Help, I'm a Summer! (Support needed) :(

[DonaAna]

I went and got my colors done. I'm pale-skinned and dark blonde with grey-green eyes. I'm still shell-shocked: I'm a light crystalline summer.

All the colors the analyst matched me with are really strange and difficult to find in shops - and also colors I really don't like. Vaguely air-hostessy Eastern European blues, old-lady lavenders, dowdy camels, baby blues and burgundies. I feel frumpy just writing them down. None of my favorite colors (reds, corals) made it to the list (and yes, I like black too). A blue-green was the most wearable one, but I cannot spend my entire life in blue green, can I?

I would otherwise totally ditch the advice, but she did match me with a lipstick color that made me look younger and more alive and also made up my eyes quite cleverly (although in a very 80s Lady Di era style - stone gray and salmon and tile red).

Are you a summer? How do you deal with it? Where do you shop?

I know I'm about to commit a heresy but seriously if you don't like the colours then don't wear them - life is too short to wear colours you don't like.

However I like lavenders and berry shades and suspect I am probably a summer but I wear black and any colours I like really.

Sorry - not much help I know.

I am a summer, but find myself drawn to more winter colours often, which are the next best match for you as they are also cool colours. Red suits all seasons (according to house of colour anyway) providing it's not an orangey red. Have a look at Kettlewell colours website at the summer colours- you might find some more you like, then look at winter as the next best options.

Just checked website- they normally have really useful summary page for each season showing the 'right' sort of colours but don't at the moment!

I'm a cool summer but like wearing coral too! I asked about black when I had my colours done so consultant draped a black scarf around my neck and I could see how draining it was on me (I had always thought it was an ok colour for me!) I def don't wear it as much but still wear it when needed so agree with MrsCB

I seem to have stuck to a limited palette of blues, beiges and greys which suit me - and have so far ignored the pale yellow, raspberry red and green swatches in my book!

I found this website useful here

Hi all
Thanks so much for your support and advice - I feel a lot better now.

I was initially really panicked after the consultation, but I found this great resource of different summer palettes - and they have all my favorite colors in them! (Nice, real reds and even "my" coral, a rich and beautiful watermelon shade.) Give the palettes a try if you think you are a summer. The only colors on my palette I really don't like are some of the naffer bluish pinks and lilacs and weak blues.

I didn't get my full palette yet because my color analyst used both a computer program and scarves to match me (and having the full palette prepared apparently takes some time). The scarves BTW were made of horrible glossy polyester - like prom dresses from hell. Probably nobody would look good in them.

Ellan, I envy the winter palettes - most high fashion clothes seem to be made for winters. I love bright, clear, jewel-like colors (but I know I can't wear the brightest ones as they make me really pale). I feared I could not wear them any more - thank God the summer palette has some reds, purples and greens that are still strong enough for me. I love simple, classic clothes: my current favorite item is a cornflower blue Marni coatdress (so I'm not looking forward to a lifetime in lilac poly-blend pantsuits).

Ollie, I know black is draining, but it's such a power color. And I think you can compensate with the right makeup and jewelry. My initial reaction, too, was that I can only wear maybe three shades from my palette and I found it so counterproductive - I got the consultation because I wanted to expand my color range, not stick to camel, navy and mid-gray. I'm actually slightly intrigued by the pale lemon-yellow. Yellow has always been a forbidden color for me but Cate Blanchett who is ghastly pale like me wears it well.

MrsCB, I've always admired your fashion sense - can you give me examples of clothes in berry and lavender that you love?

Also, all summers, can you tell me a bit more about your accessories: handbags, jewelry, shoes. Have you found any great scarves that really flatter you?

Glad you're feeling more positive! I can't wear the brightest winter colours either, but I do often wear colours that are brighter and clearer than I should according to my summer palette, if I like the style or shape of something. Winter colours are easier to find I general I think. There's a lot of overlap really though. Raspberry is a good colour on both for example.
Shoes are the toughest thing for me- so many are black, and I have chosen not to wear black any more. I have some nice taupe coloured boots which were really useful last winter. What sort of scarves do you like?

Ellan - I also think I will veer towards some of the brighter and clearer summer/winter colors. My 3-y-o DD has my coloring, light summer, and she looks wonderful in pinks and pale blues and pale yellows - all baby colors are perfect on her. Unfortunately, I would feel like a gigantic toddler in them.

Re: scarves, I'm looking for scarves that can add color and texture to pale golden camel and black. I'm too old (38) to wear anything nasty and synthetic. I like silk, silk-cotton and wool or cashmere. I'm tall and thin so I think I can wear fairly big scarves. My best scarf at the moment is a blue-based flowery cotton scarf picked up last spring from Zara - it has probably five colors from my palette, faded blues, greens and pinks. I don't usually do Liberty prints but this seems to soften and complete really many outfits.

Fall and winter shoes aren't easy. I'm really bored with black shoes but have big feet so very pale colors are out. For summer, I've found that strappy silver sandals look great on me - dull bronze is also an OK color for me and even more wearable (Zara is full of big silver and bronze bags ATM).

I've just clusterbombed Outnet and bought a few dresses in my new colors (blues, greens, and teals). Probably everything is going straight back, but it feels really comforting that I found Narciso Rodriguez, Dolce&Gabbana and Cacharel in shades I picked from my palette. I also saw a dusty blue Stella McCartney dress there some time ago but it has sold out.

Well, bit out of my personal comfort zone budget wise, but i like these missoni scarves this or here. Just as an example I think the reds and plums go well with camel.

i'm a deep summer. Its ok getting the colours done once you get over the shock of realising there has been some very unflattering history and some current clothes which just arent right.

I just steer clear of anything with any hint of yellow (no coral for me) and black is now grey instead. Sweet pea type colours is what they say, but it is not very now. this autumn wine colour trend is a good one. and lovely blues and greens in zara atm.

Thanks for the Missoni links Ellan! I'm about to move to Italy and will keep an eye on sales.

Fishie, I think you are right about the initial shock. I went shopping today. I discovered that blue-gray, taupe and pale camel scarves look really good on me - they flatter my mousy hair color and somehow complete an outfit if I'm wearing something brighter. I didn't buy any yet but it was definitely eye-opening.

I think the scary baby pinks and raspberries I won't be wearing any time soon will actually serve me really well as make-up colors. I'm very pale (not the pale and interesting type, more like sallow and drained), and I've never been able to tell whether I'm cool-toned or warm-toned (my veins are both blue AND green). I always need wear some blush and lipstick (if not, my mother asks whether I'm ill). Most blushes, even Benefit's Dandelion, are slightly too terracotta for me. After having my colors done and being diagnosed light summer, I decided to buy a cool pink blush and went for Chanel #64 (Pink Explosion) because it was the most baby-pink shade I could find at the department store. I only wish I had found it a few years ago - it really works with my skin tone! It makes me feel amazing.

Another great thing which I want to share is the fresh-looking lipstick color the color analyst picked for me. It's Chanel Coco Rouge #13, Gardenia. It's a light, cool, almost frosted pink I would never have picked on my own - but it lights up my entire face, I look healthy and glowing, have good color but am not overpowered by it (and my teeth look very white too!). If you are pale blonde and often feel drained and drab, try it!

Finally, I picked up a Chanel eye shadow quad that was on sale - Lilium, a pale green, dark green, mauve, and purple gray. I did a light eye make up with it and it also seems to work really well.

I hate the colours in my supposed colour analysis, so boring, True Summer

Not a Summer (I am Spring and can wear Coral, Hurrah!) but I believe Princess Di was (she seemed to wear a variety of colours), also Margaret Thatcher!!!! I understand your pain. If I was diagnosed as a summer I would protest and only wear black!!!!

I suggest you watch this video, you can see a difference in wearing your colours or not and you may be surprised how little difference it makes

I did an experiment. Using one of those sites that analyses your colours using a photograph I took it upon myself to get it to analyse me as each of the different seasons. Using natural light in different rooms in my house for the photographs, I discovered I indeed am every season! 😂 So in one day, you could be every season too! Unless you stay in the same type of light all day.

So wear what you like. 🙂😉