Making work for you

Colour is often thought of as cosmetic and therefore is easily dismissed. It surrounds us on a daily basis and we therefore take it for granted and rarely consider its significance. The way, in which we respond to colour however, is the key to our very survival. Take food for example, experiments show that we reject food on the basis of colour alone. A group of scientists fed blue coloured mashed potato to a control group and found that it was rejected and considered unpleasant. They then fed the same group orange coloured potato and the response was positive as it was eaten and considered edible. The black and yellow signalling system of a wasp communicates danger effectively and the grey, drab skies of winter instinctively make us reach for colours that reflect the changing season and evoke a need for hibernation.

Colour is the way in which the human eye responds to energy waves. Without light there is no colour and as day turns into evening, colours fade and disappear. This means that if light is the source of life itself then so too is colour. When we wear colour we are in fact placing raw energy onto our bodies and this creates a subconscious reaction in other people. It also affects the way in which we feel about ourselves and can raise or lower our self-esteem.

Colour analysis is a scientific system that was originally developed from an important group of painters known as the Bauhaus Movement. These painters noticed that there were four distinct skin tones and that they harmonised with colours differently. It was from this discovery that seasonal colour analysis was developed. Skin tones were classified as winter, spring, summer and autumn and each one favoured a different colour palette. Colour analysis has developed considerably from this and directional analysis has an even greater degree of flexibility than the seasonal system.

A colour analyst uses drapes to establish a client’s primary and secondary colour characteristic. Some people suit light colours while others suit deeper shades. Red heads often suit colours with a yellow undertone whereas those with a pink skin tone often need blue in the undertone. Those with a high contrast between hair and skin tone can often take high intensity colours whereas those with a very soft colouring suit muted colours.

Wearing the right colour will make your skin look so much healthier; it will make your hair shine and your eyes sparkle. When you wear a colour that suits, people will tell you that you look well and you will receive a greater number of compliments throughout the day. In the long term, it will save you money, as you won’t waste money on clothes that do not suit. Rather than limit your colour choices, it will expand them, as it will highlight colours that you had never thought of wearing.

Being aware of colour means that your eyes are open to what is going on around you and more importantly it makes you aware of the unconscious signals that you send out on a daily basis.

- Article by Deborah Winter "Style Consultation"
www.styleconsultation.co.uk
Tel: 07747 636333 E-mail: Info@styleconsultation.co.uk
Trained by First Impressions as a recognised training provider.