Seasonal Color Analysis has been around for awhile. I have studied the subject a lot because it is fascinating to me to entertain that, dependent upon one’s unique combination of coloring, a certain palette of colors will look far better than all others. Certainly, if we learn that we look ill in a certain color, it is likely that we would not wish to wear that color often. I think most people have a desire to look their best. Additionally, restricting one’s color palette can do wonders for assisting the development of a capsule wardrobe and bringing focus to the shopping experience.
As a child, I was categorized as a Spring in the original Four Season system, so for years I focused on wearing warm, bright colors. When the system was expanded to include 12 Seasons, I struggled to place myself accurately into one of them. Still relying on the belief that I fell somewhere in the Spring category, I could not readily identify with the examples of hair, skin, and eye coloring listed.
About a year ago, I encountered the Dressing Your Truth system and decided to take its course to determine my Energy Type. According to that system, I am a Type 2 Soft and Subtle. DYT is interesting, to say the least. It addresses personality and behavior more than skin tone or coloring, although it does have information about bone structure and features. The Type 2 individual is supposed to wear muted colors, but I found that the examples and instructors really put an emphasis on muted colors on the cooler side of the spectrum.
I have spent this past year trying out the cool, muted colors and I found myself going back and reviewing the 12 Season system for comparison. Having the DYT experience under my belt, I was open to more possibilities than just the three Spring seasons. Using the DYT Type 2 mantra of Muted as a defining characteristic, I reviewed the two Soft seasons: Soft Summer and Soft Autumn. I believe that I most accurately fall into the Soft Autumn season, which draws on the warm undertone that the image consultant saw all those years ago when she identified me as a Spring. Indeed, my hair color has darkened over the years and has cooled somewhat from its earlier golden blonde as well, so I can see the concept of Autumn with Summer’s influence.
Moreover, I took some time to think about the colors to which I am naturally drawn. First is green. Green is my absolute favorite and has been since I was a baby (so I am told). My favorite stuffed toy was a green frog! The next color to come to mind is peach/apricot. I also like yellow, brown, gray and purple. In addition, I am attracted to turquoise and teal. I am not readily drawn to blue, except navy, and I have a divided view about red. I love it as an accent in home décor and on cars, but I generally do not choose it in clothing.
What I have taken away from all of this self-analysis is that I do look AND feel better wearing certain colors over others. For the most part, the DYT Energy Type 2 system describes my personality and behaviors well. I do tend to look better in more muted colors, but I do not necessarily believe it is because I have a Soft and Subtle personality so much as because the colors do not overwhelm my low-contrast coloring. And despite my own Soft Autumn assessment, there are some cooler muted colors that I enjoy wearing, so I will continue to do so. When I actually thought about the colors that I naturally prefer, my favorites, I realized that most of them fall into the warmer category. In the end, I have decided that if I choose to wear muted versions of my favorite colors, I cannot go wrong because I will be clothed in that which I love. It is of no benefit to me to wear certain colors because someone else said I should.
As a child, I was categorized as a Spring in the original Four Season system, so for years I focused on wearing warm, bright colors. When the system was expanded to include 12 Seasons, I struggled to place myself accurately into one of them. Still relying on the belief that I fell somewhere in the Spring category, I could not readily identify with the examples of hair, skin, and eye coloring listed.
About a year ago, I encountered the Dressing Your Truth system and decided to take its course to determine my Energy Type. According to that system, I am a Type 2 Soft and Subtle. DYT is interesting, to say the least. It addresses personality and behavior more than skin tone or coloring, although it does have information about bone structure and features. The Type 2 individual is supposed to wear muted colors, but I found that the examples and instructors really put an emphasis on muted colors on the cooler side of the spectrum.
I have spent this past year trying out the cool, muted colors and I found myself going back and reviewing the 12 Season system for comparison. Having the DYT experience under my belt, I was open to more possibilities than just the three Spring seasons. Using the DYT Type 2 mantra of Muted as a defining characteristic, I reviewed the two Soft seasons: Soft Summer and Soft Autumn. I believe that I most accurately fall into the Soft Autumn season, which draws on the warm undertone that the image consultant saw all those years ago when she identified me as a Spring. Indeed, my hair color has darkened over the years and has cooled somewhat from its earlier golden blonde as well, so I can see the concept of Autumn with Summer’s influence.
Moreover, I took some time to think about the colors to which I am naturally drawn. First is green. Green is my absolute favorite and has been since I was a baby (so I am told). My favorite stuffed toy was a green frog! The next color to come to mind is peach/apricot. I also like yellow, brown, gray and purple. In addition, I am attracted to turquoise and teal. I am not readily drawn to blue, except navy, and I have a divided view about red. I love it as an accent in home décor and on cars, but I generally do not choose it in clothing.
What I have taken away from all of this self-analysis is that I do look AND feel better wearing certain colors over others. For the most part, the DYT Energy Type 2 system describes my personality and behaviors well. I do tend to look better in more muted colors, but I do not necessarily believe it is because I have a Soft and Subtle personality so much as because the colors do not overwhelm my low-contrast coloring. And despite my own Soft Autumn assessment, there are some cooler muted colors that I enjoy wearing, so I will continue to do so. When I actually thought about the colors that I naturally prefer, my favorites, I realized that most of them fall into the warmer category. In the end, I have decided that if I choose to wear muted versions of my favorite colors, I cannot go wrong because I will be clothed in that which I love. It is of no benefit to me to wear certain colors because someone else said I should.
