You probably already know that the shape of your face and hairstyle work together to either make or break your overall appearance.
But what most people don’t know is that your Skin Tone actually plays a crucial role in complementing your clothes and vice versa.
So if you have ever tried on clothing and for some reason didn’t think that it looked quite right, its probably because the shades didn’t compliment your Skin tone or complexion.
The power of color should never ever be underestimated, and if you really want to harness this power for yourself, you’ll need to first determine where you sit on the skin tone spectrum and then start stocking your wardrobe accordingly.
What Is Skin Tone?
Also called the undertone, the skin tone is different from the complexion.
Your complexion is the shade of skin which can either be light, medium, or dark.
On the other hand, your undertone remains the same irrespective of how much sun you get and irrespective of whether you are tan in the summer or pale in the winter.
There are different undertones such as cool, warm, and neutral.
Ultimately, it’s a good idea to learn your undertone so that you can choose the right hair and lipstick to flatter you, as well as the right shades of clothing to make you look fabulous.
Not All Skin Tones Are Equal
This may sound like something fairly obvious, but not all skin tones are equal.
It is crucial that you know your skin tone in order to pick out the right jewelry, hair color and clothing.
If you don’t know your skin tone, then you are likely to make the wrong choices time after time. So let’s take a closer look at the different undertones, so you can make more flattering choices for yourself.
If you tan easily and very rarely burn, then you probably have a warm skin tone, and this is, especially if you look great in earth tones such as red, yellow and orange.
If you look great in gold jewelry or better in it than you do in silver, then you definitely have a warm skin tone.
Another way to tell your skin tone is to do the “vein test”. By looking at the inside of your wrist and determining the color, you can tell your skin tone.
If your veins appear to be green, then you have a warm skin tone.
However, if you need to use sunscreen just to avoid getting burned in the sun and look better in jewelry that is purple, green or blue then your skin tone is definitely cool.
Also, the veins that appear on the inside of your wrist will appear blue or purple if you have a cool undertone.
If none of the above sounds like you, then you have a neutral skin tone.
Warm skin tones have yellow overtones, and cool skin tones have a pink overtone, while people with neutral skin tones have no obvious overtone at all.
So if you have a neutral tone, then you find it easier to look great in various colors.
Complementing Your Skin Tone With The Right Colors
Warm Skin Tones
If you’ve got warm skin tones, then the best colors for you are rich reflections of nature.
So you should turn to red, amber, coral, peach, orange, yellow or gold. You will also look great when wearing warmer versions of cool colors, such as moss, violet, red, orchid and olive.
The neutral colors that are most suitable for you are cappuccino, taupe, mushroom grey and cream.
You should also avoid chilli colors like sapphire, amethyst as they can wash you out and make your skin appear to be dull and grey.
Cool Skin Tones
For those who have cool skin tones, your best colors are on the cooler end of the spectrum and gain inspiration from the depths of winter and the depths of the ocean.
Emeralds, bright blues, purples along with frosty shades of ice blue and lavender will also look exceptionally appealing to you.
If you’re looking for colors on the warmer side, you can turn to bright rosy red, ruby or super-pale yellow.
With neutrals, you can also turn to bright white, navy and cool grey. However, steer clear from oranges, tomato red, strong yellows, so it doesn’t clash with your skin tone.
Neutral Skin Tones
If you’ve got a neutral skin tone then you are blessed as you can wear anything on the color spectrum, but it’s best if you go for muted or softened versions; however, it’s typically best if you go for muted or softened versions of the color as opposed to brighter ones.
Choose colors such as jade green, dusty pink, lagoon blue and cornsilk yellow. If you are after more neutral colors, then opt for coffee, off-white, black and mid-range greys.
But if you have a neutral skin tone, stay away from colors such as magenta, electric blue as they can overwhelm the skin tone.
Tip: Never be afraid to wear bright, true red as you will always slay in them.
What Colors To Pick Depending On Your Skin Tone
Darker Skin Tone
If you have dark skin, then it’s like you’ve won the genetic lottery and could try your hand at pretty much any color in the spectrum.
The world is truly your oyster if you have darker skin. It’s perfectly positioned to go well with the huge selection of hues and shades.
And you won’t run the risk of looking washed out like people with pale skin. With said, there are a couple of caveats.
Simply because you have a license to wear bright and bold colors like jade green or cobalt blue is amazing, but you still need to be mindful of getting a balance to your outfit and getting a color that will hold it all together.
So what this basically means is not spinning the color wheel like a made decorator, but choosing a single pop of color or two and complimenting them or allowing them to complement each other rather well.
Colors To Avoid
If you have darker skin, brown is more or less a no-go area. Just like pastel shades can wash out on pale skin tones, brown won’t contrast enough on your skin, resulting in a bleeding type of look.
Navy and black are two colors in any man’s closet that are key, and it’s worth keeping these to a minimum to make the most out of your versatile skin tone.
Olive Skin Tone
If your skin is olive-toned and you tan rather easily, then you definitely have a warm complexion and also have the freedom to experiment to a wider range of colors than fair-skinned people.
Colors To Wear
Most colors will work great with a medium skin tone. But to ensure that you look your best, go for shades that are a little brighter or darker than the middle ground.
So what exactly does this mean? Well choose a pale beige rather than a warm sand when opting for light naturals or try a bolder shade of purple rather than a mauve.
Colors To Avoid
Your skin will likely have green or yellow undertones, so its good to steer clear of shades with these undertones. So what you are trying to avoid here is looking nude.
Your skin should never blend in with your clothing so when choosing your colors, never go for mustard, mocha browns or olives.
Pale Skin Tones
If you are constantly searching for shade from the sun and have more freckles than you can count, then you probably have pale skin, and you fall into the cool color spectrum.
Colors To Wear
Pale skin and light features require you to bring some color to your complexion so your outfit should always be based around darker colors, but you can combine it with light colors as well.
Dark colors such as brown, burgundy, grey, navy and bottle green are bolder shades of blue, and all work well to contrast your skin tone.
Colors To Avoid
That said, in the wrong lighting, you could be mistaken for a cadaver. So avoid soft and pastel shades or bright ones as they make you look washed out. The same applies to neutrals.
Colors such as white, light beige and stone should be avoided, and you should opt for richer shades such as richer shades such as camel, khaki, sand and slate grey.
Conclusion
There are a few colors that look great on any skin tone as they bring the perfect balance of warm and cool that won’t clash with the skin.
Pure white is one of those colors, and so is light blush pink, which brightens any skin tone and brings out the natural glow on the face.
Teal is the perfect mix of green and blue and can be worn by anyone as a great summer or winter shade.
The post How Your Skin Tone Can Complement Your Clothes appeared first on Groom+Style.
