Unlocking Your Natural Beauty: Color & Style Analysis

COLOR ANALYSIS

Neutrals have officially taken over the fashion world.  And what’s not to love about them? Neutrals are simple, versatile, and easy to style. But maybe you’re looking at your closet in the morning and wishing there was just a little more color. 

Perhaps you’d like to wear some bright pops of color as spring turns into summer. Or maybe you’ve noticed that certain colors make your eyes stand out, and you want to find more shades that enhance your features.

So how do you add some color to your wardrobe and where do you start?

One of the easiest tools to help you explore more color is color analysis.

By now, you’ve probably heard about color analysis as a social media trend, or maybe you remember your mom “finding her colors” back in the day.

You might be wondering why you need someone to tell you what colors look best for you. And why on earth does it matter what colors you wear? 

I’d like to share a few benefits of color analysis for you to consider.

First of all, color analysis helps you understand how God created you.

God is a wonderful Creator.  He displayed tremendous variety not only in nature–through the colors of the rainbow, the brilliant hues of flowers and trees, and the spectacular design of animals, mountains, and seas—but in the intricate details found in the human body.

There is so much wonderful diversity found in human beings: skin colors, facial features, skeletal structure and of course, personalities.

And yet, because one God created us all, there is a unique pattern, a recognizable theme, found in our bodies. Skin pigmentation (or coloring) is made up of the same pigments for all ethnicities, just in differing quantities. And the principles of skin color are very similar to the way color works in general, as you probably learned from the color wheel in school. 

Red and blue make purple. Blue and yellow make green. The way colors interact with each other is a universal effect, and different combinations create more light or shadow, harmony or disharmony.

So how does this affect the way you dress?

Because figuring out your best colors can help you dress in clothes that brighten up and smoothen out your complexion all on their own, even without the help of makeup!

Seasons are used because we naturally associate certain colors with each season. Think of pure white snow in the winter, deep orange leaves in the fall, brilliant green grass in the summer, or pastel blossoms in the spring. From there each season has subtypes like cool or soft or deep, which just tells you how vivid or muted the colors are in this season you should wear. The illustrations below offer a brief visual of each season but if you would like to learn more, book a color analysis to learn more about your unique coloring! 

When you are able to analyze your skin tone to discover whether you need predominantly cool or warm colors, soft or bright colors, and light or dark colors, you will see a huge difference in how your skin reacts to the colors you’re wearing.

You won’t feel overpowered in too bright colors.

You won’t feel like you’re totally lost in too soft colors.

You don’t have to worry about being washed out by certain colors or even appearing unnaturally yellow or red depending on what makeup or clothing you’re wearing.

You can achieve harmony instead by echoing the same color saturation and contrast that the Lord placed in your face with the outfits you create as well.

When your makeup and outfits blend with the color of your hair, skin, and eyes, you’ll be able to appreciate your natural, God-given beauty even more!

Let’s go back to neutrals for a minute. They are great base pieces, but neutrals are rarely, if ever, anyone’s “power colors”. They might not be what you would reach for to make you glow or make your eyes pop. In color analysis, power colors are selected to enhance your natural features to the max and make you feel confident in them.

Myths:

Finally, with color analysis, you can also find your best neutrals! When you pair them with your power or accent colors, you’ll be able to create a beautiful, cohesive closet.

STYLE ANALYSIS

The same principles of harmony can be applied to our personal style as well.

Have you ever seen a cute outfit on Pinterest or hanging on the rack, only to try it on yourself and think,”wow, that does not look as good as I’d hoped!”

Because I absolutely have.

As we discussed earlier, the Lord took great care to create human beings in different shapes, sizes, and colors, each one special and precious in His sight. If we all tried to wear the same styles and silhouettes, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to let our unique features and individual beauty shine. 

With all the style trends floating around today, it’s frustrating to buy something that looks good on the model only to realize it doesn’t quite work for you.

And that’s okay!

We would either feel restricted by a certain dress, which might look amazing on a friend. Or we might look like we are being swallowed up by a specific top, while it looks perfectly normal on someone else.

This is where style analysis proves useful.

You’ve probably heard of basic body type systems that use words like “rectangle”, “hourglass”, “apple”, or  “pear” to describe a woman’s body. Or maybe you’ve identified with terms such as “petite”, “curvy”, or “tall”. While these descriptions can be somewhat useful, they don’t really take into consideration an individual’s unique body structure and proportions.

• Do you look better in high necklines, or more relaxed open ones?

• Do you need waist emphasis so your shape doesn’t get lost in wide, unconstructed pieces?

• Are you struggling to find skirts and dresses that don’t swallow up your petite or narrow frame?

• How do you create outfits that balance out your proportions so you don’t appear top-heavy or wider than you actually are?

The answers to all of these questions (and more) are found in style analysis, where your skeletal structure and proportions are analyzed to figure out exactly which fabrics, silhouettes, details, and styles look just right on you.

One of the ways you can do so is by discovering your Kibbe image ID—a system designed specifically to accommodate the lines of your body to create balance.

Learn more about the system and try taking a quiz here!

You could also just experiment with different clothing lines—tailored pieces vs looser fits, monochrome outfits vs color blocking, softer fabrics vs stiffer fabrics, ditsy prints vs geometric prints—and compare full-length photos of each to see where you can observe more harmony.

Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t always to wear the most flattering, most stylish outfits, but to appreciate the features and bodies that we have been given and work to create harmony and balance through the outfits we wear. 

Color and style analysis might seem overwhelming, but it has several benefits!

It helps you save money.

Knowing exactly what colors, styles, and fits to go for narrows your options down greatly, and ensures you aren’t spending money on clothes that aren’t going to work for you. 

It helps you embrace your unique features. 

Once you’ve understood what works for you and why, you can be thankful for the way the Lord created you, fearfully and wonderfully made.

It builds your confidence.

When you aren’t sure about the color or style of an outfit, you probably won’t wear it with much confidence. But if you know for sure that lavender is your color or you look great in shirt dresses, you’ll definitely reach for them next time!

If you choose to get a color analysis or take some time to understand your body type, I hope you find more joy in getting dressed. I hope you embrace the beauty that God has placed in you, and seek to glorify Him no matter what stage of life you’re in.

Intro: Elisabeth Bennet (IG: @elisabethjbennet) is a personal color and style analyst catering specifically to the Christian community, as she prioritizes reflecting the glory of God through dignity and elegance in fashion. If you would like to discover your best colors, visit her website radiantwomanco.com or click on this link to schedule!