Oct 20, 2023

Why Digital Draping?

"Do I even know what I look like?"

The thought has passed through many of our minds as we've fruitlessly attempted to complete an online quiz or interactive magazine listicle with titles like "Find your color season" or "What's your perfect neutral?"

These quizzes often suggest metrics with varying degrees of helpfulness: do you look better in gold or silver? What color is your hair/eyes? Would you rather wear orange or pink?

While these metrics can act as easy shorthands to guide us towards what our color season may be, there are too many traps -- too much user error -- that can befall us throughout the process of trying to decode these tests. "Are your veins green or blue?"

Well... They sort of look greenish-blue? And just because someone has dark hair and eyes does not preclude the possibility of them being a lighter season (spring or summer).

All this is to say, there's a reason why fabric draping is still the gold standard preferred by color analysis experts. Ultimately, shorthands like a preference for gold vs. silver jewelry can only go so far in accurately determining someone's color season.

Observing the effect of each season's colors on the face is the most reliable way to determine color season. Unfortunately, not all of us have the means to get a professional draping session done. That's why I decided to create Vivaldi Color Lab, a free app that makes draping accessible to everyone.

Digital draping isn't perfect by any means: we can never guarantee that colors will appear the same across every screen, and there is the possibility for error when users need to upload photos of themselves in neutral lighting. I've tried to anticipate these challenges as much as possible through my selection of colors and through clear language on the app.

While digital draping (as opposed to in-person fabric draping) has some potential for pitfalls and user error, the benefits of accessibility and ease of use far outweigh any potential shortcomings.

So if you've ever tried to determine your color season through an online quiz or magazine, only to end up more confused than you started out, digital draping may be worth a try. You may be surprised by how clearly your best colors flatter and brighten the face, while your worst colors may make you appear tired and even sick.

Of course, knowing your color season is only the first step of the color analysis journey. Vivaldi Color Lab offers personalized suggestions for makeup and clothing that aligns with each season and subseason, so you can kickstart your journey with some easy recommendations for incorporating your best colors into your personal style. Best of luck and have fun draping!

Why Digital Draping?

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