Are You a Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall?

bobbi brown smokey nudes palette

By Gabrielle. Eyeshadow palette by Bobbi Brown.

When I mentioned I had an appointment to go blonde tomorrow, there were a few comments that talked about certain hair colors not fitting the coloring of certain people. Those comments totally put me on the path down memory lane! When I was in middle school and high school, I think I went to a dozen different parties where a make-up specialist or fashion stylist would determine whether we were a winter, a spring, a summer or a fall. Then, once we knew what season we were, we would then be told what colors we could wear, and which we should avoid. I usually ended up as a winter, and I remember that basically no season seemed to be allowed to wear yellow. Hah!

Did any one else do this? I assume it was happening across the country, but maybe it was just in my home town. (My town was very Mormon and very white, so many this was a Mormon thing? Or a white people thing?)

I haven’t thought about what “season” I am for maybe 15 years or more. And the realization made me wonder: how many of us avoid wearing certain colors because we were told at some point they didn’t look good on us?

That seems like such a silly thing to me now! I would say the cut and fit of clothing can make a much bigger difference in how we look in certain pieces than the color. And I would also say that colors come and go with trends, and whatever color is trendy magically seems to look good on the general populace. Over the years, I think I’ve worn every kind of color. If I decide I don’t like how I look in one item or another, it’s more likely to be because I don’t like the style, not because I think the color “doesn’t work for me”.

Beyond clothing, I would say makeup trends have completely changed as well. I remember at around age 13, being told that only blue-eyed people could wear blue eyeshadow successfully. But these days, I can’t imagine anyone giving that sort of restrictive beauty advice! I feel like over the last decade, I’ve seen every color of eyeshadow worn gorgeously on every color of person. And there are lots of articles like this one that share makeup colors that look good on all skin tones. Which of course, makes me conclude all the color advice from my youth was totally bizarre, or, that we’ve redefined what we think is beautiful.

The “coloring rules” for hair have also changed. The categories used to be black, brunette, red, and blonde, but now people sport hair color in every shade of the rainbow. Or, someone might have dyed blonde hair, but intentionally keep dark roots as a contrast to the blonde — meaning, she’s not trying to pretend she’s naturally blonde. Consider someone with blue hair. The whole idea of certain skin tones looking better or worse with blue hair seems odd to me. Who gets to say who looks good in blue hair? If the person with the blue hair likes the look, isn’t that enough?

Anyway, this is for sure on my mind because of my hair plans. Will I like how blonde hair looks on me? Will my skin look different? Will my eyebrows seem unusually dark? At first those seem like normal questions to me, but then they suddenly feel weird. Because among the billions of people on the earth, there is most certainly someone out there that has skin and eyes and eyebrows that match mine, and hair that is naturally the color I will end up tomorrow. And if I saw that person, would I think: geez, that hair color doesn’t look good with her coloring, or, she sure needs to lighten her eyebrows. Well, of course not. None of us would. Having never seen her any other way, we wouldn’t know the difference.

Related, if my hair was its current natural color, it would be almost completely silver — which is very different than the dark brown hair color I grew up with. Does that mean my coloring has changed to match the silver and I don’t know it? Or is my coloring the same, and the whole idea of hair color and skin color relating somehow totally wrong? Same for Ben Blair, he had very red hair when we married, but it has faded to a light brown. He was told not to wear red as a redhead, but I’ve always like him in red. So many questions!

That was long and rambling, and frankly, I don’t even know what my conclusions are. But I’d love to hear what your take on “seasons” is, and what you think of having hair that “looks good with your coloring”. Do you feel like there are certain colors you look best in? Were you ever told you didn’t look good in a certain color? Or maybe you feel very different than me. Have you had good luck following color advice you heard at some point? I’d love to hear!

65 thoughts on “Are You a Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall?”

  1. I did those “season” parties growing up, too. My mom was totally into it and I’m pretty sure she still sticks to her “winter” colors after all these years! I grew up in the Bay Area in a not Mormon town so maybe it was a rage all over the country? I’ll be curious to see what others say in the comments.

    I agree with you about hair color (mine has faded over the years from white blond when I graduated from high school to light brown now after two children), but I do feel like clothing color is a different story. I don’t think I stick to my “season” colors (I think maybe I was a summer? I can’t remember clearly) but I do definitely feel better and think I look much better wearing certain colors than others. And I for sure still avoid yellow! :-)

  2. I met with a personal color consultant this spring, and it was one of the best beauty things I’ve ever done for myself. She compared swatches of the four different color seasons with my skin, hair and eyes: Autumn: warm and muted; Winter: cool and vibrant; Spring: warm and bright; and Summer (me): hazy, muted colors. I liked the systematic approach, and could really see how various colors affected my look. I look awful in Autumn, which was about 75% of my wardrobe. Limiting my color palette to one season has helped so much with shopping and putting outfits together. My consultation included make-up, which was the so helpful to me! She blended a custom foundation for me and showed me which colors from my summer palette worked best. I have received so many complements that my clothes and make-up really make me shine.

    I think colors, along with fit, really do wonders for having a confident and complete look. It’s all about figuring out what works best for you, not necessarily what’s trendy.

  3. Not a “mormon thing”. I remember doing the same thing at various parties sponsored by a Mary Kay rep and an Amway rep, respectively. Both international companies. And somewhere around my house, I still have the little “color swatch” book that the company produced too. As a young adult just starting out in the world, it was a fun party concept – LOL!

    While it hasn’t been something I’ve thought about much since, I do think it has informed some of my taste and choices over the years. For me, I found it interesting that it validated a lot of the color choices I was naturally drawn too and perceived as flattering. It also got me to branch out and try a few different colors too — which was awesome. But, here … XX years later… I’m still wearing those favorite colors that I originally started with.

  4. I am all of those because I’ me ;) . No really : I had a collegue who did a course to find out what type she was and since then she dresses very boring…

  5. I remember doing that! My girl scout troop went to a beauty school (I know there’s a more polite name than “beauty school” but it escapes me at the moment….) and I was so excited when I was told I was a winter! That has always been my favorite season. Worth noting: this happened in Vermont. So there were definitely a lot of white people involved. Ha.

  6. The seasons color party was big in Massachusetts too! I was a little too young to really participate, but I remember it and thinking it was very cool. My mom definitely was into it–she was a Fall (fair skin with red hair and green eyes), and I think I was a winter (olive-y skin with dark brown hair and eyes). I vaguely remember thinking I was lucky because Winters could wear almost any color–way more than the other seasons.

    While I definitely don’t still think there are colors people shouldn’t wear, I do believe there are certain colors I look better in than others. But if I like the style of something, the color doesn’t change my mind.

    I’m so curious to see your new blonde look! I love big changes like that–so much fun!

  7. I don’t know what season I am, but I do know that I cannot wear yellow in any shade, regardless of fit. My olive complexion does not allow it…even in 2009 when Pantone picked a yellow shade as its color of the year. I can’t do it. It makes me look sickly.

      1. This made me laugh because when I first saw the 2015 colour of the year, it must’ve been a screen with poor colour calibration – I HATED it! Having had a second look, I think it would be nice, and flattering, on clothing but it reminds me too much of 90s mediterranean villas for an interior design colour :0

        On the season note, nowadays I deliberately try not to discard any options purely based on colour, after I was totally surprised by … mustard! I’m fairly pale and assumed that a yellow colour would make me look ill, but I ended up buying a jumper when the shade was really hot, maybe back in 2011/2? Well not to blow my own trumpet, but it turns out I look great in mustard! Besides, even if a colour is ‘unflattering’, this can almost always be offset with the right foundation/bronzer.

        That said, if I’m in a rush or ordering online (no chance to try it on) I tend to gravitate towards my ‘safe’ options – bright and deep colours like forest/emerald green.

  8. Oh I totally buy into the color idea…you can’t really change undertones in your skin, even with aging. I think that’s the big determiner of whether certain shades flatter you or not. Of course anyone can wear any color of clothing and can do any hair color they like, but I do think there’s an ideal shade that is *most* flattering.

    This book was super helpful to helping me figure out what to look for in wardrobe pieces … and it’s made clothes shopping so much easier:

    http://www.amazon.com/Its-Fitting-Fashion-Your-Life/dp/1890626678

    p.s. I’m a “natural-ish” blonde with dark eyebrows.

  9. My mom was a color specialist and would help people decide their “season”. She had a whole kit of color swatches and makeup. We lived in Southern California so I’m not sure if it was a Mormon or white thing. But I remember her doing her thing at young women’s and I remember loving looking through her box of colors. I’ve always struggled with makeup because I have brown eyes and brown hair And I always feel very bland. But I’m also not very adventurous. I wear neutral makeup and stick with a pretty neutral wardrobe. I’ve inly dyed my hair once and it was a disaster so I had to pay lots of money to have it dyed back to my natural color.

  10. I’ve never been to a “season” party, as we were not living in North America at the time, but over the years I have come to my own understanding of what works for me. Beyond colours that work with my skin tone, eyes and hair colour, there are also colours that I plain and simple feel great in, and colours that drain me emotionally. While bright colours make others happy, I feel exhausted by their vibrancy. I feel that my personality is overpowered by the colour of my clothing and I loose myself behind the outfit. I’m not sure if others ever feel this way, but this is very true for me.

    Also, in an effort to minimize and streamline my closet, I’ve chosen to keep to my colours in effort to ensure I can pair anything in my wardrobe together for maximum versatility. A “capsule” or “uniform” look might be boring sometimes, but it give me opportunity to invest in pieces and ignore momentary trends.

    I also think that feelings on colours and fits change as we pass through seasons of our lives. I can say with certainty I do not dress today the way I dressed even 5 years go. Pregnancy and children have changed what my expectations are from my wardrobe and the types of clothes I need to get me through my busy days.

  11. I have brown hair and kind of a ruddy olivey complexion. I think I’m an “autumn” as far as seasons go. I wore a platinum blonde wig at halloween and was shocked at how not good I looked! I was with you in the anyone can do anything group, but after seeing myself as a blonde, I kind of changed my mind!

    1. Your comment reminds me of some advice I once heard regarding hats. So many people feel like they look awful in hats (I’ve felt that way lots of times), but that’s kind of a new idea. A hundred years ago, no one left the house without wearing a hat. So the advice I was given is that I don’t necessarily look “bad” in hats, I’m just not used to seeing myself in a hat.

      I wonder how much that same idea plays into changing hair color. I’m very curious to see if I hate my new color and am dying to dye it back! Or if it’s a matter of getting used to seeing myself in a new way.

  12. I’m an autumn, and I’m really glad my mom’s godmother (from Chicago) insisted that I have my colors done. Not that I stick to them but it does help when I have a choice of colors in a store to know that the blue-y pink is not going to do anything for me and the golden yellow will look fab. I was told to avoid purple (because of the blue undertones) but I still wear it often. When I got my colors done, she put fabric in the colors she was talking about right next to my face a flipped through them so I could really see the difference with my skin. It’s a tool, I think. I have an aunt who colored her hair dark for years because she was silver at 24. A few years ago she decided to rock her white hair, which looks fabulous in my opinion, but noticed that she had to change up her makeup and clothing colors to suit the “new” color even though her skin hadn’t changed. I think this is true of everyone who changes their hair color and I imagine you’ll find the same. I do agree, however, that as long as you love it, who cares what anyone else thinks! Confidence is the best beauty booster anyway.

  13. My coloring is very similar to Naomi Watts or Grace Kelley. I have been told I’m cool, or a summer, my entire life. I look great in blues, turquoise, red, and white. The color I get a ton of compliments in is yellow. I shouldn’t look good in it, but I do. I believe that everyone can wear almost any color, with the right makeup. Of course, I have been told my entire life (with vitriol) that I am too pale. I have been shocked by some of the nasty comments about blonde hair. “Does the world really need more blondes?” Can you imagine anyone saying that about brunettes? We blondes are 2% of the adult population in the world, people! The overwhelming amount of hair color sold is brown! So, the short answer is yes! We need more blondes!

  14. Oh my gosh, Color Me Beautiful! My mom and aunts, to this very day, will not stray from their seasonal palettes in hair, makeup or clothing. My one aunt is so hardcore that she wouldn’t even let her daughter wear gifted clothing that was the “wrong” color. I’m supposedly a “summer” and not supposed to wear black, but I do it all the time. I think it’s all about what you feel good in. Have fun being a blonde!

  15. Interesting read. I am a winter as well. My celeb look-alike is Ann Hathaway. Same skin tones, hair color, basic face-shape, etc. I’ve noticed that if I wear anything in the autumn colors I look ill.
    I’ve looked into this program, http://dressingyourtruth.com/about/carol-tuttle/ and it is pretty interesting. It matches who you are with your outside so that your truest self shows through. I’m a type 4 in the program. The best thing about this program is that my dad has stopped (yes, I’m 35 and my dad loves to shop for me) buying me type 2 (greyed down, frilly, lacy, super feminine) clothing that I could never stand to wear.
    Although I like her program I find that I don’t like being labeled. I don’t like that I’m “supposed” to act, dress, look a certain way to fit in her Typing system. My mom did it with me and is also a type 4. She’s a high school teacher and she embraced the system. She looks 10 years younger since she started following the color/style system.
    Wow, if you’re still with me that was a lot of rambling to read.

  16. Jihan’s hair is very striking–especially because of the dark base or roots. It’s complex because she had to dye her under layer brunette and then go platinum on the top. (Then touch up the roots as they grow in.) At my age, I’ve had to consider that balance. All-over silver or light doesn’t work for me.

    No matter what you do, it will be fun!!

  17. I tend to fall in the middle on this one. I don’t buy into the winter, spring, summer, fall limitations. However, I KNOW that skin tone definitely makes a difference in what looks good on me–especially where makeup and hair are concerned. How many people have colored hair that just doesn’t look quite right on them? SO many. I think the color tone really makes a difference there! Good luck, Gabrielle! :)

  18. Haha. I for sure look bad in certain colors. I’m not drawn to them generally, but once I had a really cute mustard coat (when it was an IT color) but it made me feel…mismatched whenever I wore it so I gave it away!

  19. My mom is very into the “season” coloring theory. She is always saying that I can wear jewel tones, and my sister looks better in earth tones. I like wearing all colors, so whatever! Another blogger that I read (Naomi on Love Taza) dyed her hair platinum blond earlier this year/last year. As a reader, it was almost shocking to surprising every time I looked at her blog because she looked like such a different person. I was kind of glad when she went back to brunette because she seemed like… herself again (to a casual reader at least). The blond didn’t seem to “go” with her features. Just my opinion. Other readers seemed to love it. I have dark brown hair that I recently had to start coloring due to all the grey that has crept in over the years, and I’ll keep it dark for as long as I can. I was born with this color and I love it!

  20. I’m chuckling a bit at the Dressing Your Truth link another commenter just shared…I heard about her system a few months ago and was immediately skeptical. It seemed exactly like those quizzes from Seventeen magazine, but for grown-ass women. I’m happy if others find the program helpful, but I agree it seems adult to limit yourself to one certain “type”, or “season”. And at least for the Carol Tuttle program, all the supposedly super-different types seemed basically the same to me…very subtle differences at most. All very conservative. As for the seasons…I am half Polynesian and so darker-complected myself, and seasons always seemed like a white person thing…I mean honestly, imagine trying to assign someone like Lupita Ny’ongo a “season”. It sounds ridiculous. She’s gorgeous, she can wear whatever color she wants, and she looks good in everything bc she’s confident and she always chooses a great cut and great makeup to complement it. Any white person who follows similar guidelines can do the same.

    1. Truth: “She’s gorgeous, she can wear whatever color she wants, and she looks good in everything bc she’s confident and she always chooses a great cut and great makeup to complement it.”

      Lupita Ny’ongo is stunning.

    2. I was going to also use Lupita Ny’ongo as an example of a beautiful woman who can wear colors including yellow and orange that look horrible on my paler skin. I’m pretty sure I’m a winter and I feel much better wearing various shades of blue, green and red than earth tones or pastels.

  21. I’ve found Bobbi Brown’s books to be most helpful. I like a natural makeup look.
    http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/products/2310/Learn/Books/Books/index.tmpl

    I still don’t really wear yellows or greens because they made me look sickly as a child, and I think just weirdly washed out as an adult. My hair color is a brown, but I’ve been highlighting it for a long time to lighter shades of blondes and I suppose I’ve just gotten used to how that looks on me.

    I did start coloring my eyebrows, once at a salon, but that was just for fun, I wouldn’t want to spend the money for regular upkeep, so now I use a pencil and it took me a little time to get used to how it looks.

  22. I read the book Color Me Beautiful when I was growing up. I believe this was the book behind the movement to “have your colors done.” My best guess was that I was a winter. And over the years, I have found that I truly look best in most of those colors, but there are some from other seasons that look okay on me. Also, I have found that I can wear yellow if its a buttery yellow, but not lemon or mustard. Now, I wear almost any color I want, but I do find that some colors that would have been regarded from other seasons make me look sallow or washed out. I think it’s best if each person just checks colors against their face in natural light to see which ones flatter.
    My daughter who is 25 and has similar coloring to me with dark hair,brown eyes, and a pale complexion, is currently trying to sport blonde hair with tan skin. Sadly, this does not look good on her, but for some reason she can’t see it. Currently, her hair and skin are the same color and there is no contrast! A year ago, she tried bright red and that didn’t work either. I can’t help but wonder if her trying all these different hair colors is due to not feeling beautiful, lacking self-confidence, and/or not being happy in general. I am only hoping that some day she will feel happy with herself just as she is!

  23. Oooh, what fun! Can’t wait to see your blonde look. I always thought I was a winter because I love wearing black and red, but few years back a family friend did my colors and I am a “Resplendent Summer”. I just love that I get to describe myself as Resplendent, so dramatic! I still wear black and red, but I mix in browns and secondary colors to my wardrobe now. If anything, it gave me courage to add color. I do agree with most here that you should just wear what you like and feel good in!

  24. I think your hair and skin color definitely effect what colors look best on you. My sister has a similar look to you – fair skin and dark brown hair. She can wear pretty much whatever color she wants because it will contrast with either her skin or hair. I am guessing that is why you assume everyone can look good in every color.

    I have tan skin and light red hair. I look terrible in light brown, nude and all yellows. I think its because it turns me into a tan blob! All the same color :)

    1. I guess I don’t feel strongly about needing to see contrast. If I see a dark-skinned, black-haired person wearing black, or light-skinned, white-blonde person wearing white, I’m good with that. Though I’m not opposed to contrast, either — some of the most stunning runway moments I’ve seen are black models wearing white dresses.

      But perhaps you’re right — maybe my non-issue with contrast is because I’ve had contrast built in my whole life. That seems reasonable.

      1. It’s not always about contrast. For Winters, contrast is key … just like the season (e.g. white snow against tree branches). The beauty is in the contrast. But for a Summer, colors should be muted so they don’t overwhelm. The goal is harmony. It’s different for each person.

        It’s a subject that is really fascinating. I’ve found this YouTube video to be really helpful along with a number of fashion blogs and my consultation:
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frjw4SX1S-4

  25. Oh! I remember there was some dialogue in one of the Bridget Jones’ books and/or movies pertaining to Bridget’s appropriate colour season. So it must be an international concept!

  26. Having dyed my hair since the age of 14 every color under the sun, I can tell you that yes certain colors work better then others, but at the end of the day its about personal preference.

    I loved being platinum blonde with dark eyebrows
    http://instagram.com/p/ngwZu5TEVf/?modal=true

    And I’ve also loved have dark ash brown hair. While I’ve definitely embraced that I look better in cool tones, that hasn’t stopped me from having crazy pink hair that glowed under a black light in high school.
    http://instagram.com/p/mWXC8-TEZe/?modal=true

  27. Oh, I remember doing the colors thing in a junior high church group growing up in Iowa! We’re not Mormon, either; just a bunch of white, small-town Midwesterners. Because my hair is strawberry-blonde, I automatically fall into the autumn category, but I don’t completely buy into it. Sure, I look good in green, but guess what? Some shades of blue look good on me even though I have red hair and hazel eyes, and peach looks kind of gross with my hair. And don’t even try to tell me I can’t wear black!

    Despite liking my natural strawberry blonde hair color, I do sometimes dye it a coppery red or a deeper auburn just for a change, and I’ve noticed that I need to change my every-day makeup slightly when I do. I think that what you do with your makeup can be key for success with a new hair color. I’m an opera singer, so I’ve worn wigs of many different colors on stage (from platinum blonde to jet black), and the right makeup really makes all the difference.

    Honestly, I think makeup can make the difference when it comes to wearing different colors of clothing, too. Remember when Michelle Williams wore that gorgeous goldenrod Nina Garcia dress at the Oscars in 2006? I can’t imagine the look being as successful without that fantastic red lip color!

  28. I used to think the whole “season” thing was a bunch of voodoo witch-doctor crap until a friend of mine asked me to accompany her to have an assessment done. What I saw, TOTALLY changed my mind!! While the consultant held up different swatches of fabric, it was obvious which colors looked good, and which ones made her look washed out. I was so convinced, that I went in and had mine done. It is the best investment I have ever made!! I am a winter, and when I wear my colors and follow the rules, I look and feel fabulous and get tons of compliments. It has saved me lots of time and money from a shopping stand point. I no longer waste $ on colors that are not flattering with my skin tone. I do, however, think that you have to go to someone who knows what they are doing!! I think that many people have been mislabeled or assigned a season based on hair and eye color. The undertone of your skin determines your season and that never changes. If you were born a winter, you will ALWAYS be a winter, no matter what color you decide to color your hair!! I am a believer!!

  29. Pingback: Are You a Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall? | The Tressle Blog | The Official Blog for Tressle.com

  30. Color me beautiful! All the rage in the early-mid 80’s. I’m a Winter and I basically agree with the concept, but the whole point of fashion has moved more toward anything goes over the last decade or so, thank goodness! I only colored my hair during a very brief goth period but I have watched my mother, who had very dark hair when she was young, color her hair as she’s aged. It’s true that after 60 or so she looked strange with dark hair, unnatural. She’s now a very light brown almost blond mix and it’s flattering. So our coloring does change as we age. I can’t wait to see your blond locks! I’m wondering if your dress sense will change with your hair color? Will you wear more graphic, stark, and modern clothes? Go really minimal? Can’t wait to see how it goes!

  31. I totally believe in the color-type-thing!
    But maybe only because it works wonders for me. I have olive skin but look strangely often very washed out in the face.
    When I was still in school, I was sometimes greeted by my schoolmates with: “Will you please go back to bed and get some sleep!” After a good night rest. That’s how washed out I can look.
    Since I pay attention to the colors that suit me, I look so much fresher and healthier. I don’t think it is so much about what other people are telling you what looks good on you, but taking a few hints and working out the rest yourself. Anybody can hold up a shirt and see what the color does to your complexion. Maybe there are people with a very healthy complexion and they can wear anything. Who knows.
    My friend once explained it this way: “It’s the difference between people telling you either how amazing your clothes look or how amazing you look.”

    (Because of your silver hair: It probably changes some part of the color palette that makes you shine. And because of the blonde: There is cold and warm blonde and if you are a winter, cold might look better. There you go. I sound like a total nerd. :-)

  32. I remember one of my aunts sitting all the girl cousins down and doing this with us when I was in the 2nd grade. My family is Canadian, but we lived in Nashville, TN at the time, so I really don’t think it is because you are Mormon or based on where you lived. I was considered a summer :)

  33. I think it sprang from a book called “Color Me Beautiful.” My mother-in-law was completely into it, and as a newlywed (in New York) I felt compelled to follow her lead and wear only the “summer” clothes that she had deemed correct for me. Many years later I still gravitate toward those cooler hued colors, but I certainly love to wear a variety of colors depending on the season and my mood. My wonderful mother-in-law passed away many years ago, but I’m sure she would still be wearing her “spring” tones — vibrant coral was her favorite. And she would be horrified to see that black is the predominant color in my closet. (She was a firm believer that “women of a certain age” should NOT wear black.)

  34. I just think it’s awesome that you’re willing to take a risk and do something different! I have a friend who recently had a blue ombré efect done on her hair and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. ( She has 3 kids and they go to a somewhat conservative private school). Have fun with your blonde and if you don’t like it, you can go back to your gorgeous brunette!

  35. Love this post, Gabby. I’m Mormon and grew up in Virginia and never had that experience. But I am Chinese, so maybe it’s a White thing after all. I mean, you can’t really divide a demographic entirely made up of black hair and brown eyes into seasons, right? :)

    Looking forward to your hair change!

  36. I’m in New Zealand and it was huge here too – not parties but the book. I remember my grandmother had it and we used to pore over it together.

  37. ive been coloring my hair (brown) since college to cover the grey. Two years ago, I decided to stop coloring my hair and be grey. I wasn’t quite 40, and sick of sitting in the chair every 3-4 weeks. I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO WITH MY TIME.
    Now that it’s all grown out and getting longer, I love it. I’ve had to adjust my wardrobe away from neutrals and towards lots of color.

  38. Cracking up – I LOVE this post. Yes, we had someone’s mom come to a birthday party (and then later to our home ec class at school) to “do our colors”. Now it seems so antiquated!

  39. Definitely there is something to say for getting your ‘colours’ done. I have never had it done professionally, you can do it yourself, look it up online. There are some colours when I wear them (royal blue or purple or teal) that I always get complimented on, even if it is a basic t-shirt I am wearing! I don’t think it should limit what colours you wear, in fact I found it broadened me out. Colours I would have been too afraid to try, I gave a go. And that’s not to say that because ‘yellow’ is not your colour, you can never wear it. You might find a shade that looks really good on you. I have found that knowing my ‘colours’ has meant that I buy a lot more stuff online now, knowing what suits me and what I will look terrible in.

  40. I totally remembering doing the color thing when I was younger! I grew up in Atlantic Canada and I’m not a Mormon, but I am white. :) Although, seeing as it was Canada, it was colour. :) My mom had her “colors done” at a party, and then when I was older she took me to get my colors done at a store in the mall where that was pretty much all they did. It was even called Colours. I think they also sold make up and other beauty products.

    I like the idea of knowing what looks good on you, because it is true that based on your skin tone and hair, some colors will look better on you than others. There was a marked difference in the way my mom looked when she started wearing colors that were better suited to her skin tone. It was like she glowed or something. It was crazy. And like someone else said, there are certain colors that when I wear them, people compliment me on how good I look. Really, finding your “colors” is something anyone can do on their own. You just hold different colors up to your face and see which ones make your skin look great, and which ones wash you out.

    It is silly to stay away from something you love just because you think it won’t work on you. Try it and see! You never know. The no red on redheads thing has always bugged me too. I know several redheads who were told they couldn’t wear red when it actually looks fabulous on them!

    And the whole hair going with skin tone is interesting to me too. I’ve actually heard a hairstylist on a makeover show say a person’s natural hair color did not go with their skin tone. Crazy. I can’t wait to see you as a blonde!

  41. Gabby, you have naturally silver hair? I’m so jealous! I admire women I meet who have all white or all silver hair, and in high school, eleven years ago, I was very close to dying my hair silver and cutting in really short. I’m glad I didn’t because I love my hair, but I hope that my hair turns silver with age. And if it doesn’t, well, then, maybe I’ll dye it then.

    But clearly you don’t like the whole silver look because you dye it. It’s funny– I began reading you when you had brown hair, and seeing you in photos with black hair makes me think you look strange somehow. I’ll probably think the same thing when I see you with blonde, too.That’s an unrealistic feeling that has absolutely no sense to it, but it’s still my gut reaction when I see you with something other than brown hair. Weird, weird, weird.

  42. I’m 31 which means I was born at the height of the Color Me Beautiful wave and my mom definitely talked about it. As a teen I found the book in the library and really latched onto it. Yes the photos and clothes were dated, but the information was highly useful. What a great tool! I determined pretty easily that I was an Autumn (nowadays they break down the seasons into sub-seasons for finer tuning, but I never got on board with that) and since then I always go for warm colors, both muted and vibrant but never clear. I get a lot of compliments on my color choices and color is definitely a deal breaker for me when it comes to shopping. If the garment isn’t right next to my face I’ll be less concerned about whether it’s my very best shades, but still keep to an autumn palette most of the time. Flipping through racks goes a lot faster, my wardrobe is easy to mix and match, and I know I’m wearing things that flatter me. I think a person can wear most colors just as long as the undertone is right – to use the redhead example, they usually look great in tomato or fire reds, and for me I wear lots of purple but it’s a dusty browned purple and not a royal purple.

  43. I’m going to guess no one in your “very white” could wear yellow because the only people it REALLY looks good on are those with very dark brown skin. Maybe others, too, but I always think it’s particularly stunning on dark skin.

    I avoid white because I feel it washes me out (my skin is medium). I think I must be a summer or autumn. Now I want to get my colors done! When I was little in the early 80s it seemed like a glamorous think to do.

  44. Hi, Gabrielle. Best of luck with your haircolor venture. I have been many shades over the years, but finally settled on red 20 years ago, and swear it will be that color until my end!

  45. Pingback: Color Challenge: Blue and Silver #colorchallenge #blueandsilver | Zizzling Zazzle - Home of stine1 on Zazzle and beyond

  46. Hah! I was in Middle School (Richmond, Virginia) when this became popular. My mother would never allow me to wear black until we had our colors done and learned that we were winters, it was the dawning of my brooding artist stage!

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