How do I determine which colours suit me?

Styling yourself this season with Luisa Giannini

Understanding what colours are in fashion is important when styling yourself. But, you also need to understand what colours suit you before diving into purchasing the latest fashion trends. We asked fashion expert, Luisa Giannini, how to determine which colours suit you to elevate your style this season.

Luisa has worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years. She had a successful fashion buying career, has been involved in product development and is a successful fashion stylist. 

Since becoming a fashion stylist, Luisa’s goal is to make sure women feel good about themselves. Luisa focuses on giving women the self-confidence to create a style no matter their age, body shape, budget, size or lifestyle. Fashion is for everyone as far as Luisa is concerned. 

Current fashion trends are important, but when looking to purchase a new fashion item for your seasonal wardrobe, Luisa stressed to us how important it is for women to understand what fashion trends suit them. Finding trends and colours which suit you can make you feel comfortable and confident. 

We asked Luisa how to determine which colours suit you when shopping for the latest trends. This article will cover fashion trends, colour analysis and how you can improve confidence through your fashion items. 

How do I determine which colours suit me? 

Luisa says the first key step to understanding your best colours is to establish whether your tones are warm or cool. You should also consider whether you have high or low contrast.

How do you find out what tones suit you?  

A personal colour analysis can help you find out what tones suit you. A colour analysis involves meeting a stylist in person, looking at colour swatches and fabrics in natural daylight to determine what colour suits you. 

Some women like to take part in a seasonal colour analysis. 

How to wear colour with confidence? 

Luisa says that females should be brave! The best way to wear colour with confidence is to firstly experiment with it. Luisa encourages her clients to try out different fabrics, wear their chosen colour in a print or as an accessory so they can build colour confidence. There is always the option to wear your chosen colour on just one half of your body, either your top or bottom, until you feel confident enough to wear it. Building confidence through colour and fashion can take time. 

Luisa says the more you get used to wearing your best colours, the more confident you will feel with your choices. Having a colour analysis will give you the confidence to know your best tones and the palette which suits you best. Shopping will become much easier once you have taken part in a colour analysis. 

How does the right colour change your look? 

Wearing a colour that is tailored to you will improve the appearance of your skin tone, make you look fresher and brighter. Your key features will pop when wearing your best colours. Luisa says that “you will wear the colour as opposed to the colour wearing you” when dressing in a colour scheme suited to you.

Luisa finds the psychology of fashion and colour fascinating. She says that the colours you wear can impact mood, energy levels and self-confidence. 

How do I know what colour season I am? 

Luisa comments “I would never encourage somebody to wear a colour they had negative connotations with. Seasonal colour analysis can be quite generalising and it can lack personalisation. It is important to consider a variety of individual factors for each person.” It is important for Luisa that each person’s fashion journey is tailored to them.

Luisa says knowing your best colours needs to be more of a holistic exercise. You should not park yourself in one particular season. 

Women should look to find colours which suit them in all seasons. This can be done by looking at intricacies in skin and hair tone. Looking at individual features is also important when colour matching as a person may have unique colours and flecks within their eyes. A good fashion stylist will look at individual characteristics in addition to a person’s personality and preferences when determining the best colours for their clients in conjunction with each season’s fashion trends. 

Can I still wear black after having a colour analysis?  

Absolutely! Luisa says “You can wear whatever colour you feel good in and that is the most important part of having your colour analysis – you should feel good in whatever you choose to wear.” 

There are many ways to wear black - some are not as draining as others. Looking at skin tone, the type of fabric being worn, neckline, jewelry and make-up is also important. A great piece of jewellery or a pop of make-up colour can completely change a black outfit. 

If you want to book in your consultation with Luisa Giannini, then you can find further details here. Luisa is friendly, down to earth, knowledgeable and supportive. She will ensure you leave a styling session feeling confident, reassured, comfortable and with a style you may have lost along the way or a new look you've been looking to create.

Also, if you want to discuss this topic with our community at Femfluence, we host style workshops and seminars with leading industry experts in fashion and beauty. Join our newsletter and follow our social media to get event invites first.