When I meet someone new and share that I am a personal color analyst, they usually assume that I am really into fashion. While I enjoy shopping and love creating outfits in my colors and style, the biggest motivator for me in learning my own colors and starting a personal color analysis business was to simplify and to help others to do the same. Before I knew what colors worked for me, I was constantly buying more clothing in order to fill a void I did not realize I had. I felt overwhelmed by the waste in my closet and in my wallet from purchasing things that did not work for me. I felt wasteful and unfocused and never felt confident getting dressed.
The fashion industry has a disastrous impact on the environment. In fact, it is the second largest polluter in the world, after the oil industry. And the environmental damage is increasing as the industry grows. Clothing has become disposable. As a result, we generate more and more textile waste. A family in the western world throws away an average of 66 lbs of clothing each year. Only 15% is recycled or donated, and the rest goes directly to the landfill or is incinerated. (To learn more how fashion trends, production materials, manufacturing methods and policies affect our environment check out Sustain Your Style).
My clients tell me they have closets full of clothing but nothing they feel like wearing. They keep buying to find things that work with clothes they do not like that much anyway. Most of us have at least a few items that are comfortable, fit well, look flattering and we enjoy wearing. They get worn repeatedly. Imagine the impact on your life and the environment if everything in your closet was one of those! Consider a capsule wardrobe or eco wardrobe that consists of classic clothing items that you can wear interchangeably to create versatile looks with just a few key pieces.
Purchasing colors and styles that work means less waste, less money spent, less need for more, more, more! Having a closet in color harmony allows you to create infinite number of outfits and looks with far fewer pieces. The likelihood that you will be happier wearing them is increased and the need to buy more is reduced.
Shopping our own closets is a great way to start! I am always amazed to hear that once someone knows their colors and their style, they often find things in their closets that really work well together. And nothing is more freeing than letting go of something that doesn’t work. Psychologically it is easier for us to let go of something when we know it will be a better fit for someone else.
Fortunately second hand shopping has become a mainstay and nearly every town has a consignment boutique or a charitable resale store. At Indigo Tones, I offer new and gently worn clothing in all colors and styles categorized by season. It feels great to know that I am reducing waste while helping someone find the right look! I love that we can Go Green every time we step in the closet! Regardless of your season, GREEN is EVERYONE’S COLOR!
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It’s a treat to introduce you to this month's colorful lives feature, Soft Autumn Tim Stich who is also my son!! Tim’s experience with shopping for clothing and wearing color is unique as I become a color analyst when he was quite young. When he and his sister Clare were little, I tried dressing them in bright colors with strong patterns as was the style then.....but even before learning about personal color harmony, I started to sense that the clothes overwhelmed them and began dressing them in softer colors and solids. I was even shocked the other day to discover when I pulled out his school photos that every single photo (even before I learned of his color palette) was taken in a Soft Autumn color. You can see how his life has evolved wearing the soft, earthy colors that suit his ruddy hair, freckles and soft blue/green eyes.
Over the years, he has mostly been very eager to wear what suits him and looked to me to help him distinguish soft autumn colors from the two seasons nearby - warm autumn and soft summer. We enjoy shopping together, especially now that he lives in Manhattan and the shopping is abundant. It can be a challenge to find his colors in sizes and style that fit but when its perfect, it feels great and he knows it. Read on to learn more about what it’s like to be a guy whose mom is a color consultant!
I am so excited to introduce you the “entertainingly irreverent” (Associated Press) Soft Summer, Valerie Peterson. Valerie is an extraordinary storyteller in a variety of media including scriptwriting, screenplays, fiction, non-fiction and book publishing/consulting. I analyzed her colors years ago in Rhode Island at a girls weekend hosted by a mutual friend (color analysis and girls weekends make a great combo!). In the years since, Valerie has embraced her Soft Summer colors in spite of living and working in New York City where black is a standard and practical.
It was a thrill when her publisher chose a photo of my family for her wonderfully spirited book, Peterson’s Happy Hour. On page 46, you can find me with my family - brothers, Mike and Tim and my parents Marcia and J. Michael Jones circa 1970. The book features many more photographic gems and recipes for a fabulous social gathering!
In this month’s colorful lives blog, Valerie shares her journey with her color palette. As with all her writing projects, she is humorous, colorful and entertaining! She has kept in great condition and still uses the Sci Art swatch book that I provided back in those days!! Be sure to check out her large body of work on valeriepeterson.net and read more in the blog:
While doing color analysis in Boston in June, I had the pleasure of meeting Danielle Burton and giving her a 12-Season Color Analysis. Danielle had recently experienced a 4-Season Color Analysis with a House of Colour consultant and was told she was a Winter. I was skeptical that she was any type of Winter (in the 12 season system, there are actually 3 Winters - Dark Winter, Cool Winter and Bright Winter). Her light eyes, natural lighter and soft brownish hair and skin tone were much more consistent with my clients who fall into the lighter seasons, especially Summer.
Since her hair had been highlighted, we covered it with a neutral gray cap to do the testing portion of the analysis, ensuring that the lighter color did not sway the results of the analysis. It was clear from the beginning that Danielle was responding more harmoniously to the cool tones even some of the lighter cool winter drapes which was consistent with her 4 season color analysis.
But, while she contrasted with any drapes that were dark and bright, she was softened and balanced by the lighter cool tones, particularly Summer. The dark colors brought out shadows under her eyes and the brighter colors overwhelmed her and brought attention to themselves. In the end, she looked lovely and perfectly balanced and harmonious in the Cool Summer colors!
"While I had a great experience at House of Colour, I do think they are missing out on a ton of research and color science by not including the 12 seasons and variants. The added layer of cool vs bright vs dark was a huge difference for me and really solidified which category I best fit”.
Enjoy reading more about Danielle’s experience with both systems and her reaction to her diagnosis as a Cool Summer:
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