Why Most Women Wear the Wrong Colours
Before you give up on a favourite shade, try a different light, a different tone or a different way of wearing it.
· 4 min read · Tania Cottew
“Wrong colours” sounds rather final, doesn’t it?
As though there’s a list of colours we’re allowed to wear, and everything else should be removed from our wardrobes.
I’d rather we approached colour with a little more curiosity. A shade that doesn’t seem quite right in one setting might look lovely in another. And a piece you love doesn’t necessarily need to go just because its colour isn’t the most flattering beside your face.
Don’t dismiss a colour you love
I’m a redhead, and I love wearing orange. Which is quite funny, as my hair was carrot-coloured when I was born.
That’s a good reminder not to rule out a colour before you’ve tried it.
We talk about warm and cool undertones as a way of understanding the colours beneath the surface of our skin. That can be a useful starting point, but I wouldn’t turn it into a set of restrictions.
There are different versions of orange, pink, green and every other colour. You might not enjoy one shade, but find that another feels just right.
Try it in different lighting
This would be my first suggestion to anyone who feels unsure about a colour: try it in different lighting.
Look at it in daylight, then indoors. Some shades work better for us in one than the other, and it gives us a chance to try different tones.
If you’re choosing something for an evening out, have a look at it under indoor lighting as well as beside a window. Notice how the fabric looks next to your face, but also how you feel wearing it.
You don’t need to decide whether a colour is universally “good” or “bad”. You’re exploring how it works for you.
Keep the dress, change what surrounds it
What if you own a top or dress that you love, but its colour doesn’t seem to suit your natural skin tone?
Before giving up on it, try a wrap or jacket in a colour that does.
A different shade close to your face can change the overall effect, while allowing you to keep wearing the piece you enjoy.
That’s a much gentler approach than deciding something has no place in your wardrobe.
Play with makeup, if you enjoy it
Lipsticks and eyeshadows can change how the colours in an outfit work together, too.
Try a different lipstick with that favourite dress. See what happens when you use a warmer or cooler eyeshadow. It’s another way to experiment with what you already own.
You don’t need makeup to make a colour acceptable. But if you enjoy wearing it, it can be part of the play.
Give yourself room to experiment Perhaps the most useful question isn’t, “Am I wearing the wrong colour?” Perhaps it’s, **“Is there another way I could wear this colour and enjoy it more?”** Try another light. Try another tone. Add a wrap, change your jacket or play with your lipstick. You might find that the colour you thought you couldn’t wear simply needed a different approach.