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How to make winter colours look expensive?

63 replies

MrsMarcus · 25/01/2013 15:45

Ok, so got my colours done by HOC and turns out I?m a winter. A bit of a surprise as I?m blonde with blue eyes so not exactly your classic raven haired winter a la Liv Tyler.

My difficulty is that after years of cultivating my very boring but safe look of ?classic elegance? (think cream tops with blue/khaki trousers, brown loafers, tan accessories, camel coats, understated gold jewellery etc) I?m at a loss at how to achieve the same expensive look with the bright winter colours. My best colours as per HOC are brilliant white, charcoal gray but also very bright magenta and emerald green. The consultant said my jewellery should be sparkly silver coloured and shoes, bags etc black rather than brown.

How do I make the bright winter colours look expensive and classic without it costing the earth? I have allocated a small budget for my make over but still can?t afford actual expensive so will have to be a little bit creative. My main problem is black leather for shoes and bags which to me always tends to look cheaper than brown leather (though maybe I?m just a bit stuck in my ways?). I?m very comfortable with my ?style? so it?s just the colours that I need to change somehow but don?t know how, I don?t want to end up looking trashy/cheap/blingy.

Any winters out there who can help me? Any celeb examples I could use as inspiration?

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fuckadoodlepoopoo · 25/01/2013 16:33

Did you agree with her? I've heard that they drape fabric over you so you can see how it lifts your complexion etc. Is that true and could you see the difference?

I just ask because a friend of mine had it done and the woman got it wrong! She said she thought she looked awful with the colours but didn't want to say anything as the woman was supposed to be the expert. Luckily the woman noticed before the end of the session.

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libertychick · 25/01/2013 16:55

I am wondering if she got it wrong as well? There are some HoC people on here so maybe they will come along and help. But from what I gather most of us instinctively know what suits us so I find it hard to believe you have got it completely wrong for years especially as you sound like someone who thinks about her style.

Also, the colour and style you describe looks expensive on someone it suits - I look tired and drained in cream and camel - and I think brown clothes look 'cheap' but it's because they don't suit me. I agree that brown leather can look very classy but I think black leather often looks more youthful - but again it's probably down to what really suits you.

Could you give her a call and explain how you feel?

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libertychick · 25/01/2013 16:57

Oh and I look completely 'blingy' in gold so I find it hilarious that you worry about looking 'blingy' in lovely, chic, understated, classy silver Grin

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fuckadoodlepoopoo · 25/01/2013 17:26

I look bling in gold too but perhaps its just a preference.

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StephaniePowers · 25/01/2013 17:31

It's so subjective, isn't it? It's hard to make magenta look expensive, but emerald is a great colour (v favourite Fortuny dress in that shade for example).

Camel and gold to me speaks of women of a certain age who are married to underworld criminals of a certain calibre Grin

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PandaG · 25/01/2013 17:34

agree with a PP - the right colours on you will look so much more expensive than the wrong ones. Buy tops and scarves in the right colours first, and then bottoms as you can afford to. Is more important to get colours near your face right.

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PandaG · 25/01/2013 17:37

all my jewellery was gold before I had my colours done - my parents bought me gold as a teen and for significant birthdays since. I've since bought silver bits, which yes do cost less, but do look better on me. I would like a platinum eternity ring though!

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MrsMarcus · 25/01/2013 18:22

I think I did agree with the woman as I could see how the brilliant white, for example, made my complexion appear brighter. It's just that being blue eyed blonde I have always thought dark and very bright colours drown my (non-existent) natural colouring and have tended to stick to more muted colours (which the lady said I should avoid as a winter...) and quite simple, classic styles.

Re jewellery - I tend to wear very little (small studs in ears, maybe a thin bracelet and wedding/engagement ring) so not blingy gold gangsta style (your comments made me giggle, imagining myself draped in thick gold chains...)! The sparkly thing the woman said just scared me, as did her comment that diamonds would work very well as all I could see in my head was some glamour girl with huge diamonds (not that I/DH could afford them...).

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LaurieFairyCake · 25/01/2013 19:05

Have a look at //www.meandem.co.uk for sale dresses in lovely charcoal colours

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QueenCadbury · 25/01/2013 19:07
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QueenCadbury · 25/01/2013 19:07
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fuckadoodlepoopoo · 26/01/2013 12:08

Does anyone know of a website where i can work out my colours without having to buy a book or visit a consultant?

I thought i was a winter but one website i just looked at said that winters have naturally black hair. Mine is dark brown. Im not sure i believe that really.

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AmberNectarine · 26/01/2013 12:19

That is cods wallop. I'm a Winter with dark brown hair. It's really in the skin tone anyway, not the hair colour. I think it's difficult to do yourself without a consultant analysing you - especially if you are between the spectrums.

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DonaAna · 26/01/2013 12:42

I fail to understand why Winter colors wouldn't look expensive. Most high fashion - just check couture lineups - feature winter colors.
Winter because those strong and pure high contrast colors make the strongest visual impact. Classic YSL are all about winter. And yes, he paired magenta with red and no, it never looked cheap.

In my opinion, poor materials make an item look cheap. Wear a lot of viscose and polyester and acrylic, and you'll look the part. I've spent a lot of time among extremely privileged people, and what makes them look well cared for and polished is 1) that they buy the highest quality raw materials and 2) have them maintained to a very high standard (by using a lot of dry cleaning or employing people who carefully and frequently launder and iron their clothes).

In my experience, people who have both the financial means and good taste tend to go for simple and quite streamlined cuts. They have clothes tailored or altered to fit. My DH has most of his work clothes custom-made for him and it makes a huge difference.

So, in sum, wear your palette, but figure out how to 1) keep you clothes pristine (an iron or steamer or a good dry cleaner will help) 2) have a look at charity shops, consignment shops and dress agencies in good areas - that's where the good barely warn raw materials are to be had at bargain prices 3) purchase classic items whenever you can (the book The One Hundred by Nina Garcia is a great reference for anyone interested in great classics - you can them find many of the items mentioned on eBay) 4) avoid relying on fast fashion.

I think Coco Chanel said that a woman needs just three outfits. In a way, I agree. Much smarter to buy a few items in the best quality you can (again, I stress, that can often be found via the charity/consignment route) than a full wardrobe of poly-blend tat. You can also make some judicious purchases at Cos and Zara to keep your look up to date - they often have simple and streamlined pieces that can look quite refined if the materials are right.

And it might be just me, but to me yellow gold looks... passé, tired, too blingy. What's wrong with steel, silver, white gold, platinum and ruthenium?

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AmberNectarine · 26/01/2013 13:12

Yep what Dona says is exactly it. Natural fibres are key. I will only buy natural fibres unless I really can't avoid it. Also any colour can look classy worn by the right person. In khaki sludge shades I would look half dead and dishevelled, in jewel tones I look vibrant. Agree silver classier than gold.

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MadAboutHotChoc · 26/01/2013 13:21

I think black can look cheap on the wrong season - Springs and Autumns especially but look very classy on winters and also that gold looks cheap on winters and summers.

You could try wearing neutrals - black, dove grey, silver, indigo, navy, charcoal and white and then add a bit of colour (nails, scarves, shoes, cardigans etc).

You can wear navy and indigo - dark navy blues can look great on winters.

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fuckadoodlepoopoo · 26/01/2013 14:16

Can anyone work out from this what season Im likely to be?

I have pale pink toned skin. (brown hair and eyes if that's relevant)

I've figured out over the years that bright blues and pinks suit me. Grey looks ok, as does creams and whites (have never been able to figure out which looks best on me), pale blue is also fine as is navy, beige is passable, turquoise is good.

Khaki looks awful on me and black drains my colour. Red not so great (but perhaps I've been trying the wrong sort?), lime green looks awful, purple makes me look weird. Don't think orange is good either.

Any idea?

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MadAboutHotChoc · 26/01/2013 15:14

Its hard to tell - I would have a HoC consultation, best money I've ever spent as it means no more shopping mistakes (and that includes hair & make up).

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DonaAna · 26/01/2013 15:27

Doodlepoopoo I have had my colors done, have very pale cool pink-toned skin, naturally dark blonde hair, am a Light Summer (technically somewhere between Summer and Spring) and I wear those colors plus bright greens. You might also be a Winter or Soft something because your coloring sounds a bit more intense than mine.

I thought purple would never work on me but a pale mauve and a cool plummy burgundy (everywhere this AW) actually look stunning on me. Lime, orange and yellow are absolutely ghastly on me. Khaki - no-go. Beiges are tricky (I am basically beige), any yellowish beiges won't work a but a cool rose beige is terrific.

But I'd also really recommend a consultation, as there is some fine-tuning involved: getting a coherent palette will help a lot. It transformed my makeup and wardrobe and I very rarely buy clothes that don't suit me now. I keep my palette on my iPhone but very rarely need to consult it now because whatever I purchase just has to blend in with what I already have.

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stickygingerbread · 26/01/2013 19:55

MrsMarcus I really tend to doubt you are a winter for the very reasons you cite. Winters suit high contrast colour combinations. Did she try draping like that on you? Winters who are not high contrast in colouring are usually dark and still suit high contrast dressing.

I think you looked good in white because you are a 'light' and both light spring and light summer suit white.

Have a look here www.prettyyourworld.com/coloranalysis.html

Each season shares attributes with other seasons. Winters and springs share their 'clearness' - they don't suit muted or earth tone or frosty colours, but spring is warm and winter cool.

Winter and summer share coolness, but summer is subtle and low-contrast while winter suits bold and high-contrast.

A quick way to narrow down your season is to have a close look at your irises.

Warm seasons have flecks of gold,amber or brown no matter the eye colour. Cool seasons do not have warm flecks.

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stickygingerbread · 26/01/2013 20:14

fdpp you need not have black hair to be a winter though winters usually have dark hair. I have dark brown hair and am a clear winter. If my skin was rosier I would probably be a cool winter, slightly different, but am naturally very pale.

My sister and I are very similar looking - brown hair, blue eyes, pale skin. But she is a spring! She has warm flecks in her eyes, and a warmish cast to her hair and skin. She can wear coral and gold, black drains her - me no. We had some fun going over the pretty your world site together.

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tethersend · 26/01/2013 20:49

My vote's on calling it a load of old bollocks and wearing what you like Grin

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tethersend · 26/01/2013 20:50

But, if you must, clash the colours together (not with black) to avoid looking cheap.

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fuckadoodlepoopoo · 27/01/2013 10:41

Ok so it sounds like Im not winter if i can't wear black? Its more complicated than i expected!

It costs so much to get it done!

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