Do you wear colours that don’t suit you?

[HouseofSaltRock]

Black washes me out yet I wear a lot of it for versatility.
Tan shades are too warm but work so well with black that I wear them too to look stylish.

My blond daughter looks amazing in both.

Now, navy, charcoal, pine green, purple and burgundy really flatter my complexion but I find it hard to mix them, smaller range of choices / quality / budget add extra complexity.

Please share if you have managed to eliminate unflattering tones from your wardrobe, and where do you shop for wider range of colours.

I had my colours done 15 years ago but it just confirmed what I already knew..I look fine in black, white and blue, and shit in brown, orange and yellow.

I suspect that we all know what suits us without any "expert" interference.

PS I don't do the scarves thing either.

I had my 'colours done' years ago and it has made clothes shopping which I dislike so much easier. I think I naturally wore the colours / tones which suited me anyway but I can now discount all of the summer / autumn shades as they really don't do me any favours.
I think if you want to wear black then having a scarf or top (ie the bits near your neck / face) in the colours and tones which suit you makes a big difference. You should be able to tell by experimenting with shades and tones in the mirror.
I'm a 'bright winter' person apparently, so black, white and bright jewel colours look best (and are always the colours of clothing people compliment me when wearing) whereas cream/ mustard / salmon / orange colours next to my face make me look ill

I don't think having my colours done changed the styles I wear (no scarves here) only the colours of what I wear.

I had my colours done (autumn) and agreed that many of the colours in that category looked good on me, but I hated about half of them and never wear them. I was advised against black, and also most blue denim, but I continue to wear both black and blue jeans as I love them. My hair was dark brown but is now silver (quite a steely bluish silver) and despite what House of Colour says, I don’t suit the same colours any more and have had to re-think. I look washed out in lots of colours, but actually look better in black than I did previously - more contrast with my hair. There are colours that I love, and would buy, say, a cushion in, but wouldn’t wear as I don’t look good in them.

Yeah, I’ve never had my colours done but know exactly what suits me.

My go to colours are sage green, turquoise (if not too bright), warm pinks, navy, off white, coral, apple green, denim/chambray, petrol blue, bright red, pale lemon. Pale colours look better unless I’m wearing a shed load of makeup. Silver not gold. Absolute no to beige, camel, black, most jewel tones or autumnal colours. Anyone want to tell me my season…?

minipie you seem to be mostly in bright/light summer colours.

I adore bright yellow and I sometimes wear it. It makes me happy-although I look hideous in it!

I'm sure you don't look hideous.

Looking happy is always a good look.

Thanks! Yes just looked at Kettlewell site and light summer or bright spring seem the best bets.

There are some colours which just don't suit me - yellow, cream, orange, beige, tomato red - and although I still wear black on my bottom half or as an open cardigan I do look washed out if I wear it close to my face.

Mostly my clothing is navy, denim, all lighter blues and turquoise, teal, charcoal, silver grey and white . Plus black worn as said above . I have phases on shades of green or purple.

I am finding at the moment that a lot of clothing is my 'don't wear' colours so I just don't buy it. Not difficult actually as I'm not liking the styles either.

I have self-diagnosed myself as a soft summer according to an online quiz.

To answer the original question, since I had my colours done I'm slowly phasing out colours that don't suit me.

I used to wear a lot of hot pink and dark purple but many other colours looked very obviously better on me. My skin looked clearer, eyes brighter. The difference is very noticeable. I wouldn't have considered wearing coral, salmon, mustard before but they look better than the pinks and purples I used to wear. Now if I stick to my colours (autumn) and particularly if I wear olive, khaki, moss, bronze type colours I always get compliments. Black is ok on me, just needs to be a bit away from my face. But I would never get a compliment wearing black. Not that it's about compliments but I do feel haggard a lot of the time and wearing a colour that suits me is an easy win.

I was actually disappointed to suit those colours, I just think of them as muddy colours, but they definitely like me!

I'm surprised you say you can't get colours to go together, my 'autumn' colours are so easy to match. Chocolate brown is my best neutral and it goes with burgundy/ camel/tan/ olive /coral / gold / bronze etc.

Reading this thread, some people obviously don't care or can't see it, just wear what you like!

You sound like a Spring to me - aside from the silver jewellery. I don't think you are a summer as you are choosing coral, apple green and bright red which are warm colours. There are 'sub-divisions' though like clear spring (can't remember the others) and I don't know enough to guess that .

The Ms Sturgeon outfit is good and appropriate and the colours go well together, and suit her.
Not so keen on Ms Reeves' outfit because I don't think the scarf and coat go together that well. the scarf is ok, but I don't like the collar of the coat.
She usually looks ok though.

I didn't wear scarves but my neck is better not being too bare these days.

I suspect that we all know what suits us without any "expert" interference.
I have a friend who is great for going shopping with and will pick out things I wouldn't have even looked at and they suit me. She's not a colour consultant, but has the knack.

Thanks ShinyApple. I wonder if I change during the year - I’m very pale in the winter but tan easily, can wear stronger/warmer colours with a tan.

Light spring and light summer have many similar colours in their palette, spring ones more clear and bright and summer more muted.
https://theconceptwardrobe.com/light-spring-vs-light-summer-what-is-the-difference

Ummmmm how do I know what colours suit me???!!!!

HELP?

I don’t wear colours I don’t suit! So sadly lilac is a no even though I love it. Dark purple does work. Browns, yellows, orange are a big no too. I knew this before, but unsurprisingly am a Winter.

You see I think Ms Reeves is better dressed than Ms Sturgeon.

Sturgeon had some truly horrendous suits (stuff that looked like rejects from the Edinburgh Woolen Mill) when she first came to prominence, coupled with the world's worst helmet haircut.

Someone clearly took her in hand. She dresses a lot better now, but it's always very, very safe. Her public outfits are always slim, tailored skirt suits or dresses and jackets , with heels. All colour co-ordinated. It's very smart and appropriate but she looks as if she runs along fixed tram lines.

Theresa May, certainly before she became P.M was a far more interesting dresser.

I'm definitely a "Grumpy Winter".

I have no idea what colours suit me, I just wear colours I like. Green mainly.

I think as you age the correct colours can work wonders, I'm thinking Theresa May too, she always looks amazing and has definitley had her colours done, the other person is Jon Snow, all those pinks and blues, he's definitely a summer . I thought I was a spring for years, but couldn't quite get the colours to work. I have always been drawn to pinks, purples and blues, turns out I am a cool summer.

I thought I was a spring for years, but couldn't quite get the colours to work. I have always been drawn to pinks, purples and blues, turns out I am a cool summer.

same here, I love bright colours, but had to admit that muted pastels are just so much more flattering.

@minipie I'm an archetypal dark hair (though now salt and pepper) pale pink skin, dark blue eyes winter but I can wear some more summery shades, like turquoise, in summer, when I have a few freckles.

What I can wear has definitely changed with age. I used to love emerald green on me but it makes me look like I haven't slept for a week, now.

I think you can tell Theresa May loves clothes. She's prepared to take risks with what she wears, and not just with colours either. I've always assumed Sturgeon isn't really that interested (which is fair enough) so she's picked a formula and stuck to it.