My color analysis journey
As a younger millennial, much of my teenage understanding of style was shaped by the trends of the Y2K era. When it came to color, I and most teens I knew just wore what we saw in stores and magazines: the iconic Abercrombie brown, the bright coral and electric teal that were popular shades for racerback tanks and polos, and later the maroon knits and army green jackets that were ubiquitous in the 2010s.
I didn't put too much thought into whether or not certain colors flattered my own coloring; inspired by celebrities like Blake Lively and Kate Middleton, I adopted elements of their style (including color) as my own.
Years later, as I entered the workforce, had more disposable income, and became interested in developing a stronger sense of my own personal style, I started noticing color more as an important component of style. Neutrals were very trendy at the time, and I loved the aesthetics and associations of neutral, clean-girl looks.
Brands like Aritzia and Reformation rose to the top of my shopping list, and I began to incorporate lots of beiges and neutral pastels like muted lavender and sage green into my wardrobe.
But as much as I enjoyed emulating the clean-girl urbanite styles I saw on Instagram and TikTok, I began to gain an awareness that these neutral colors weren't as flattering on me as I wanted them to be. Somehow I felt washed out, a little drab, when I wore all neutrals.
I discovered color analysis around the same time, but it was difficult at first to determine my color season. I initially thought I might be a summer, because at the time I gravitated towards the aesthetics of softer cool tones.
Only through trial and error did I discover that I was in fact somewhere between a cool winter / bright winter!
Once I made a conscious effort to incorporate my season's vibrant tones into my wardrobe, despite the fact that they weren't as "trendy," I immediately began to notice the difference in how these colors brought out my features and made them shine.
Dressing in my own colors doesn't mean I don't still have trends or aesthetics I enjoy, but nowadays I feel much less like I'm copy-pasting a look I admired, and more like I'm incorporating elements of a trend into my own authentic style.
Color analysis has already made a huge difference in shaping how I define my personal style, and I'm excited to see how my style will evolve as my understanding of color analysis deepens.