Many of you in the Kinowear community seem to want to know what your best colors are.

Most people are afraid of wearing color, mostly because they don’t know how to wear them.

This lack of knowledge must be addressed.

If the world is so clueless about color. What color do most people turn to? Is there anything left?

The absence of color: black

It’s the default safety net. I mean just take one good look around yourself the next time you’re in a crowded place, and note how many people are wearing black.

Don’t get me wrong, black can look great. Wear it. I love black too. But unless you’re Batman, keep the black minimal, and explore the world of color out there. Expand the number of choices you have in your wardrobe! Take some risks, you might even find a new favorite color.

In this article we’ll find out what some of your flattering colors are, and talk about how to bring vibrant colors into your outfit without looking over the top. We’ll also address why you should wear colors, and how you can go about incorporating them into your look.

Why You Should Wear Color

Learning how to use colors well in your outfit will give you loads of new room to be creative with your style. You can instantly brighten up a normally bland outfit through a commanding centerpiece, or add some flair to your outfit through colorful accessories, necktie, handkerchief, or scarf.

Learn how to use great colors to peacock. After all, when a peacock spreads it’s beautifully colored feathers it gains attention and admiration. Using the right colors can command attention — communicating style and confidence. I wish I could tell you that you can just go and wear any crazy colors you can find. But when searching for your best colors, you should first consider your skin tone and how well it work with certain shades and colors.

There is perfunctory peacocking, and then there is calculated peacocking.

It’s the difference between putting on random outrageous colors, and adding just the right amount of eye-popping color to a seamless outfit — oozing with personal style and taste.

Finding The Best Colors For Your Skin Tone

Color is very personal, and there is really so much out there, so go experiment with it and have fun.

Bring a friend to the store and try on lots of new colors outside of your comfort zone, and ask for their opinion on each one. Or my favorite, bring a camera and take a picture of yourself in lots of new outfits, experimenting with color. Then you can show lots of people and get multiple opinions, saving your money till you’re ready to buy.

Whether you’re dark-skinned, medium-toned, or pale-skinned, you can find appropriate colors for your complexion.

You really don’t need to have a color analysis done. Color analyses aren’t absolute, we shouldn’t be limited by them; find what you like through self-experimentation and expression.

The whole process is a lot more fun, rather than someone just telling you what you should wear.

However, there are definitely basic concepts out there to guide you. Here are some basic guidelines to start you off in the right direction:

Dark Skin tone

Dark-skinned men tend to have black or dark brown hair and eyes. If you fall into this category, the colors that you wear should contrast with your dark features. The contrast brightens up your look and catches the eye.

Some colors that flatter your skin tone:

White
Pink
Khaki
Gray
Baby blue

You should stay away from tropical colors and really dark shades. While black and navy blue are hard to avoid altogether because they basically make up the corporate uniform, try to keep them to a minimum and wear only when necessary.

Some colors that are NOT flattering on you:

Dark brown
Black
Magenta
Turquoise
Spring green

Medium Skin tone

Medium-toned men can have anything from blonde locks to jet-black manes, and their eye color can vary from baby blue to onyx black. If you’re lucky enough to fall into this category, it means that you can wear just about any color and still look sharp. Since light and dark colors both contrast nicely with your skin tone, you can go either way.

If you tan nicely, it could be an option for you to get a tan so that you can express yourself better through a wider range of colors.

Some colors that flatter your skin tone:

Black
Pink
Burgundy
Beige
Royal blue
Navy

The only colors that you should really avoid are those that might blend in too closely with your skin tone. For example, if you have an olive complexion, avoid wearing olive-colored or brown clothing.

Some colors that are NOT flattering on you:

Olive
Pistachio
Mauve
Red
Dark brown

Fair skin tone

Fair-skinned men will tend to have red, blonde, or dirty blonde hair. Their eye color is often just as fair, including green, blue, gray, or hazel. If you match this description, your best bet is to go with more subdued colors or pastels. These will blend well with your skin tone, and create a look that’s both appealing and relaxing to the eye.

Some colors that flatter your skin tone:

Off-white
Brown
Light blue
Beige
Bold blue

The key is to steer clear of harsh or bright colors since these will contrast with your skin in an unflattering way. Basically, your clothes will stand out while you fade into the background. That said, stay away from vibrant colors at all costs.

Some colors that are NOT flattering on you:

Purple
Red
Orange
Yellow

Summary

If you have dark skin, you generally look great in strong colors: Warm orange, aubergine (French for eggplant). The darker your skin, the more you can get away with wearing those bright reds and yellows and oranges.

If you’re stuck in the middle, with medium-tone skin, don’t be troubled. You can wear any color under the sun, including awesome earth tones like English khaki, taupe, loden green.

People with fair skin, light hair: blue eyes, and soft features look great in soft pastels: pale pink, pale blue, ivory, lavender. They don’t always look good in black. Don’t be afraid of pastels. Remember, wearing pink doesn’t make you gay. And if you have blue eyes, wearing bright blues just intensifies them.

How To Pull It All Together

Now that you know what some of you’re best colors are, you have no excuse not to go out there and add some color to your wardrobe. There are so many colors out there that you can look so great in, and it’s almost a crime not to have them in your wardrobe.

Colors don’t always have to limited to core pieces of your outfit. Colored accessories are a great way to show your playful side.

Don’t go too crazy with too many color pieces, you’ll only look like a clown. It’s best to keep it simple. One bold piece of color is really all you need.

Use a colorful tie to brighten up your outfit. A colored scarf in the winter time. A colorful cardigan over your dress shirt. A colorful polo or dress shirt alone will do the trick.

Avoid the colored pants. Brown, gray, black, blue, and white, are all acceptable. But wear those hot pink pants at your own risk.

Also, the more outrageous the color is, the more you should try to find it in higher quality fabric. It’s going to stand out and be noticed, so you should pay for good quality - which costs more. A cheap shirt or sweater will look 5 times cheaper when it’s in a bold color.

The Art of Peacocking With Color

A ladies man has to be able to handle the pressure of being able to stand out from the crowd.

If you’re not used to standing out and being noticed, keep these things in mind:

You’ll feel more eyes on you when you dress more peacocky, but this is normal. Just act normal, don’t feel pressured to do something that you wouldn’t normally do. But if what you usually do is nurse your beer in the corner of a party with that dumb blank stare on your face, the color you’re wearing will only attract eyes to you - the biggest loser in the place.

Attractive colors can be your best friend if you can be the life of the party because they amplify your fun personality and aura.

Picture the best version of yourself in a group:

You’re making them laugh, have fun, and you have the whole group’s attention. You’re style is impeccable, the color you’re wearing is brilliantly matched, and makes you stand out from the rest of the guys.

Women on the outside will wonder, “Who is that guy?” if they haven’t already been enraptured by your radiant presence.

Now take that same scenario but you’re wearing all black. These colors won’t amplify your presence but mute it. Black isn’t evil, if you’re going to wear a lot of it learn how to add some color like a rich aubergine tie or a colored cardigan.

The opposite is true with a guy who is not the center of a party but wearing colors. He’s noticed as the loser that he is.

So you have to back up your peacocking gear with your best personality.

Note: When wearing loud colors you don’t want to be obnoxiously loud, it just amplifies your obnoxiousness. You want to be fun and friendly to everyone. If you’re at a party say hi to everyone - ask people if they’re having fun with a smile and get them laughing with you. Once they realize how boring everyone else is it’ll be easier to find the guy with color on.

IMPORTANT:

All the ridiculous rules out there can be overwhelming. But most people need some direction. This is a very delicate matter because there are so many shades of skin tone. The last thing I want to do is to limit your choice of colors, so please go and experiment.

If you get compliments on a certain color there must be a good reason - keep what works and get rid of what doesn’t. But you have to put yourself out there and be willing to make mistakes. Building style is like anything else in life, either take risks and learn how to become your better self or stay safe and boring.Wear more of your BEST colors, and limit the less flattering colors to small parts of your outfit if you want to wear those colors.

Flattering colors -> higher percentage of your outfit
Non-flattering colors -> avoid or keep them minimal

More Tips:

Click here for some great examples on how to bring color into your outfit through one piece of clothing like a cardigan.

No matter who you are, stay clear of harvest gold and avocado, these colors are so boring that they’ll make a senior citizen look more hip than you – believe me, I know plenty that are more hip than most people, and they would never be caught dead wearing those colors.

Be careful of the colors you put around your face. If you have fair skin and you wear very bright colors, the clothes are going to suck the color right out of you. Looking sickly won’t go well with the ladies.

I’m not a huge fan of the color seasons and what have you, because it’s all about experimentation, it’s not a 100% absolute.

If you really want to find our your season: here is a great article on Wikipedia.

It can be a great guideline to start but don’t limit yourself to these colors, there are lots of colors you can look great in that may not be part of your season. Nowadays with hair dying products, color contacts, and the popularity of tanning, you really have to go experiment. Don’t limit yourself to the colors of your season because they might not be the best for you depending on many factors.

That’s it for now, till next time guys.

- Jae

P.S. Want to see one Kinowear reader’s style transformation? Check out his before & after pictures, as well as his testimonial of his 1-on-1 consultation with me in New York City. And for those who are interested, I’m offering 1-on-1 consultations in New York City for April & May 2008. For details, check out this page. If you have anymore questions, don’t hestitate to contact me at Jae@kinowear.com.

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