Posts Tagged ‘Michigan corporate image consulting’

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!

 

 

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Posted in Body Analysis, color, Color / Colour Analysis, Colour/Color, Corporate, corporate image, Personal, Petite, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Price-Le$$ Luxe Daily Steal – Boden Blue/Black Beaded Party Dress

Saturday, November 12th, 2011

An eBay Steal at $64.99.  Great party dress!

 

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Posted in Body Analysis, color, Color / Colour Analysis, Colour/Color, Personal, Petite | No Comments »

(Video) Color and Contrast – Low Contrast

Saturday, April 23rd, 2011

Low Contrast Level

Cate Blanchard lends the perfect example of low contrast.

Her hair and skin values, along with the value of her eyes are consistent.

Now that you’re filled with all this good knowledge on color contrast, view Oscar De La Renta’s 2011 Spring Fashion Runway Show with a new set of eyes.

 

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Posted in Body Analysis, closet analysis, color, Color / Colour Analysis, Colour/Color, Corporate, corporate image, corporate image consulting, Personal, Petite | 2 Comments »

(Video) A Look at Color as it Relates to Contrast – High Contrast

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

High Contrast

Wearing colors that are in sync with your natural color scheme play a significant role in your overall look. But don’t be fool. There’s more to the color equation. Identifying the level of contrast that exists in the colors of your own body and then repeating that level of contrast in what you wear is the little secret many color consultants fail to mention.

How to identify your contrast level

•  Take a self-photo and convert it to black and white.

•  Determine if your hair value is dark, medium or light.

•  Determine if your skin value is dark, medium or light.

Take a look at this picture of Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The high contrast between her hair and skin is easily recognizable.

 

Converting this same picture to black and white, notice how her dark colors appear very dark and her light colors appear very light.

Now, look at supermodel Alek Wek. Do you think her contrast level is high, medium or low?

Alek, too, has a high contrast level. Notice how the whites of her eyes and teeth contrast highly with her dark skin.

Alek’s high contrast is even more prevalent in this picture, as here we see not only how the whites of her eyes contrast with her dark skin, but also the contrast of the reflected light on her face.

 

Both look fabulous in high contrast color-combinations. Another winning look is wearing colors that contrast strongly against their hair

or skin

Now, take a look at this video. Note how all the models have dark hair; not one blond. Medium Contrast


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Posted in Body Analysis, color, Color / Colour Analysis, Corporate, corporate image, Personal, Petite | 2 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

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Posted in Body Analysis, Color / Colour Analysis, Corporate, Personal, Petite, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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