Change is a Wonderful Process
Are you going through some
major changes in your life right now?
I’ve received this email from one of our readers in the USA, and thought that the questions and my reply might be of some help if you are (originally published 14th March 2005).
“I’m finding that as I grow older and wiser, that I am shedding much of what I was programmed to be and a new (original?) me is emerging. Since this is a gradual process, I find that my ’style personality’ changes almost annually. Then there are the aging issues that I’m beginning to deal with. My colors were done years ago and I don’t believe they were done correctly and I’m just wondering if you have found this to be common among your more mature clients?”
My reply:
“Thanks for your email and your question. It sounds a wonderful process that you are going through. Clearly we are all programmed by parents, teachers, peer group, work colleagues, governments, etc. but, at the end of the day, I believe that we ourselves allow this to happen. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” and I just take this one step further to mean that no-one can make you feel or believe anything without your consent. Therefore, we can allow all the negative feelings and opinions we’ve taken on board throughout our lives to un-happen, too, and it sounds to me like you are an intelligent woman who is letting her true personality emerge, especially as you ‘grow older and wiser’.
“Style can and should be used to express to the world the personality that you want them to see - at that particular moment, in that particular situation. So, for instance, unless you are completely over the top, I can’t see you going to see the bank manager dressed in a bikini. And yet, a full wedding/big event ensemble would be completely out of place on the beach.
“As you discover more about who you really are (and why don’t we get to understand this when we’re a lot younger?) your personality comes to the fore, and your style sense goes right along with it.
“I’m sorry to hear that having your colours done was not a positive experience but we were all pioneers back in those days - we didn’t really have much of a clue what we were supposed to be learning, and colour is never an exact science anyway. I, too, was mis-diagnosed as a Spring (when I am clearly a Winter) and the photos from those early days are far too hideous to inflict on anyone outside of my family. So, I do sympathise and yes, I hear this from lots of my clients. When I give a talk or seminar, ladies flock to me at the end, clutching their wallet of swatches, and it is quite heartbreaking to explain to them that maybe the consultant who sold them that wallet wasn’t as knowledgeable at the time as she may well be now!
“We have all moved on enormously in the field of colour. I have never believed that everyone could possibly be classified as a Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn. Everyone is unique and that is why my new online colour analysis service is so personalised. I am currently poring over one particular lady’s answers and photos (she sent 8 in, just to be sure) and although she is physically an Autumn, she comes over as yearning to be a Spring psychologically so that’s what I’m encouraging her to do.
“Also, as we age physically, our hair starts to turn against us and makes it look as though our skin tone is changing. It isn’t. It just looks as though it is. Greying is not pleasant for any lady, especially for Autumns. What it does is makes us look at ourselves in a different way, as though we’ve changed inside. What you have to hang on to is your personality, your soul, you!
“You can look as old as you feel, so the trick is to feel young, and you will look young. Wearing the right colours near your face is a good starting point. You respond to certain colours in positive ways, and to others in negative ways. For instance, Springs will love green. It is very rare to see a Summer enjoy wearing any shade of green. Winters will absolutely hate orange, while Autumns will love it to pieces. If you wear a colour you look grey in, you will look grey yourself - which is a distinct sign of ageing in itself. The number of Autumns I see who insist on wearing grey is quite horrifying. It’s the last colour on earth they should wear and even if your Autumn wallet says to try a ‘warm grey’, just show me a shop that sells both warm and cool greys and I will eat my hat. They are so difficult to find, so why bother? Just avoid greys completely. It’s the same with proper pinks for Springs. They should stick to coral, salmon, shrimp (all the rage this 2005 summer) and avoid rose and cerise pinks like the plague - the blue tones just make their warm, golden skin look grey - very ageing indeed.
“But I ramble on! Sorry, but I am quite passionate about this. Hope I’ve answered your questions in some small measure. I would just encourage you to wear your best colours near your face every minute of every day. And throw out those that do nothing for you (send them to a charity shop and let someone else have the benefit of them), and remember to smile! A smile is of little use to you on its own and can take 10 years off you. Give one smile away and you will receive it back tenfold.”
Recommended Image Consultants
If you’re still not sure which Season you are, then why not visit a professional image consultant for a colour consultation. Browse our directory of image consultants, maybe there’s one of our recommended image consultant in your area.
Great selection of colour swatch wallets
We’ve added extra Seasonal and tonal wallets to the selection of colour swatch wallets in our online store.
- Ladies’ seasonal wallets
- Ladies’ seasonal fabric fans
- Men’s seasonal wallets
- Ladies’ tonal fabric fans with 45 shades
- Ladies’ safe tone fabric fans with 18 shades
