Color Theory

Sometimes, we like things that are bad for us.


Diet Coke...
Jersey Shore...
Cheetos...
Twilight...


We know they are full of empty calories, hazardous chemicals, and dangerous relationship models, but we ingest them anyway. In small doses these are fairly harmless, but going on a bender makes us strung-out and bloated.

The same can be said for Color.

For example, I really enjoy the color orange. I think it's happy, reminds me of sunflowers, and is a fun bridge between red (a color I Love) and yellow (a color I Loathe). But I have to be very careful how I wear it. I am a Cool blonde and wearing too much Warm colors will make me look like a clown.

See what Scarlett Johansson has done here:

She is a lovely woman, but this is just Too Much. Too much eye makeup, too much necklace, too much Orange. She looks like she is screaming and it is intense.


Now take a looksie here:

Much better. Balanced. I'm not wild on the hair, but I will look past it to focus on the color of her lipstick. It is blue-based versus the offensive orange-based in the first picture. The blue balances better with her cool blonde hair color and the pink in her skin. Putting her in orange makes her look ill and just Wrong.

Often, when we are trying on clothing, we look in the mirror and say, "This is wrong. I don't know why it's wrong, but something is off." We may like the shape, style, fabric or designer of the item. Or sometimes, it is simply the best we can do at that moment so we settle.

Next time you are in this situation, think about the Color. Move to different light. The lights in the vast majority of fitting rooms are fluorescent and cast yellow or green hues. Try on the same item in a different color. Pick any color. Seriously. Just not the color you currently have on. If it still looks off, then don't buy it. Put it back. If it looks weird to you, then it will look weird to others, too. I promise.

Wearing a Boring color is infinitely better than wearing the Wrong one.