions where going over the top is the item.

Feel free to wear the best color combinations during casual events, as long as the brightness or muteness of the shade is synonymous to the occasion (go bright during parties, go platinum when clubbing).

Click here for tips on what to wear at work

Lastly, know that there’s no science or rule book that sets the bar for the perfect way in dressing ourselves.  There are only accepted norms that people embraced over the course of time.  And although it would beneficial for you to go with the trends, always remember to plan your palette according to your comfort, and your instincts on what’s right and what’s not.