Color Me Beautiful – Beauty is Fun!

My copy of Color Me Beautiful is from 1973 but make no mistake — it’s still relevant. In fact, there is a current website from the author Carole Jackson HERE with a digital copy of her book. It has certainly stood the test of time.

Even if you’ve never read this book or heard of “Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter” as a “color personality” you make choices on your wardrobe, accessories and cosmetics based on what you think looks best on you. You may be following your palate without even realizing it!

For example… take a look at these two palates. You’ll notice that some of the same colors appear on both… except!… slightly different shades. I used to be the palate on the right… now, I am the palate on the left. Can you guess why?

 

 

Let me explain. I have brown eyes. Okay, that hasn’t changed at all. But… here is what has changed…

I’ve let my hair go natural. I used to be a nice, warm auburn but the brown has turned to a charcoal gray and the red has turned to whitish gray.

I used to live in California… land of perpetual sun. I was never super-tanned but I was never pasty on any skin that showed. I wasn’t wise with sunblock and always had a freckled face and arms, reddish nose and cheeks. There was a very slight golden shade to my skin at all times.

I was an Autumn. I looked fabulous in ivory, browns, golds, greens and pumpkin shades. The “earth” tones, as we used to call them.

Now,  I am a Winter. Not only has my hair changed to shades of gray, my California golden-hue skin has become almost bluish-white, thanks to the advice of my dermatologist and a eastern-Canadian sun that’s not shining several months out of the year.

So, I look fabulous in white and terrible in ivory. I used to look lovely in gold jewelry and now I look best in silver. I used to look like a silo in gray and avoided the color like the plague. Now, gray is a favorite base color and fills my wardrobe.

This book is mostly about color… but it’s also about style, lines, uncluttering your closet and paying attention to your emotions when you get dressed.

Somewhere in here it says: Fashion, Figures and Fads… and it’s about those things, too.

If you can find an original copy in great shape, there are removable color palates to help you shop. If not, there are printable ones on her website.

In short — it’s helpful and it’s FUN! You know, if you like this kind of stuff.

As if you can’t tell… I do!

How about you?