[Color Theories & Experts] Using the Five Color Image Scale to Finalize Your Seasonal Color Palette (or Core Wardrobe Colors)

OK. I should hop into bed and tuck myself in real soon, but I thought I'd share this post also...

in case, there are 'confused' stylistas out there, who may have been frustrated with their seasonal color draping results, NOT really being EASY PEASY, when it comes to APPLYING it to their personal wardrobes!

^___^V

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So. This 'Five Color Image Scale' is something I shared on my blog LONG TIME AGO! It's a color combo 'map' that visually lays out for your what the Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter colors groupings LOOK LIKE... in their own 'Quadrants' so to speak.

Take a peak here, at the book where this diagram comes from

Image: Five Color Image Scale by Shigenobu Kobayashi (1992)

Image: Analyzing Color Preferences - 7 Taste Profiles

I shared both images in this blog before, and I think it was clear to me right away that I connected with the Refreshing & Hard palette... the most. Followed by the Colorful & Hard palette second. 

The custom in my country (South Korea) is that most people tweak their outfit colors for each season. And the seasonal color analysis which is great for all the diverse beauties and body pigments you find in the US or other nations doesn't work to the full extent for the majority of Koreans. Well, at least, in my opinion any way... 

I know that color draping is becoming more known here too, and the Fashion cable TVs do a lot to spread information to the masses... but seriously... with the level of contrast that most Koreans get born with... It's probably only 20~45% of population that would ONLY dress in their season's palette all year round... 

Because hair color STILL is the most dominant thing in a person, and if you work, your wardrobe will NEED black/gray/blue/beige for neutrals...

Even my color analyst, who told me she was the same seasonal type as me, we both tested Autumn, told me that after like a year to a year and half of trying to dress ONLY in the Autumn palette, she felt rather 'limited' in what she could wear.

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So. Going back to what I did... using Kobayashi's image map...

I wrote down, what my 'experiments' and 'explorations' have taught me in coming up with the correct colors to use as my Core Wardrobe Colors! :D

After dressing in Type 2 for 90 days, I knew with the level of energy drain I felt, I knew that even though my facial features have a softened/natural effect going on... this couldn't be it for me.

The Spring colors or Soft-Warm colors are really pretty, but you can't build a work wardrobe just on those, or at least, for me, with my black hair and almost black eyes, it wouldn't work that well.

Then, even though I was tested Autumn, the Warm/Hard section seem too sporty and casual for a work wardrobe. While the muted muddy brown and olive colors were Autumn colors that didn't enhance my skin coloring. So I was told to stay away from them by my analyst. The only palette that I feel I CAN incorporate into my workable functioning work wardrobe was the Warm/Hard palette called 'Gorgeous' (Blue ring on the left).

And what I knew from personal experience and personal needs for a work wardrobe, and most of all, what the Dollars and Sense have taught me in the past 15 years of working life... I realized where my objective is to have a TRULY hard working wardrobe for myself, the most OPTIMAL work wardrobe for myself, I'd just have to stick to the Cool/Hard colors, to accommodate my hair/eye coloring.

So... in the end, when I whited out all the other color combos...

These are the colors I COULD easily use to build my Core Wardrobe.

Talk about money saving & having TRUE wardrobe REAL ESTATE!!!

This to me is all it needs to be!!!

I'll probably have to play dress up & check the mirror

to see how these palettes work out...

But, this gives me at least some MORE ideas on where to spend for quality and long term investment... and where to cut corners by large!

Having said that, let me wrap up with where I feel I am, in Into-Mind's 'Wardrobe Diagnostics' :-)

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Image: "wardrobe diagnostics: why you don’t have anything to wear" by ANUSCHKA REES

About 2~3 months ago, I got this from this flowchart:

YOU HAVE NO COHERENT STYLE CONCEPT
:(

Well. I took the flowchart again, and this time round, I get...
YOUR SHOPPING STRATEGY IS TOO REACTIVE

I really hope that by the end of this year, I can get to the last stage!
UNDEVELOPED STYLING SKILLS

:)

Aight!

Thank you for listening!!
And share with me, how your color journey has been~!!

xoxo

Jessica Flatshoenista!

My Post-DYT & Post-Seasonal-Color-Analysis Phase - New Clarity and Perspective

These past couple of days, I've been just flipping and browsing through a lot of my old fashion book collection, and pondering what I'd learnt and how it wasn't the 'One Stop Solution' to my soulful longings.

I've been spending so much time especially torn over how the Dressing Your Truth and my color analysis didn't match at all. That bothered me. It bothered me so much.

Because, Carol Tuttle's program states and gives a style guideline that is very strict and restrictive on color. If we are a reflection of nature, as showcased in her videos, how is it that being a Type 4, my skin reacts only at its best with vivid Autumn colors? Is nature inconsistent? Does my energetic movement somehow contradict the pigments in my skin?

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There's actually a post I've been mulling over forever actually, which sort of pin points to the same problem that I'm having as the web-cartoon's author's fashion and style journey, that coincides with this particular topic.

There is a Korea based author who blogged for five seasons and launched books from these awesome web-cartoons called 'Dress Code', the main character which is herself presented in a cartoon form, embarks on a self-explorative journey to express authentic self via fashion and personal style. It covers all the good stuff one can find in most of the major image consulting related articles and contents, ranging from your own body shape to color analysis to wardrobe planning and organizing.

But the conclusion of the Season Five ended with the author saying something more philosophical than practical. Which left a slightly poignant disappointing taste in my mouth. Chagrin, perhaps. (She ended her 5 seasons, saying that what other people really remember is what we do in the clothes we wear, which is true and deep yes, but it didn't give the closure I was looking for regarding fashion and personal style.)

* * *

Anyhow, I did find a different inspiration though tonight, from Ms. Rees which is clearly going to help me transition from my Uh-I-Did-DYT and Yeah-I-Am-A-Striking-Autumn-Palette but so what? phase to a much more constructive phase!

Enter,the third part of Ms. Rees's guidelines on how to utilize and incorporate your color palette into your personal style and wardrobe! Here's an excerpt from her blog post:

Ok, so you have analysed your complexion, worked out which one of the 12 seasonal types you are the closest to, and have explored your recommended colour palette. What’s next? Finding your type and colours is easy, figuring out what to do with that information is the tricky part. Are you supposed to throw out every item in your closet that does not belong to your recommended palette (short answer: no)? What if that palette does not match the one you developed as part of your style concept? And what happens if you simply don’t like the colours that supposedly suit you so well? In this post, I’m going to address all of these concerns and tell you my perspective on how to utilize your colour palette, although that perspective might differ a little from what professional colour analysts would tell you. My no. 1 point is that colour analysis is just one of many tools or techniques that you can use to define your personal style and build a wardrobe that perfectly fits you and your lifestyle. Try it out, implement certain parts and ignore others, bend rules or follow them to the letter, whatever works for you.

God. I just really needed to hear that. That is like the thing I've been craving to hear. She goes on to further expound on her 3 Basic Rules, and these were:

RULE 1 ǀ USE YOUR COLOUR PALETTE LIKE A GUIDE, NOT A SET OF RULES

RULE 2 ǀ SELF-EXPRESSION TRUMPS COLOUR ANALYSIS

RULE 3 ǀ PRIORITIZE ITEMS CLOSE TO YOUR FACE

Can we get a Hallelujah~! on this please? Especially on that Rule Number 2? The color analysis is constantly evolving and some of the really refined ones have upto 50~60 categories. With so many sub-categories. My personal favorite is the Rule 2. I think self-expression needs to be left wide-open for people to make on their own. Yes, I know Carol Tuttle mentions this too, that a lot of the Type 4 people will do this ANYWAY, they like to be their own authoritay! :-) Yeah, so be it. And Rule 3, my local color analyst told me this already, and she said that I could wear non-palette colors for bottoms and shoes, away from my face.

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Let me leave you with her words, regarding Rule 2, I think she speaks with fervor and conviction that may make your post-DYT life easier too...

RULE 2 ǀ SELF-EXPRESSION TRUMPS COLOUR ANALYSIS
Your colour palette should never restrict your ability to express your aesthetic ideals through your wardrobe. If your recommended colour palette does not match your style concept, you need to analyze each shade individually and then make a decision: wear, avoid or tweak. If a certain shade really does make you look sick and just plain bad, try to find a replacement that still captures the colour’s essence but fits your skin’s undertone a little better. Use the 12 palettes like a navigation system: If, say, you love the pink in the light Summer palette, but are a warm Autumn, move along the palettes towards your own type until you come across a potential alternative, e.g. the neutral plum shade in the soft Autumn palette. Your own palette might not include your wanted colour, but perhaps your palette’s neighbours do. If a colour does not look amazing but also not horrible on you,  then I say go for it! I’m a light Spring so black is definitely not one of my best colours, but I love it and it’s an important part of my style concept. If I want to wear black I will just put on a little more make up or use a few other tricks (described below) to make it work for my complexion.

Amen, Ms. Rees.
You rock my confused world tonight.
Hail your blog!
Long live your wisdom!

With deep gratitude,

xoxo

Jessica, feeling enlightened!