Sale Shopping Tips: #1 Understand Color
Happy fashion Friday, everyone! Today let’s begin a series of posts on Sale Shopping Tips: #1 Understand Color.
We are about to enter July, clearance sale time in a big way, and a few sale shopping tips might be helpful.
More and more retailers are ceasing to accept returns on clearance items, therefore, let’s make sure our purchases have no regrets.
My intention is to give you important sale shopping tips to consider before you head out into the world of clearance sales.
Today, let’s welcome my friend Susan, creator of une femme d’un certain age.
Yes, Susan is an amazing content creator, but, she also is a trained color specialist.
And, I am excited to share more from her to get us focused with #1 in the sale shopping tips.
Today, she answers a few questions I sent her way…..
SALE SHOPPING TIPS: #1 UNDERSTAND COLOR WITH SUSAN
Susan inspired me to look closer at my best colors when she went through her own transformation. That was when I learned what a huge difference it makes….
Susan said,
“Color can be so powerful, and is one of the most important aspects of style to get right. A professional color analysis can be one of the best wardrobe investments you’ll ever make. Knowing and focusing on your best colors, (and being able to pass up the rest) means you’ll save both time and money on your wardrobe. I hear so many older women saying they feel invisible. So wearing colors that enhance our appearance and make us feel energized is a great way to feel more confident and visible.”
“I used to wear a lot of black, I mean a LOT. (I joked that my closet looked like a cat burglar’s.) I had it in my head that black was chic, slimming, sophisticated, French, what have you. But in truth, I knew it wasn’t doing me any favors, and was starting to feel like a rut. But (almost) every time I tried to add color, it just felt off somehow. In 2019, one of my UK blogger friends had a color analysis with Red Leopard in London, and raved about it. We were planning to be in London that summer, so I decided to make an appointment and try it myself. To say it was life-changing was an understatement! Understanding my best colors, and how to incorporate them made such a difference in how I looked and felt. I KNEW I had to learn to do this to help other women (and men) find their best colors. So I signed up for the next 2-week intensive training session offered by Red Leopard. (Due to Covid, it was pushed back until early 2022.)
“Wearing your best colors (especially near your face) will make you look more vibrant, energized, rested, engaged, healthy, and confident. And when you build your wardrobe within your seasonal color palette, the colors will be in harmony, everything will work together better, and you can do more with less.”
“It’s such a joy working with color clients! There’s always that moment when we land on one of their best colors during the session, and it’s like flipping on a light switch. Even if they were a little skeptical at the start, they can see it too. And I’ve learned that we each have such an individual palette. That’s why we take time to go through every color in their seasonal palette to find the WOW colors that make them glow.”
Brian is also an advocate of wearing your best colors in makeup…we will discuss that further soon.
Brian’s special this week from his boutique collection of skincare and makeup is SUPER RADIANCE SKIN PROTECTION SPF 50 plus I highly recommend Brian’s VIRTUAL COMPLEMENTARY ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATION, both were game changers for my daily skincare and light make up routine.
Every week, I will bring you a feature product at BY BRIAN skincare with a 25% OFF special through the following Monday, when a new product will be highlighted.
BY BRIAN skincare has my complexion looking healthier and younger than ever before …I am a huge fan.
Now that summer is in full swing, one of the products I wear daily is the BY BRIAN Super Radiance Skin Protection SPF 50. So silky…protects and moisturizes.
We simply must use sunscreen…every day.
And this week, you can get it for 25% off.
THE CODE IS: weeklyspecial25
Details:
*For the online store
*25% off Super Radiance Skin Protection SPF 50
There is no other online beauty company where you will receive customer service like you do from Brian and he is a joy to work with.
I highly recommend his ONE-ON-ONE IN-PERSON MASTER WORKSHOP. It is a great way to know exactly what skincare products to use as your particular stage of life. This is another good way to discuss best makeup colors.
Then you will look into mirrors, like I do, and say…Oh yeah…looking great at 70!!
For those who are new to the blog, I only promote the skincare products I use and can stand behind. I do not believe in flooding you with products I am sent to use…when I do not use them.
On Wednesday, Ann asked to see my complexion up close, so here it is! I am 71 and do not filter pictures or use fillers on my face.
I have been so pleased with the results after using BY BRIAN skincare for about a year.
In this photo, I have on the BY BRIAN Super Radiance Skin Tint…a wonderful serum foundation.
By Brian skincare and makeup is all that goes on my face now.
OK….I hope you have found the first of my sale shopping tips helpful. More to come. And always….
STAY STRONG & KEEP SMILING!!
By Pamela Lutrell
Remember to shop with my SHOPPING LINKS in order to support this blog and keep me around! Thanks to all who do this.
I am going through chemo and have lost all my hair, including my eyebrows and eyelashes. What a perfect time this would be to have an in person analysis as there would be no distractions and all the attention would be on how the colors react with skin tone and eye color. So many of the results I see online, the consultant seems to have been influenced by hair color that is not natural.
I had a consultation in 1982 and have dressed in Winter colors since then. Knowing my best colors is more important than ever now and helps me look a bit healthier.
Hi Yvonne, I would love to see this work out for you and hopefully give you some joy and hope going forward. Perhaps Susan has some suggestions…do you mind sharing where you live?
Thanks Pamela, but I don’t need advice on color as I already know that I’m a Winter and have dressed accordingly for decades. Having a wardrobe of clothes and cosmetics in the right colors has certainly helped me feel better as I’m going through this.
I was declared a “ winter” way back in the days of Color Me Beautiful when I had brown hair and eyes, but blue veins. Now my hair is a mix of gray and brown but my skin color has not changed although I no longer get suntans. Therefore, I’m assuming my color palette has also not changed. I’m still wearing jewel colors but wonder if I should not back off on such concentrated color.
So good to know, Yvonne. I will add you to my prayer list.
I’m glad to see the model with black and the other colors that I assume are some kind of “winter”. Those are the colors that make me the happiest. My complexion, especially eyebrows, are similar to hers. And I must say that when you model black for us it is definitely not your color. And then when you model your own colors there is a difference. I think there most certainly is something to color theory.
I was actually told years ago that I am a winter…and they were wrong. So glad I finally met someone who helped me figure it out. Susan might be able to add to your comment, Celia.
First, my stats:
73 years old, five foot one, 150 pounds, live in So CA
now the comments
Boho Chic
IMHO, for the epitome of boho chic, check out Chico’s woven round shell purse , on Poshmark (at least as of 6/28/2024 at 6:14 am, lol) I bought this purse directly from Chico’s some three years ago. I am not exaggerating when I say I get compliments on this bag every time I carry it. The shells are just on one side of it, and the handles look like bamboo but are plastic. I love it so much that I just bought a second one from one of the resale sites for back up.
Face lift
If anyone had a neck that looked like Mitch McConnell’s they might consider a facelift. Again, you can google “Mitch McConnell” or “goiter” to get the picture. I had it done at sixty. Only one person commented on my neck. Everyone else just thought I’d lost weight. I have zero regrets about the time, money, or pain. Thirteen years later I’m still happy with the results.
Hair Dye
At sixty six I quit dying my brown and gray hair or getting highlights. As my hairdresser said, “you can always go back”, but I haven’t! It was actually fun to see what would happen. Honestly, the God-given highlights look better than any hairdresser ever gave me! With age my hair has thinned rather dramatically so I keep it pretty short and a tiny bit “spiky.” Ladies, check out Kenra shine spray. I tend to buy drugstore makeup , and this IMO is a bit pricey but worth every penny.
Having your Colors Done
Had it done in person forty years ago and again, pricy for the time, but worth every penny. I think it was around fifty dollars. The woman had me come to her home, she spent around three hours draping me , and she gave me a little plastic credit card holder with snippets of fabric with all my best colors. I’m an autumn with a couple of spring colors thrown in. (I still have that packet of fabric squares)
She told me to immediately go out and buy a peachy/coral (one of my best colors) blouse. I was appalled as this was something I would never wear as a professional woman at the time and black power suits were the norm. I did it, and she was absolutely right. I found that when I wore “my colors’ I’d get unsolicited compliments.
Because I’m short and heavy I deviate from my perfect colors occasionally. I’ll do the “long over lean” thing that Chico’s advocates, but I’ll use a turquoise or rust shell under the black. By that I mean skinny (or skinny-ish) black jeans, a turquoise shell, and a black hip length open sweater/topper. And yes, I tuck that tank top in!
Uh oh……I am the Chris who unwittingly started the “tuck or untuck” controversy. The comments expressed here are just my opinions, and my personal lived experiences. Y’all are grown women and can and should do and think whatever you want.
Peace out,
C
I have a question for Susan. I’m a self-“diagnosed” blue autumn, and have come to favor navy as my grounding neutral vs the black I wore and wore and wore. I know my palette says “marine” navy, but it’s difficult to find, and I feel it’s not a true neutral that mixes with everything. How important is the tone of your navy? All of them seem pretty acceptable to my coloring when I hold them up to my skin or work them into an outfit, except for the super bright navies.
I went to a color analysis party in the mid-eighties and was told I am a Winter. That was based primarily on a beautiful match between me and a bright cobalt blue, and me telling the lady that I mostly wore navy as a foundational color. My skin is pale, eyes medium blue, and hair was light to medium brown with a slant towards a reddish tone in the sunshine. My hair is now sprinkled with silvery strands, which I love, but overall still reads as brown. In looking for ladies with similar coloring and perusing lots of color analysis via Pinterest, I have come to believe that I am a Clear Spring. It fits better and the palette is everything I receive compliments on wearing: peach, butter yellow, light aqua, clear blues of nearly every shade, and some very pretty medium greens. I love and wear these, but am always perplexed as to why both white and creamy white work so well for me. The heavy, saturated tones in a Winter palette overwhelm me, and I think it’s because the contrast is too much for my coloring. I’m wondering what Susan might say? Thanks Pam! 💕
I had my original color analysis in the 90s. The consultant was offering a free demo in one of my favorite stores. She tried a few drapes on me and my husband was so impressed with the process that he convinced me to book a session. I was diagnosed as a “sparkling autumn” and received a wallet with fabric swatches. At the time I was in the corporate world so I purchased blouses in my good colors to wear with my black, grey & navy suits. But after I retired I lost touch with my autumn palette. It seems like the styles that appealed to me were offered in black, gray or navy often mixed with white. Or maybe I was accustomed to those colors. When I wore teal or rust though I got compliments. It was when I let my hair go to its natural warm white that I realized how tired I looked in most of my clothes. I had an on-line re-rate and was rated “warm”. And the colors in my new wallet aligned about 90% with my 90’s autumn version. Now I stick to my warm/autumn palette and get compliments all the time. I don’t miss black. I do miss navy but when I try to wear it, it drains me much like black does.
I was told I am a summer but when I wear those colors I feel washed out. I also am not fond of the pastel colors. Maybe I’m a different palette. I don’t live near anyone who does color analysis so I still do experiment with other colors. If someone compliments me on the color I’m wearing then I know it’s good. The only problem is it seems to be warm and cool colors.
Hi Linda,
You’re correct that Marine Navy can be a harder shade to find. You might want to check out Eileen Fisher’s color “Aegean,” which is close. As long as you’re wearing it with other colors in the Autumn palette, it will harmonize.
That said, I’ve found that “Navy” can be fudged a bit. I’d avoid super dark (“is it black or is it navy?”) versions. But you can probably wear most mid-range navies.
Hi Connie, without having analyzed you, I can’t determine your color season, but it sounds like you may be in the lighter range of your season. When we do our analysis, we look primarily at skin tone to determine the color season. Then to determine which sub-category you’d fall into, we’ll also look at which colors *within* your season are best for you. That might be determined by factors like overall contrast levels. Each of the 4 seasonal palettes has 4 sub-categories, some of which may be lighter or darker.
Hi Celia, in the color system we use, season is determined by skin tone, and how your skin and features look when surrounded by different colors. While someone’s season generally does not change as they age or go gray, they may find that their best colors within the season may shift. Or that their best contrast levels within an outfit may change.
And just FYI, the thing about color of veins is meaningless. 😉 We all can have veins that vary in color, and it’s not a reliable indicator of whether we are best in warm or cool colors.
This was a wonderful post for those interested in always wearing their best colors! I have followed une femme for years. Her having her colors analyzed by Red Leopard nudged my color bestie and I to have ours re-evaluated after 40 years. Thank you, Susan! We followed you closely. Discussing color and style got us through Covid walks. For those readers who had their colors done in the 80s, I want to say that the science has really evolved. I was typed spring in 1983. I sewed much of my clothing, and my palette book had over a hundred colors in it, as well as notes on style , jacket lengths, prints , etc. When I went back to teaching after raising 3 kids to school age, I started purchasing more clothing and started to stray. I also realized years later that the brighter spring colors wore me. When I was re-evaluated in 2019, I was typed a deep autumn. I felt myself again and haven’t looked back. (My friend, who had been typed a winter in the 80s was re-typed a bright spring. It made so much sense with her coloring.) I don’t stray, except that I have an itch for ‘regular’ jeans, not just the marine blue. So for me it is first ‘color’ and then ‘style and fit’. My closet is completely harmonious. Often I buy a piece and before removing the tag, I hang it in the closet to be sure it blends.
A question for Susan would be ‘if’ I were to stray in order to have more classic jeans one day, would I lean towards winter or spring ? I would want solid- no stress or whiskers. I am a natural classic, with a solid classic leaning. Thank you!
I had my colors analyzed a few years ago as a gift to myself as I retired (could not go anywhere much due to Covid). It was a great present. I am a pastel summer. As has been mentioned here, you will save money by knowing that some things are just not “You”. Just as Pam emphasizes style adjectives, knowing your colors means that some things whether a great deal or not as just not going to make you happy. Also as Susan has said, these are tools, not rules. You don’t have to dumb your entire wardrobe or get rid of beloved items. I was not going to give up some things, but I did let go of what was truly not right. My husband and I enthusiastically paid for color analysis for our three grown daughters-ages 30 to 40. They all found it to be very helpful and life affirming. I highly recommend color analysis for anyone especially young professionals as it will give them confidence and save them a lot of time and money. And, by the way, it is a great thing for men, too!
There isn’t anyone trained to do my color palette here in the Colorado mountain town I live near. I did get and read the Color Me Beautiful book years ago when I was still blonde. Like Chris my size is short, 5’ 1 1/2” tall, 143 lbs. today, with now almost white hair with a few silver streaks. I’m fair with blue eyes. I thought I was a spring but now I look much better in cool summer colors. I look terrible in red, orange, yellow and green. I look good in any shade of blue from navy to pale blue. I wear a lot of neutrals with my blue from denim jeans and shorts to white or flax linen. I can wear pink if pale and cool but not peachy. Off white looks better with my summer slight tan from early morning dog walks. I’m now 79 and live a very casual lifestyle. So what is my color palette?
Hi Deborah, when it comes to jeans, I consider most denim a neutral. 😁 For Autumns, I’d suggest sticking to mid- to dark-washes (not black), and avoid very faded or “icy” colors.
What a fun surprise to see Susan here today! I’ve followed her blog for years and owe some of my favorite clothing and jewelry pieces to her inspiration, especially French Kande jewelry. I had my colors professionally analyzed in 2014 and received a fan of fabric swatches to better illustrate my best colors. That analyst also went really deep into contrast and how it impacts our clothing. I’m not a very “visual” person, so this didn’t completely make sense to me at the time. I didn’t care for many of the colors in my palette, but found that when I wore them I received compliments. It took me about three years to completely embrace my recommendations, but as long as I stick to them my wardrobe works well. I really appreciate the reminder to avoid buying sale items that don’t flatter us in every way – fit AND color! My question for Susan is this: As a warm autumn, I was told that I should never wear grey near my face under any circumstances. I’m turning 65 next month and my hair has very little grey at this point, but when I do turn grey I’d like to go natural. My hesitation is that grey looks so bad on me, so how on earth could I wear my hair grey next to my face? Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.
As others, I had the Color Me Beautiful session with a stylist. I agree that I am a summer and have bought my colors accordingly for years. If I receive a clothing gift and the color is not for me I do notice how I feel different about how I look.
Thanks for a great post.
Hi Lorri, I’m also a very warm season, and have let my hair go gray. One of the things we find is that the colors you wear will reflect both on your face and hair, which helps create harmony. And your natural gray hair may not be completely “silver” but may have a warmer cast. (You’ll probably want to avoid the purple brightening shampoos that are often recommended for silver hair.)
Hi Sydney, without actually doing a color analysis, I can’t tell you your season, but it sounds like you’ve figured out for yourself what colors best suit you.
Any good guides to jewelry tones? I’m low-contrast, most comfortable in duller (grayed) colors, mid-tone. Warmer peach, lots of greens, occasional teal. At 78, my hair is now mostly white. Gold never felt right. My favorite necklaces now are silver or mixed metals — copper, brass. Don’t wear much jewelry, but I still like to play with possibilities!
Susan, thanks for recommending that those of us in the warm seasons avoid using the purple shampoo on our gray to white hair. My hair stylist used it on me and it was not a good look. My hair color is similar to yours. The warm cast is right for my skin tone. I’ve followed your blog for years and that’s what prompted me to have the re-rate in 2020. Thank you & Pam for all your insight into style and color.
Karen, I struggled to figure out my best jewelry tone for years, after reading that if your veins look green wear yellow gold and if they are blue wear silver. Neither ever looked right on me, and as Susan mentioned, that isn’t accurate advice. I finally figured out my metal was rose gold/copper. It absolutely glows with my skin tone, and I wear it almost exclusively now, adding a new piece for every birthday. You mentioned wearing copper, so perhaps this is the answer you’ve been hoping for.
Hi Karen, your best metal tones for jewelry and other metal details like buttons will depend on whether your seasonal palette is warm or cool. Warm = gold, cool = silver. However some seasonal sub-groups can wear mixed metals (Blue Springs, for example).
Hi Karen, I was also told to wear gold as a warm palette and that is what I have done. The majority of my silver costume jewelry was moved on except very special pieces.
As I age, I find yellow gold jewellery can wear me, even as a Deep Autumn* (the focus is on the jewellery, not me). So I prefer brass & bronze for my everyday. (* I say ‘deep autumn’ rather than ‘dark autumn’ because my colour analysis was both tonal *&* seasonal. I actually straddle the dark seasons of Autumn & Winter, because my PRIMARY tonal direction is deep and THEN comes neutral-warm tones).