colour analysis

April 13, 2023

3 Top Tips For Wearing Green

These 3 top tips for wearing green will help you to identify your best greens, explain what different shades of greens mean, and suggest winning colour combinations to wear with it.

Many people avoid wearing green because they think it’s difficult to mix and match with other colours. Read on, and I’ll share some ideas.

Which Greens Should You Wear?

Firstly, you need to know that there are warm and cool versions of green. Look at the 2 images below. Notice how the warm greens sit next to yellow on the colour wheel. And, the cool greens sit next to blue on the wheel. One group will suit your complexion more than the other.

A selection of warm green and cool green dresses.

Words like khaki, olive, fern, Kelly green, chartreuse and moss are often used to describe warm greens. Whereas cool greens have names like forest, mallard, emerald, mint, teal, and bottle green.

“Which ones suit me?” I hear you ask. Try this fun exercise to find out:

Compare one of the warm colours with one of the cool colours by placing them, (one at a time), underneath your chin. Which one makes you look pale and tired? Which one makes you look healthy and vibrant? Healthy and vibrant wins!

What Green Means

“Green strongly influences the heart and helps alleviate tension. Positive qualities associated with green are generosity, humility, and cooperation…” Tae Yun Kim

Colour psychology is the study of the many ways colours affect how we feel and how others perceive us. Here are words to describe 4 shades of green and their symbolism.

Deep greens, like seaweed and bottle green = reliable, strong, tenacious
Lighter, brighter greens, like lime and mint = cheerful, playful, fun
Grey greens, like khaki and sage = wisdom, trust, nurture
Emerald and jade greens = lively, sophisticated, regal

It’s interesting to know what messages your choice of green clothes and accessories are communicating to others. And, depending on how you feel on a particular day you can choose a green to match.

Want to know more about other colours and their meanings? Click here.

Tip #3 For Wearing Green – Colour Combinations

How to wear green when it’s a colour you’ve shied away from in the past? Here are some suggestions:

You’ve seen that yellow and blue sit either side of the green on the colour wheel. Both colours look superb with green. For a fresh weekend look, team blue jeans with a fun lime or cool mint green top.

Other interesting combinations are green and violet, and green and orange. Both the violet and orange can act as accent colours in your outfit, such as a scarf, necklace, or earrings.

An easy way to wear green is in patterns such as florals, stripes, and geometrics. The other colours around it will make the green less noticeable.

Green, white and cream create an energising look for summer.

Tan or charcoal team beautifully with green during the cooler months.

Have a play with these suggestions. Do they make you feel uncomfortable or invigorated, alive, and energised?

Mauve and violet coloured hydrangeas with green leaves.

Nature can be a source of inspiration for your outfit colour combinations.

Are you bamboozled by the overwhelming colour choices in fashion shops and online? Are you unsure about which colours suit you? A personal colour analysis will help you identify your best versions of green and all other colours in the colour spectrum. Make empowered decisions when shopping for your wardrobe. Save yourself time and money, and know you’ll look healthy and vibrant every day. Personal colour analysis changes your life: it’s enlightening and it’s fun!

Display of different shades of green from 5 colour swatches

You will receive a swatch of your best colours at your Personal Colour Analysis Consultation

Image Credits: Avel Chuklanov – Unsplash

Masaaki Komori – Unsplash

Sticky

August 12, 2020

3 Comments

12 Joys of Colour – Part 4

12 Joys of Colour

This is the fourth and final instalment in the 12 joys of colour series. In this blog I explore two elegant neutrals: brown and grey, and the universal hue: teal.

Day 10 – Brown

Brown is a natural, neutral colour. It’s one of my favourites.

Have you been to Italy in winter? The Italians ‘do’ brown so well – dark chocolate married with rich caramel and hints of cinnamon. Italian men and women look very stylish walking the cobblestone streets of Rome, Florence, and Milan wearing these hues.

If you are light in colouring i.e. fair skin, fair hair, brown is a wonderful alternative to black – less harsh against your skin. And, with connotations of elegance, reliability, warmth and honesty, there’s a lot to love.

Previously, brown was viewed as old fashioned and ‘suburbia bland’, but not anymore. Now it is considered sophisticated and ‘euro chic’.

There are warm and cool browns. Choose the ones that harmonise with your complexion, hair and eyes. The personal colour analysis system I use helps take the confusion out of knowing which colours look great on you. It simplifies the overwhelm of colour choices and gives you the confidence to know you are choosing your best colours all of the time. In face to face interactions others see you before one word is spoken. Why not make that first impression count?

Day 11 – Grey

Grey is a sophisticated neutral and a stylish alternative to black.

In its purest form, grey sits on the cool end of the colour spectrum (black + white = grey). However, there are warm and cool versions depending on the colours it is mixed with. Add yellow to pure grey to create warm grey (It looks slightly green). Add blue to pure grey to make cool grey (It looks slightly purple).

Darker greys feel more formal and professional (business suits), whereas medium to light greys feel calm and harmonious (long line cardigans you wear in winter).

Grey is very versatile, so you can wear it with any colour. But if you’re wanting to inject an element of fun and interest into your outfit, combine grey with red, blue, green, yellow or pink.

A great tool you can have is your own personal colour swatch. It will take the guesswork and confusion out of what colours look good on you. If you have warm undertones the swatch will have examples of your best warm neutrals and colours. And, if you have cool undertones it will have examples of the best cool neutrals and colours to suit you.

12 Joys of Colour: Day 12 – Teal

Well here we are, at the end of the 12 Joys of Colour. I’ve chosen a hue that suits everyone – teal.

Mix calming blue with healing, optimistic green, and you create teal. Deep versions are understated and elegant. Light versions stimulate creativity and individuality.

Some of you will know that I used to work for Qantas, so anything aviation interests me. And, my mum was a ‘Kiwi’, so this little bit of trivia sparked my interest…

Air New Zealand’s aircraft livery and crew uniforms were teal until 2012. Air New Zealand’s forerunner airline was Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL). Is it a coincidence that the acronym and the airline’s signature colour were aligned? I wonder…

Teal is a very versatile colour. It looks fresh and summery with white, cream and coral, and is ‘lifted’ by gold and silver.

Have the 12 Joys of Colour sparked your interest in discovering your best colours? Feel confident and proud of your image by wearing colours that harmonise with you. (Plus, save time, energy, and your sanity when shopping for clothes).

Join me in Leichhardt (Sydney) at one of my fun and empowering Personal Colour Analysis Workshops. You can buy your ticket on Eventbrite or by contacting me.

Thanks for coming on this journey with me. Wishing you colour confidence always!

Sticky

February 03, 2020

12 Joys of Colour – Part 3

12 Joys of Colour:

In the lead up to Christmas 2019 I posted my 12 Joys of Colour series which was inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas. In this blog I explore the 3 primary colours: red, yellow and blue.

Day 7 – Red

Passion, energy, optimism. Anger, intensity, dominant.

Red is a truly versatile colour which is linked to extremes of emotions, feelings and situations. Bright versions are perceived as being more energetic, and dark shades, more powerful and elegant.

Red sits on the warm side of the colour spectrum. Warm hues advance and draw our attention – think stop signs and fire trucks. This is an interesting fact to remember when dressing in red because wherever you wear it people will pay attention. E.g. Trying to hide your thighs? Red pants will emphasise that area. Instead, wear a red top and draw the eye up and away from your bottom half.

Pantone, the world’s leading authority on colour and colour trends has recently released their predictions for Spring/Summer 2020. One of those colours is youthful and empowering ‘Flame Scarlet’ (featured in the top right corner of the collage). The great news is that this hue looks good on almost everyone! If you’ve shied away from this bright version of red in the past, perhaps next Spring will be the perfect opportunity to try it.

How do you feel wearing red? Conspicuous? Confident? Determined? Energised?

Images: Pantone, Unsplash, Pinterest

Day 8 – Blue

Writing about blue I’m thinking of summer happiness: blue skies and warmer weather. Also, the relaxed, holiday feeling you get when you see azure, turquoise blue waters at tropical destinations like Cairns and Hawaii. Wearing lighter versions of blue evokes a sense of playfulness and fun.

When I think of deep blues, other associations come to mind like trust, authority and power e.g. police uniforms and business suits.

Classic Blue is Pantone’s 2020 ‘Colour of the Year’. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone said, “When we look at the world around us, we know that we’re living with a lot of unrest… Blue… has always represented a certain amount of calm and dependability… this particular shade really gave us that feeling of confidence and stability.”

Even though blue is a colour, i.e. not a neutral, it works well for the basic garments that are the ‘work horses’ (essentials) in your wardrobe, like pants, jackets, skirts and jeans.

Choose your best versions of blue by taking your unique colouring (hair, skin and eye combination) into account. That way you’ll always present the best version of you and feel good about your clothing choices.

Images: Pinterest, lifewire.com, uniqtravel.com

Day 9 – Primary Hues: Yellow

Hello to happy, cheerful, optimistic yellow!

If you’re feeling mentally exhausted and there’s still a lot to do, wear a small amount of yellow (it could be in a pattern) to stimulate your mental activity and concentration levels.

Yellow is a warm, bright hue that vibrates on a high frequency, so it grabs our attention. Even though most of us think of its positive connotations, many people shy away from wearing yellow because it can feel intense or overwhelming – especially if you’re experiencing major changes in your life.

There are versions of yellow to suit everyone from soft, icy lemon to vibrant canary. During a colour consultation at Image Confidence we compare 18 different colour groups to identify which colours harmonise best with your complexion, eyes and hair. You receive a swatch (mini fan-deck) of 40+ colours to use as a guide when shopping for your wardrobe.

Red, blue and yellow are just some of the colours in your palette that will have you looking good and feeling great!

Images: Pinterest, Unsplash

Contact me if you would like to feel empowered and self-assured about your image in 2020.

A Personal Colour Consultation is fun and is an investment in you.

Sticky

January 12, 2020

12 Joys of Colour – Part 2

12 Joys of Colour:

My version of the 12 days of Christmas to share vibrancy and happiness in the lead up to the festive break.

Day 4 – Orange

Orange sits on the warm side of the colour wheel.

It’s a mixture of strong, passionate red with the sunny optimism of yellow.

Orange is one of my favourite colours. When I wear it and see it, I feel energised and happy!

People with warm or neutral skin undertones can wear this colour successfully. If you have a cool undertone orange will make you appear jaundice rather than healthy and radiant.

One of my recent clients, Bronwyn, came for a colour consultation. We discovered that her best colours were cool colours. Bronwyn said she’d been yearning to wear orange and was disappointed that it was not in her colour palette. (Sometimes we just need to wear a certain colour because of the way it makes us feel.)

I suggested 3 ways that she could wear orange and still look good:

Wear it below your waist
Use only very small amounts
Wear one of your optimal colours in-between it (the orange) and your face

Day 5 – Gold

Sparkle and Glamour…

We associate the colour gold with quality, sophistication, luxury and success.

Wear gold if you have warm undertones. If you have cool undertones wear silver.

Like all precious metals, gold accessories will add interest to a plain outfit. It will be the focal point of the outfit so ensure you place it where you want people to look i.e. around your neck so they are drawn to your face, or around your waist if your waist is an asset.

If you find yellow gold too showy opt for the more subtle versions: brushed gold or rose gold.

Gold pairs beautifully with warm neutral tones like chocolate, olive green, khaki, rust, taupe and caramel.

How bold or how subtle should you go? You decide. Make a statement of ‘full blown glamour’ (think of the long evening dresses you see on the red carpet or Bollywood), you can wear it in the form of subtle sophistication (like simple gold and diamond studs worn with a black dress), or you can choose something in-between.

Day 6 – Purple

Purple is a combination of 2 primary colours: red and blue. When you look at a colour wheel or colour spectrum you will see that purple is called violet.

Centuries ago the ingredients to produce purple dye was so rare and expensive that only the very rich could afford it. Small mollusks, found exclusively in the Tyre region of the Mediterranean Sea (now modern-day Lebanon), were used to make the dye.

That is why we associate mid to deep purples with royalty, luxury and power. Lighter versions, like lavender and lilac, are seen as soothing, romantic and mysterious.

Recently I had a wardrobe audit with Ella and discovered a beautiful purple, navy and white striped skirt with the shop tags still attached. Ella said that even though she loved it, she had no idea of what to put with it. So, I searched through her tops and found a red blouse and a mint green tee – both looked fabulous with her skirt.

Other colours that team well with purple are orange, yellow and other purples.

Book in for your personal colour consultation and wardrobe audit to fall in love with your clothes again, create new outfits from the clothes you already own, and gain a boost of confidence.

Image Credits: Pinterest, Unsplash, Tommy Bahama, weddingbee.com

Sticky

December 16, 2019

Discover Your Colours

In this article, you’ll learn how to discover your colours so that you look and feel fabulous every day.

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to transform your look and feel amazing this year? A great place to start is to wear colours that suit you.

Have you noticed that every time you wear a particular piece of clothing people compliment you on how beautiful you look or how well you look? These compliments give you a lift, don’t they? You feel your self-confidence surge and it puts you in a great mood.

Wouldn’t you love to feel that way all the time?

What is it about that garment that attracts these compliments? It could be that the colour is working for you. Dressing in colours that compliment your skin, hair and eye tones creates a naturally harmonious look. People respond positively to this harmony at a subconscious level and it helps to shape their impressions of you in a positive way both socially and professionally.

So how do you know which colours suit you best? Here are 3 simple questions you can ask yourself that will help guide you to discover your colours. They are some of the questions I use when determining a client’s colour palette during a personal colour analysis consultation. Knowing your best colours puts an end to buying and wearing colours that are unflattering on you. Say “good-bye” to the days of spending money on clothes you never or hardly ever wear and living with the ‘I have a wardrobe full of clothes but nothing to wear’ syndrome.

Ask yourself these questions:

Does this colour overwhelm me? Do I see the colour rather than me? Colours that suit you best will blend with your complexion, and give you a natural glow.

Does the colour make my skin look ruddy, yellow or pale? Look at how the colour affects your skin. If you look unwell or the lines on your face look deeper or the bags under your eyes look darker, best leave it.

Does the colour enhance my eyes? If it’s ‘right’ your eyes will sparkle. If it’s ‘wrong’ they’ll look dull.

For most people colour perception is a learned skill. You can learn it too by using the questions. The more you practice the better you get.

If you find it difficult to see how different colours affect your skin tone, an easy way to find out your best colours is to have a personal colour analysis with a professional colour consultant. The consultant is a colour expert and will be able to determine, (with a technique called draping*), which hues suit you. *Different coloured fabrics are held under your chin. The colours reflect onto your face. Your best colours will have you looking radiant, healthy and energised.

If you would like to know your best colour palette, why not gift yourself a face to face or virtual colour consultation?

We also run Personal Colour Analysis Workshops. These fun, 3-4 hour, small group (max. 4) workshops help you discover your colours and how to successfully combine them. You’ll receive a complimentary colour swatch of your colours and a detailed information booklet to take home. Use your colour swatch, (a purse size ‘fan-deck’ of your best colours), to determine if the clothes, accessories, glasses, jewellery, make up and your hair colour are right for you. Having a personal colour analysis is an investment in you 🙂

Discover Your Colours using colour swatches

Discover Your Colours: Use your swatch as a colour guide when shopping for clothes, shoes, handbags, accessories, make up and when choosing your hair colour.

Sticky

By Ann Vodicka

January 10, 2018

Happy New Year!

Well, 2018 has arrived! I hope your Christmas and New Year was filled with happiness and fun, and shared with people you love.

I also hope that amongst all the rush and chaos that is ‘the festive season’ you’ve had a moment to slow down and contemplate what you’d like to do and perhaps achieve this year.

I’m feeling very motivated and optimistic about my plans! In January and February (in-between running workshops and spending time with clients) I’ll be working towards attaining my global certification with AICI (The international organisation for image consultants). I love learning, so I’m keen to broaden my knowledge and gain new insights into all things image related. I’ll be sure to share some of that info with you :-). Lastly, I’m expanding the ‘Shop Your Own Wardrobe’ workshops and introducing ‘Colour Your Life’ (personal colour analysis) workshops – all of which will keep me ‘off the streets and out of trouble’!

Last year, many of you emailed me to let me know you were interested in coming along to future workshops. So I’m very excited to let you know that I’ll be running 3 x ‘Shop Your Own Wardrobe’ workshops and 4 x ‘Colour Your Life’ workshops in the first half of 2018. I know how busy life gets, so I thought it would be best to give you the heads-up about dates, times and locations of the workshops as soon as possible.

‘Shop Your Own Wardrobe’ Workshop:

If you’re ready to let go of items that have been clogging up your wardrobe, are keen on saving yourself time and money, and want to own less clothes but have more outfit options this workshop is for you.

‘Shop Your Own Wardrobe’ Workshop:

Date/time: Saturday, 17th February, 10am to 1pm, Norman Selfe Room Level 3

Date/time: Saturday, 7th April, 10am to 1pm, Carmichael Room Level 1

Date/time: Saturday, 2nd June, 10am to 1pm, Carmichael Room Level 1

Place: Sydney Mechanics School of Arts – 280 Pitt Street, Sydney

Morning refreshments included

Group size: 12

NOTE: Please bring a piece of clothing that you haven’t worn in over 2 years.

Here’s what Kim said about my last workshop;

“…A very informative workshop which offered practical advice on decluttering your wardrobe, creating a capsule wardrobe and taking 13 garments and turning them into 64 outfits. WOW! Ann’s infectious sense of humour made for a fun evening. If you are thinking of revamping your wardrobe or feel your wardrobe is in a rut then talk to Ann.”

Investment: $149.75

Tickets available through Eventbrite or contact me on ann@imageconfidence.com.au to secure your place.

‘Colour Your Life’ Workshop:

Do you want to transform your look and feel fabulous in 2018?

The quickest and easiest way to improve your appearance and give your self-confidence a boost is to wear colours that harmonise with your complexion, hair and eye colouring.

A personal colour analysis will help you discover the colours that give you a younger, more vibrant and healthier look without even trying!

Absolutely everybody can benefit from wearing colours that suit them.

Join us for an enlightening ‘Colour Your Life’ workshop. These small group personal colour analysis sessions are a fun and economical way to discover your best colours – the colours that enhance and illuminate you. In just three hours you’ll discover your own personal colour palette and how to use it. Shopping for clothes, accessories, shoes, makeup and even glasses will be easy and effective when you know which colours to look for. You will also receive your complimentary personal colour swatch (purse sized colour sample cards) and detailed colour information booklet to take home.

Start creating the new, confident and outstanding you by wearing colours that make you shine!

Group size: 6

Colour Your Life’ Workshop:

Date/time: Monday, 5th February, 10am to 1pm

Date/time: Saturday, 24th February, 10am to 1pm

Date/time: Thursday, 19th April, 10am to 1pm

Date/time: Thursday, 17th May, 10am to 1pm

Place: 69 Allen Street, Leichhardt

Morning refreshments included

Investment: $230.49

Tickets available through Eventbrite or contact me on ann@imageconfidence.com.au to secure your place.

Start the new year by investing in you. Let 2018 be the year you make exciting, positive changes to your appearance and your wardrobe.

Warmly,

Ann

P.S. Watch your inbox for this month’s blog, ‘Improve Your Image With COLOUR’. I’ll be emailing it to you soon.

Sticky

January 01, 2018

In HomePage-Blog

Discover what colours work for you.

Fashion Colours for Winter 2017 – Your Trend Forecast.

For those of us in the southern hemisphere, we’re in the thick of winter right now: time to be adding some fun, fashion colours to liven up your day and your wardrobe.

So how do we know what colours are on trend for this season?

Every year fashion colour trends are summarised in reports from world renown colour authority, Pantone. These reports highlight the colours we will see in shops for the upcoming seasons. Forecasts are based on colours showcased at New York and London Fashion Weeks.

Pantone’s Fashion Colour Report for Fall/Winter 2017 has a collection of warm and cool reds, deep port, soft pinks, olive to lime greens, autumn leaf colours like rust, terracotta and spiced mustard and some light to medium cool blues.

Pantone’s New York Fall/Winter Fashion Colours 2017

Use accents of these colours to add interest to your winter outfits. Style with accessories like scarves, earrings, necklaces, ties, hats and gloves. It’s the easiest way to incorporate colour to achieve an on trend look.

If you have warm undertones consider hues like Grenadine, Lemon Curry and Golden Lime. If you have cool undertones choose colours like Blue Bell, Shaded Spruce and Ballet Slipper. Experiment with these fashion colours to discover what works well for you.

Pantone’s London Fall/Winter Fashion Colours 2017

Choosing colours that best suit your hair, eyes and skin tone will have you looking healthy and vibrant even on the greyest of days!

Have you been trying out various warm and cool colours, like those in the Pantone winter colour range, but are still baffled by which colours work for you? A personal colour analysis will eliminate all of the confusion and guesswork. You’ll know your best colours for every season, including this winter.

Ann

ann@imageconfidence.com.au

0408 108 804

Sticky

By Ann Vodicka

June 27, 2017