“I can’t wear red.” This was a basic, core belief of mine for years. YEARS!
“Black is my best color.” And yet, another (incorrect) core belief.
“I am so un-photogenic.” I’m sure you get the point by now. Not knowing my colors actually led me to be self-conscious because just about every photograph I saw of myself didn’t even look like me! I know photography is a whole topic by itself, and there are many contributing factors to a bad photo, but I guarantee you that wearing a color that clashes with you will not lead to a flattering snap.
Truth is that I had certainly stumbled across colors that I didn’t look good in. And not understanding the concepts of undertones, saturation, brightness, etc. led me to make sweeping generalizations. Bright cherry red is an awful color on me, but that doesn’t mean every appearance of red is bad. Fast forward a few years, and now red is a color I wear very regularly…and absolutely love! I’ve even started a blog and Instagram account where I am posting numerous photos of myself for the entire world to see, and most of those photos aren’t too bad! How’s that for a confidence boost? I owe it all to a good color analysis.
So that brings us to the soft autumn rainbow. Did you know that we CAN wear red? And yellow? And orange? We can wear ALL of the colors…as long as they’re the right shades. See the image below and notice how our colors harmonize with one another. They are all toned down versions of the vivid colors we often times think of. In a nutshell, if you imagine a vivid color mixed with some brown and then softened by removing the intensity, you’ll most likely be on the right track to creating a soft autumn shade.
Here are some takeaways regarding the soft autumn rainbow:
- Soft Reds: Our reds lean towards rusty or earthy tones. Read more about soft autumn reds.
- Soft Oranges: Our oranges resemble pumpkins. Read more about soft autumn oranges.
- Soft Yellows: Our yellows are buttery and resemble maize. Read more about soft autumn yellows.
- Soft Greens: Our greens include shades like olive, moss, and sage. Read more about soft autumn greens.
- Soft Blues: Our blues often have hints of green, teal, or gray. Read more about soft autumn blues.
- Soft Purples: Our purples are gentle and often have hints of red, brown, or gray. Read more about soft autumn purples.
I found getting a color analysis to be a liberating experience. It didn’t confine me but instead opened doors to numerous colors I had completely written off! Knowing which shades complement your natural beauty is a gift that allows you to know yourself just a little bit better. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a load of reds in the wash that need to be tended to!
