To ask why Mumsnet is obsessed with “having your colours done”?

[Wiltingasparagusfern]

One of those Mumsnet things that makes me feel like I’ve wondered into Hyacinth Bucket’s house:
what’s with the getting your colours done stuff? This is not 1982.

Helen Fielding was taking the piss out of it 20 years ago. Surely no one under 40 does this anymore? I feel, like savoury jelly, china ladies, and serving hatches, it belongs in a different era (“Another mini gherkin, Bridget?”).

Or am I wrong? Should every woman have her colours done? Are those of you that have seen the light (gone to John Lewis…is that where this happens?!) looking at women in the street and going tsk, she is clearly a jewel autumn or whateverthefuck?

I am baffled, please enlighten me.

I had mine done! I am an autumn.

I wouldn’t mind having a go. If there’s a colour out there that compliments my rice paper skin I’m all for it.

I’ve been on MN for years, and yours is the first post I’ve seen about having your colours done.
So YABU for saying MN is obsessed.
cba to vote

I can't believe this is still a thing. It was all the rage amongst my work colleagues about 40 years ago with something like Colour Me Beautiful.
I never got it done because if I'd been told to wear green, brown or purple I wouldn't have.

I agree it's very silly. There's sixteen sub categories. A reddit sub came into my feed for this and no one can agree on what season a person is. It's supposed to make a dramatic difference and therefore be obvious, but it tends not to.

I've never had them "done", but I read a book about it as a teenager and it made so much sense to me. I won't go into detail, but if you identify your skin tone and stick to the pallette of colours that complements it, you will find it easier to put outfits together and avoid wasting money on the fashion colours that don't suit you.

When I was younger, the fashion magazines would bang on about how every woman needs a little black dress or LBD. I don't and I knew not to buy one!

For years I despaired about my summer wardrobe as it was basically black, white and navy. I never managed to find anything else I liked. Turns out I’m a winter, which means pastels don’t suit and I looked awful in most of the stuff I used to try on. I now go for bright jewel colours which look great and it’s made me a lot happier. It also means I can just forget about anything earthy/cream/beige and not waste my time on those.

For me it was really useful. Maybe others can work all this out themselves, but I had never been able to.

I’ve been spending hours on here lately
never once seen it mentioned

assume this is a reverse type advertisement for John Lewis colour service ?

This

There were only four in the book I read: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

I don't think it's silly as such as I know people who've had it done and their colours really do give them a glow. I'd be interested in getting mine done but as it is I know some of mine for sure. Bought a bubblegum pink sports top this morning and I know for sure that's one of mine. Like a pp I can't wear black (or grey or brown or cream).

Obsessed? I've never heard of 'getting your colours done'?
So yes you are wrong! Maybe you're on the wrong site?

I spent most my teens to mid 30s wearing just black, it was nice to find out what actual colours suited me without lots of shopping trial and error. I'm not sure how finding out what suits you can be a trend but its not something I see outside the style and beauty board.

I must live under a rock because I don't have a clue what that means.

Reading the replies it means paying someone to tell you what colours suit you?

Seems unnecessarily expensive when you can buy a mirror for a tenner.

Really strange thread. I have never seen it mentioned on here so unsure where the 'obsession' is 😄

Btw I had mine done but I'm over 40 so I guess that's ok?

Honestly I think it’s just a middle class thing? I think it’s probably BS, but my mum has always been keen on having it done so when I got my first grown up pay cheque we went out and got our colours done together. I will say it was a fun day out and it was nice to see my mum happy but she is now militant about it. I hate going shopping with her now because she’s the fucking colour police. I had to draw a line with her when we were picking clothes for DD and she was like “no she’s an autumn she can’t wear that”… 🙄

I think it's had a bit of a resurgence on social media, there's little communities on tiktok.

It's definitely a "thing" on here and it sounds odd to me too. Like, just try something on and does it suit you or not?

In don't know - but we've all seen some friends look great in some colours and awful in others. I have a friend who wears a lot of black. I think she thinks she looks elegant - but really it makes her look ill. She looks so much nicer in bright colours.
Why is it annoying you so much? Have you been asked to pay £££ to have yours done?

Oh maybe it’s that!
To the people who say they’ve never come across it on Mumsnet, I am SHOCKED! We are clearly reading different threads 😌

This made me laugh so much, I’m sorry. It does sound frustrating but it’s also piss funny 🤣

I’m under 40 and while I’ve not “had my colours done” I’ve definitely seen it on social media as a bit of a trend at the moment, and honestly the concept makes sense to me. I’m pretty confident I’m a spring and those colours suit me the best. I think once you pay more attention to colours you can spot what does and doesn’t suit people, but I’m not going around being like oh she’s an autumn.

I find the "I'm jewel, autumn" and the like comments quite pretentious. It usually comes with a "have you tried a personal shopper from John Lewis" comment.

I've never had my colours done, I know I suit reds (which is good as I like red) but haven't a clue if black suits me or what bloody season that is.

I've been on MN for about 15 years, and likewise, yours is the first thread I've ever seen dedicated to the topic. Am struggling to recall ever even seeing any posts on the subject.

Your OP fairly drips with contempt towards anyone who might consider having it done so I'll need to book me an appointment at JL as soon as poss.