Wearing Colour Trends

When I had my colours analysed 3 years ago, I left the session both excited and with renewed confidence having discovered the palette of colours that suited my natural complexion. Click here for more information about the colour analysis process

I certainly enjoyed shopping for my ‘star’ colours and wearing my new wardrobe for a while but what do to, six months or a year after I’d first had my colours analysed, when I wanted to update my wardrobe?  There are only so many damson or royal blue pieces I can wear!

I love fashion and looking current and on trend is important to me.  Each new fashion season sees a dominant colour palette take the title of the ‘must have’ trend colour and although I do feel slightly resentful when the ‘it’ colour is orange (I’m a Winter), we can all adapt certain colour trends to suit our season. 

This season it’s all about Pastels, featured everywhere in fashion publications.  It’s all about introducing pretty pastels such as peachy rose tones, soft forget-me-not blues and baby pinks, even leafy greens and pale lemon yellow, which are all key for this season’s more feminine looks.

At first I  was sure this would be another colour trend I couldn’t invest in as I need cool, bright colours to create contrast, however when I looked through my colour wallet I realised I could do it as long as I remembered my ‘rules’ for wearing colour. I would recommend that you consult your wallet each season to see how to make the ‘on trend’ colour work for you, ensuring your wardrobe stays current and on trend.

It’s easy for all seasons to update their look with a few pastel shades. Here are a few suggestions for each season:

 

Winters – Look out for Ice Aqua and Ice Blue. Team with a strong neutral such as black or navy to give you the contrast you need.

Springs – Mint Green looks amazing this season, team with a brighter colour such as Geranium Red to ensure your vibrancy.

Autumns – Look out for lemon yellows for extra zing. Textured finishes such as lace or brushed wools will ensure you are bang on trend.

Summers –Look out for this season’s key colour trend, Dusty Pink, especially in outerwear and a lot of other soft, muted tones such as Powder Blue will work well for you, especially when worn together.

Generally, look out for Winter Pastels in soft tailoring, knitwear, especially with brushed or textured finishes, and outerwear. 

Find out what colours work for your season with our free Autumn/Winter 2013-14 colour guide

Radio 1: Waking up to First Impressions

I heard an amusing comment recently that Radio 1 presenters will need to smarten up their appearance because they’re having their own dedicated channel on BBC iPlayer!

On searching for the news item I was even more amused to find no mention of what this will mean to them or their appearance! There’s a perception that if you’re on radio, it doesn’t matter what you wear but if you’re on TV it does! Maybe the old adage has changed too:

 ‘I’ve got the face for Radio and the voice for Twitter’

I was always taught to take pride in my appearance when going to work.  Despite working on a farm it was still important because it demonstrated my attitude to work and my co-workers.  Now I have children and can see things from an adult perspective, I haven’t changed that opinion.  The more important it is for people to see/hear me and my ‘message’, the more attention I pay to what I’m going to wear.

There’s much debate about first impressions and whether they count as much as we think  - modern networking happens across platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and it’s about your picture as much as what you say or post. 

According to M. Farouk Radwan, there are several factors that determine how we form a first impression:

·         Social exchange theory

·         How you make them feel

·         When you meet them – have they or you had a bad day? 

·         The Halo effect – an interesting phenomenon!

Arthur Dobrin suggests that while the halo effect is powerful, in a longer term relationship, its power is diminished, which is completely in line with our view that consistency is critical - in your behaviour and appearance but also with who you are.  Your beliefs and values shine through your personality whether you like it or not, unless you’re acting, and that’s difficult to maintain outside a temporary role.  The Queen and Bob Geldof are two examples of consistency because whether you agree or disagree with their stance, values or behaviours in the world, their impressions are upheld because they present themselves in ways that are consistent with their body language, physical appearance and character.

As for how long it takes, contrary to popular belief, it’s no longer a few seconds; according to Willis and Todorov it’s more like one tenth of a second, on that basis almost exclusively visual. 

There is hope.  Dobrin points out, ‘First impressions matter, but substance has the final word’. 

As public figures, Radio 1 presenters have already got a personal brand being clear on this and how to display it will serve them well if their visibility is suddenly increased.  If there is changing/upgrading to do, it needs to be maintainable – slow and steady rather than erratic and unpredictable will enable them to maintain their credibility, unless unpredictable and erratic are values they wish to be known by!   If their image is not consistent with who they truly are they won’t be able to maintain it over time without considerable cost to themselves and their self-esteem. 

And my top tip?  Dress for the position you want to be!  If you don’t look like someone who can represent your organisation at the next or even highest level, then you will either be overlooked in favour of someone who does ‘look the part’ or you’ll have to work harder to get there. 

Clear that Clutter!

I’ve done it again.  Many, many hours have been spent over the last two months clearing out clutter and I’m now gearing up for my second pass! 

Growing up on a farm the impact of my surroundings and the need for light and fresh air came home to me after I attended a London University!  So it’s no surprise that I’ve developed a keen interest in Feng Shui.  In my own language, this is about having a physical environment that works to support me in my life.   This includes being as mindful of the negative power of clutter as I am of the positive elements in my environment.

An interesting point that Karen Kingston makes in her book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, is that the negative effect of clutter can be far more powerful than the positive energy of anything else.  Clutter clearing is contagious, having cleared my office, I moved to my wardrobe including my underwear!   Pareto’s principle of 80:20 suggests that 80% of our time we wear 20% of our clothes.  Having helped many clients over the years, I concur.   Fortunately, I’ve applied what I teach generally but some areas are creeping towards 60:40, most notably my underwear and socks!  Suffice to say I found it liberating only keeping the ones I wear regularly!   Our theory at House of Colour is that you’ll only wear something uncomfortable 3 times before overlooking it in favour of something else when choosing what to wear.  This is especially true of underwear!  So do yourself a favour, be honest - if in doubt, chuck it out! Or at least put it in a bag with today’s date on it – if in 12 months time you haven’t been into the bag, then it’s time to get rid of it… without taking a sneaky look at what’s inside!

My husband’s wardrobe didn’t survive completely unscathed but a cautionary word of advice here from Karen and myself – don’t try clearing other people’s clutter!  After a painful process several years ago, I’ve managed to keep on top of this and learnt how to work with my husband.  I am currently learning how to work with my children!  If you want more tips, read Chapter 14 of her book!

The contagion is spreading; several of my friends have reported that they’re starting to clutter clear as a result of me sharing my experiences!   And there are many charity shops who are able to recycle fabrics as well as clothes and are extremely grateful for anything that doesn’t make it past the EBay apathy!

The process:

1.       Prioritise:

             a.       Identify all the areas that hold clutter
             b.      Grade them on a scale of 1-10 by how much they annoy you
             c.       Grade them on a scale of how big or small they are
              d.      Start with the smallest areas that bug you the most to get the quick win

2.       Have boxes to sort the clutter into:

             a.       Fixing/mending
             b.      Cleaning
             c.    Returning  to their owners
             d.      Charity shop/Ebay .. but make sure it’s done within the week otherwise it becomes  
                      another source of clutter
             e.      Filing – to be deposited in the rightful places around your home – but don’t do it until
                      you’ve finished clearing otherwise you’ll get distracted
             f.       Throwing away

3.       Sorting / Filing:

             a.       When replacing your cleared belongings, file them according to function/purpose/
                      colour so that they are easily found
             b.    Keep all things visible.  Out of sight is out of mind and you’ll forget they exist if they’re
                      hidden in a corner of your wardrobe.
             c.    Lifestyle – recognise how you spend your time and keep your clothes in proportion to
                      this.  10 ball dresses are fine if you go to several each year!

 My confession?   I couldn’t do this on my own – I’ve (nearly) finished the job myself but I needed someone to help me break the backbone in the worst area – my office.   Your consultant is trained to help you clutter clear your wardrobe as a critical part of your Wardrobe Review service.  Consider what help you need….and cut yourself some slack. Clutter clearing is a draining process but it’s well worth the feeling of lightness, clarity and space at the end!

 

Lipstick – Love it or Loathe it?

Two perspectives and both from men aged over 60!

'Get that muck off your face!'

'I love lipstick; I love the way it makes women look’
 

Both men have obviously been heavily influenced by their upbringing; the former from a hard working, frugal background with little time or money for ‘frivolous’ luxuries, the other brought up by his mother and aunts in a post-war environment where a little bit of lipstick was seen as important, an almost critical boost to self-confidence!   My own Grandmother told me how she was ‘told’ to take off her lipstick if she wanted to be taken out again. 

Our upbringing has a lot to answer for.  There’s nothing we can do to change it, however, we can reinterpret it and choose whether to listen to the ‘lessons’ or not. 

Economists have widely recognised the ‘lipstick effect’ as an early warning to a recession arriving.   When circumstances are tight, women spurn expensive new dresses and shoes in favour of more modest retail therapy, such as cosmetics.

In fact, the following article goes deeper and looks at the connection between the psychology of mating and consumer behaviour.  When times get tough, recessionary cues consistently increase women’s desire for products which increase their attractiveness…. albeit in this context, to mates, however attractiveness is equally important when making friends, securing jobs, making sales, giving and receiving customer service in its many forms.

At House of Colour, we know that the right colour lipstick makes your eyes appear brighter, distinguishes your facial features more clearly, and helps you to look fresh and vibrant.

The neighbour’s baby smiling at her before its own mother, gave me a clear example of how lipstick defines, making our facial features easier to see.  I wonder if the same is true for lip-readers or partially sighted people when trying to distinguish our facial movements. 

 

Our Colour Class  teaches you techniques to build on the empowering aspects of your upbringing, while gently dropping those less empowering ‘lessons’! 

 

 

Feeling comfortable with your lipstick can be one of the biggest challenges for our female customers and their partners!  It takes 21 times to create a habit, therefore wearing a new lipstick in your colour every day for 3 weeks will enable  you and everyone around you to get used to it;  It is only at this point that we can judge a look objectively.

It’s not whether you want to look good, but do you have the courage to?

Be brave, enjoy the result; it’s worth it!

Colour, Appearance is Perception

From the age of 2 my son might request a ‘Toby chocolate’.  What he’s asking for may bemuse anyone else but it’s crystal clear when you live here.  Toby, a lesser known friend of Thomas the Tank Engine, resides in one of the sheds alongside his pals on this mug and we’ve fallen into a pattern of only serving hot (tepid) chocolate in it! 

How many ‘grown-ups’ are stressed by children requesting a certain colour beaker, getting upset when their drink is delivered in something else?   And yet, we do it. 

It won’t surprise you to know that there has been some research into this very subject:

As the article says, ‘Lovers of hot chocolate may say that ingredients are the key to a truly satisfying drink’.  Apparently this is not entirely true, researchers have revealed that using an orange-coloured cup is the best way to enjoy the beverage!’

Their findings could explain why we prefer to drink tea or coffee from our favourite mug.

From a selection of 57 volunteers, using 4 possible different coloured plastic mugs, researchers found that people said hot chocolate tasted better when served in an orange or cream coloured cup than in a red or white one.

From my personal selection of more than 20 mugs, yet again I reach for one of my 2 or 3 favourites.   It does make me feel, almost imperceptibly, better drinking out of one of ‘my’ mugs, than the children’s Thomas mug, car mug or the chipped one.  It is also a combination of shape with appearance – it has to look right AND feel right when I hold it. 

 

 

In fact, head over to the internet and type in ‘hug mug’ and a whole range of options come up, which you can just imagine drinking out of!

The wisdom of children is so often overlooked or discounted but maybe we should apply this learning to our wardrobes.  Taking more notice of how our clothes make us look and feel, the impact they have on our experience and mood, might help us to pay more attention to establishing, using and developing a wardrobe of clothes that supports us as individuals.

 

Break the rules knowingly!

There is much talk about whether etiquette is outmoded, whether rules still stand and if they should be followed, broken or ignored. 

Within reason, it’s subjective. You’re completely free to do what you want, providing you are prepared to face any potential consequences.  As the adage says, ‘you can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink’; rules are often there to help, support and guide us, to make us feel comfortable so that we know both what to expect and what is expected of us.  They provide a structure for society to work and flow smoothly.

True, some rules may no longer appear to be relevant but many still hold.  Remembering that rebellion is against something specific, break the rules knowingly!  Most people like having guidance about how to dress, says Andrew Groves, who heads the University of Westminster's fashion department, "We all like to think we're individuals but rules give people a certain security when it comes to fashion."

In this article by BBC news magazine, they comment on whether there are still rules about what you wear?  

I absolutely agree with the comments about white socks,  it brings back memories of socialising in the 80s when grey drainpipes, white socks and loafers were de rigeur on the disco dance floors around the UK!

The length of a man’s tie when tied – absolutely critical – too short is reminiscent of a young school boy look while too long just looks sloppy - regardless of public opinion and current fashions.  

Clashing prints may look ‘edgy’ but that’s only appropriate if your personality, occupation or preferably both (being well matched) are ‘edgy’.  Personally, it’s not the impression I would choose to create but it’s a free world - you can make your own choice!

They discuss earrings in men - all body piercings go into to a similar box – choose what and whether to wear anything with caution if you’re concerned about how you are received.  Otherwise, refer to my closing comment.

As for colour and pattern mixing, given that there are an infinite number of blues and greens, in shade, depth and hue, it would be difficult to prescribe through rules which colours can and can’t be worn together.   It’s about harmonising, complementing and contrasting colours from the same season in order to create an effect which is easier on the eye.  If your colouring is Spring, (warm and bright), Kettlewell have recently produced a fantastic print which demonstrates this beautifully.  Frequently, clients would have a strong negative reaction to colours that weren’t in their palette, thus colour combining can rarely be objective.  The images below are all taken from the current Kettlewell collection, you will probably be drawn to the colours in one image below more than another based on your personal preference.

And jewellery?  Mixed metals in the same piece can look great on some people but as with anything, what suits your colouring is not affected by fashion.

So what of rules? Of course you can wear what you want, but when you know what is required of you e.g. a uniform, or what works to help you look your best, why would you want to wear anything else?