Cardigan Empire

Salt Lake City Fashion Stylist

Color Theory: Warm vs. Cool

Wearing the wrong color can make you ill. Sallow, ashen, and muddy complexions are all signs of color contamination. And the only protection against chromatic allergies is color composition cognizance, specifically, knowledge of the amount of warmth and coolness in your hair, skin, and eyes.

So, as you are now asking, what makes the blue sky cool and the yellow sun warm? I answer, the warm nucleus is embodied by: red, orange, and yellow. The cool core embraces: blue, green, and violet. Additional combinations of these primary and secondary founders births a brood of warm and cool tertiary creations. Your eyes, hair, and skin included. Now follow me down below for a warm and cool dichotomy of your chromatic features.

Cool

Warm

Eyes

Pure, clear blue (light to mid)

Mid to deep blue with golden flecks

Gray Hazel

Golden hazel

Rosy brown to jet black

Golden brown

Bright blue-green

Green with golden flecks

Skin

Rosy (red or blue undertones)

Peachy (yellow or golden undertones)

Green olive

Golden olive

Blue-black or rosy brown

Golden honey brown

Veins
(look at the underside of your forearm)

Blueish

Greenish

Hair

Ash, sandy, or platinum blonde

Honey, golden, or strawberry blonde

Violet or bordeaux red

Copper or rust wine red

Ash brown

Golden brown

Salt & pepper gray

Ginger gray

Deep blue black

Warm deep brown/black

If you hugged the left side of the chart, that means something. If you veered far right, that also means something. And if you switched sides like a campaigning politician, or fell in the middle like a dedicated swing group, that means something to.

But I won’t tell you what it means until tomorrow.

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Comments

  1. Here’s my question…

    Can a warm get away with wearing gray? My mom always told me it makes me look ashen. I WANT to disagree {but i secretly know better.}

    Any tips?

  2. There are so many shades of gray, and if a warm were to choose a warm tone of this color, she could hypothetically get away with it.

    Other tricks to getting around taboo colors include wearing an underpinning or accessory close to your face that complements your skin more appropriately.

  3. Ah…this takes me back to my childhood–my mom “draping” her friends to find their color “season”. I love this stuff.

    Teach me how I can wear yellow and I will be eternally devoted!

  4. Reachel, is it possible the vein colors in the post are accidentally switched? I hate to question..

  5. This is so interesting! I have always wanted to have my colors done. I seemed to be a bit of both. It can be very confusing when picking out clothes.

  6. I HEART COLORS-cant wait. BUT I LOOK JAUNDICE SO WE WILL SEE WHAT YELLOWS I CAN GET AWAY WITH:)

  7. This is so interesting! I am a warm by your charts, but I love to wear the cool colors too. Maybe I am not seeing myself clearly, but I think I look good in them too. Is it possible a warm can wear cool and it works?

  8. Annie-
    Oh dear, they were switched. Thanks for having the courage to question. 🙂 The error has now been corrected.

  10. I’m so glad you are doing this! I am 100% in the warm category and I have a feeling that some of the colors I like to wear don’t like me back.

  11. I fall completely on the warm side of the chart, but I’ve been told to wear cool colors all my life. Except rust. Someone once said I look great in rust. Do I have a style paradigm shift coming my way?

  12. the whole thing is just fascinating. i think i need to see you in person…!

  13. I have cool skin and warm-tone hair. What are my best options?

  14. Is there an article for tips on those who alternated between warm and cool characteristics? I would like some advice on what colors work best for me. 🙂