How to Work With Colors that Don’t Work With You
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
I’m always warning clients against buying something simply because it’s a great price, especially if the color isn’t flattering. I know, I know. Some bargains just can’t be passed up and I’ll admit, occasionally, I’ve gone against my own advice. Take the other day for example. I visited Regeneration, one of my favorite resale shops in Metro Detroit and scored big. Among my purchases were a new pair of Victor Alfaro shoes ($14) and a gorgeous silk brocade Nine West skirt ($12).
Issues
Shoes, a half size too small.
Skirt, black based (a color I generally avoid at all cost).
I considered passing both items up, but, to leave such exquisiteness behind at these prices would have been ludicrous, right? So, 30 minutes later, out the door I walked with bags in tow that included the black-based skirt and the too small shoes.
Black is beautiful but not on everyone
I used to wear black very well, in fact that was all I wore. But as I’ve gotten older, black does absolutely nothing for me. I’ve found that I can get away with a more muted black. Even then, there’s no “wow” factor as you can see in the next picture. I’m wearing a Tibi cardigan with an Ann Klein black and white tweed skirt, (both from Regeneration; both under $10), black knee high socks and the Victor Alfaro shoes. Sorry about the poor quality of the picture.
Me in Black. Cute outfit; Not so cute color.
Solutions
Shoes: Thanks to a tip shared on The Midwestern Front YouTube Channel, I had the shoes stretched by my trusty cobbler. Easy fix.
Skirt: The skirt, however, because of its colors, proved to be a bit more taxing. The biggest challenge? Identifying the best flattering colors to wear with the skirt.
Black and light blue paired beautifully with the colors in the skirt. Unfortunately, neither color fared well with me.
Color choice: I decided to wear a periwinkle button down underneath a black long sleeve layering tee. The combination looked quite awesome together, but, as expected, pretty awful next to my skin and hair color. So, I added a burgundy cashmere cardigan, a color very much in sync with my personal color palette.
The periwinkle blouse and black picks up the colors in the skirt
Results:
By wearing the favorable color cardigan next to my face, I was able to achieve a harmonious color scheme that harmonized with my own personal color palette. Voilà
Adding the burgundy brings out the color in my hair and skin. And yes the shoes fit!
Tags: Affordable Luxe, Choosing the right colors, color analysis, Color Trends, eBay steals, Luxe for less, Michigan corporate image consulting, petite fashion tips, style consulting
Posted in Body Analysis, color, Color / Colour Analysis, Colour/Color, Corporate, corporate image, Personal, Petite, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Price-Le$$ Luxe Daily – Lanvin Pumps
Monday, November 7th, 2011
Tags: Affordable Luxe, animal print trend, glitzy trend, H&M, Lanvin, Luxe for less, pumps, Webinar
Posted in Body Analysis, color, Color / Colour Analysis, Colour/Color, corporate image, Personal, Petite, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Pricele$$ Luxe Find – Alaia Ponyskin Laced Shoes
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Female Lawyers and Their Iss Shoes
Saturday, February 26th, 2011
Every year during spring, I get invited to speak at law firms on the topic of business casual and every year, without fail, a young female lawyer poses the question: “Are peep toe or open toe shoes appropriate in the legal field?”
Attempting to not put my foot in my mouth, I generally answer in this manner:
Yes to either styles on business casual days, provided:
- the shoe has a sensible heel (4″ or shorter); and
- feet are well manicured.
BUT if
- you’re seeing clients;
- you’re going to court; or
- management frowns upon it,
No.
While I “gently” present to managers the argument that business attire has changed tremendously over the last 20 years and, in order to attract new clients, one should appear current, I also emphasize that casual should never trump business in terms of “business casual.” I’m told by many HR managers that they simply don’t wish to deal with that one person who always “steps” outside the boundaries – poorly manicured feet; stilettos – so they choose not to deal with the issue at all. While some offices are more accepting of one open toe shoe style over another, other offices accept both. And then there are those offices that still struggle over the issue of bare legs. My best advice is to adhere to whatever policy your company adopts. Toeing the line simply isn’t worth the possibility of having both feet out the door.
What’s your take? Complete the poll and leave a comment telling me what you really think.
Full Frontal Open Toe
Tags: corporate image consulting, Michigan corporate image consulting, Professional Tips
Posted in Body Analysis, Color / Colour Analysis, Corporate, Personal, Petite, Uncategorized | No Comments »
