Sometimes people ask me how I first got interested in personal color analysis. It’s a slightly embarrassing story that, at one point, involves owning enough baby wraps for all of King County to transport their infants to safety if a zombie apocalypse had occurred. But when you give birth to four babies within four years, and you struggle to keep postpartum depression at bay, and you are just starting to realize your full EXTRA…. well, it’s an interesting recipe. But the short version: I was active in a babywearing group on Facebook, and as our kiddos outgrew this particular hobby of ours, we found something else to obsess over. I believe it might have been Cate Linden who first mentioned the topic of personal color analysis (PCA), and we jumped in feet first.
There are any number of underlying theories used by consultants who provide color analysis. Some are based on a universal system of categories, and others provide a palette of hues that is unique to you. The one that I was introduced to first, and to which I am still loyal, is the Sci/ART system developed by Kathryn Kalisz. Although her life was taken too soon, Kathryn’s system lives on through analysts such as Christine Scaman, who runs the well-respected color training and services brand 12 Blueprints.
The idea behind PCA is that there exists a palette of colors that harmonizes with your natural complexion, creating a beautiful and flattering symphony with your skin and hair and eyes. These colors can make you appear healthy, well-rested, and put-together, as if you didn’t spend last night at the emergency 24-hour vet when your dog ate a Lego. On the other hand, when you are wearing colors that are too bold, or too muted, or too warm, or too cool based on your own tones… well, do you want to look the way your child playing his brand new recorder sounds? Meh, me neither.
If you remember Color Me Beautiful from the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Sci/ART system takes those four seasons one step further, dividing them into 12 sub-seasons to account for more variation within each. The dark/warm season of Autumn becomes True Autumn, Soft Autumn, and Dark Autumn; the dark/cool season of Winter becomes True Winter, Bright Winter, and Dark Winter; the light/warm season of Spring becomes True Spring, Light Spring, and Bright Spring; and the light/cool season of Summer becomes True Summer, Light Summer, and Soft Summer.
Are you still with me? *crickets*
Sometimes people will tell me: “I don’t want to have my colors done because I don’t want the analyst to tell me that I can’t wear green (or blue, or black, or whatever the case may be).” Well…. okay. First, I try not to use the phrase “can’t wear” when referring to any color or style. The only reason you “can’t wear” something would be if perhaps it’s not remotely the correct size or it’s made of literal scorpions. However, you should walk out of your consultation with a better understanding of how different colors affect your skin, and you can’t unring that bell — I have never gravitated toward pink anyway, but now embracing Dark Autumn as my season, you can bet I’m no longer tempted to even try that cute rose sweater as I wander through J. Crew. It is true that PCA can ruin certain colors for you after you see how other colors are more flattering.
That being said, each season has its own slice of hues that draw from the broad color categories we all know and love. For example, check out this post called Turquoise for 12 Seasons on Christine Scaman’s blog. She uses the illustration below to show that each season has ideal shades of turquoise.
And I’ll add a photo of my own to help illustrate my point. At your draping (more on what this means in a moment), your analyst will give you a “fan” of colors representing your season. These are not the ONLY colors in your season, but they are a carefully curated selection to help you identify harmonious shades while you are out in the world. Will sales associates narrow their eyes and ponder your sanity when you pull out a fan and spread it across a pair of pants at the store? I can guarantee it. Will you care? Not when you look as good as you do, honey.
Anyway, here is a photo of my Dark Autumn fan next to a Bright Spring fan. You’ll find blues in both palettes, and greens, purples, reds, yellows, etc., but the shades are not identical. If a Bright Spring wore the deep brick red of Dark Autumn, she would appear heavy and dull, while if I wore the vibrant orangey-red of Bright Spring, I would look like a radioactive tomato. However, wearing my own season, I look “hot, spicy” like a “fearless queen and natural ruler,” according to Scaman in her book Return to Your Natural Colours. And a Bright Spring does not look like a contaminated fruit in her palette, but rather like “stardust” and “the sparkle of sunlight,” Scaman declares poetically. It’s magic, truly.
What can you expect when you visit a Personal Color Analyst? The process is all about comparison, because as you may know, colors can change appearance based on what other colors are nearby. Your analyst will drape various pieces of fabric across your shoulders, pitting two palettes against each other at a time and narrowing them down like your own personal Super Bowl of Seasons. You will analyze and discuss the effects of each drape on your face — does this one make your eyes pop? Does this one cause your skin to appear ruddy? And just when you think you can’t look at your face in the mirror for another moment, you’ll declare a winner and the rest of your life will begin.
Why should you see a PCA? If you love fashion and make-up and other aspects of visual style and expression, then I don’t need to convince you. But for people who merely wear clothing to stay warm and avoid being arrested, all the better for you! Whether we readily accept it or not, our physical appearance conveys information about ourselves to others before we even open our mouths. As Scaman notes in her book, “Nobody needs to look heavier, unhealthier, or duller, when the colours that do the opposite cost exactly as much.” If you have to select a shirt anyway, why not choose one that is most complementary? One that coordinates with all the other clothes in your closet, making it even easier and quicker to get dressed in the morning? Help yourself by investing a few dollars and a couple of hours in learning more about your natural colors. It is more than worth it.
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