Color Me Beautiful!
By Aimee Guthinger
The concept of color choice in a woman’s wardrobe has really peaked my interest recently. For some reason I have had a slew of customers come into the shop in recent weeks holding “Color Season” cards searching for Intimates that would work well with their complexions. This idea was popular in apparel back in the 80’s when women would have their “Season” read based on their actual skin, hair and eye tones. I guess I have more than a few ladies of a certain age shopping in my boutique. So I grew curious and decided I would train my staff and conduct an in-house clinic to assist interested shoppers.
So, how does this factor into bridal lingerie you may ask? Well, how often do you go out shopping and make purchases based mainly on an emotional response to a color or print instead of thinking about how it will look against your skin? If you are anything like me, you have made some serious fashion mistakes in the past, leaving you with a closet full of clothes, maybe half of which were truly flattering. Let’s face it, there is no event in a woman’s life that elicits more emotional purchasing quite like a wedding. So, today I am going to try and empower you to make better color choices not only with your everyday clothing selections, but also with your wedding party attire and particularly with your bridal undergarments.
The first step is to determine your color season. It is estimated that 70% of us are Winters, which means that pure white dresses will be the most attractive.
However, if you fall into the Summer season palette, then a soft white is better alternative.
Autumn palettes glow in oyster white .
Finally, Spring palettes are best dressed in ivory.
The same will be true with your bridal lingerie selections. Now, consider your bridesmaids and the color of their dresses. Having worked with many brides in the past, I tried to remember an instance when one of them discussed the color that would be most flattering for their bridal party or the ensuing photos. I could not think of one! Consider this. As the bride, you may not be wearing that shade of navy blue that you have asked your bridesmaids to wear, but if you are an autumn palette, being surrounded by bridesmaids dressed in navy is actually not a great idea. Navy is a hue that you “autumns” should probably avoid.
Gilda & Pearl ~ Spring
Eberjey ~ Summer
I.D. Sarrieri ~ Autumn
b.tempt'd by Wacoal ~ Winter
So, while this is a relatively new topic to me, it is one that I am learning more about everyday and one that I find fascinating. As a result I would encourage each of you to explore your color personalities, either through a consultation with a color stylist or through books and online resources. Just as the right bra or shapewear can make or break an outfit, so too, can the right color palette, change how you look and feel.
