How Our Colors Change as we Age
Do you know your best personal colors? Several of you have asked me to talk about our personal coloring and how to know what flatters us. Can our coloring change as we age? You bet and that means our most flattering color palette will too. Can you go from warm to cool or vice versa? Yes, but more likely your coloring will simply soften as your eye, hair, and skin loose pigment.
Many older women reach for colors without worrying if they look flattering or not. They choose bright colors because it makes them feel visible and happy. I’m doing that more than ever yet when I catch my reflection in the mirror I’m reminded that wearing a flattering color smoothes my complexion, brightens my eyes and takes years off my face. Nothing wrong with that!
Most of us have had our seasonal colors “done” which classifies you as warm or cool and soft or intense.
A simple test to determine your temperature is to look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. If they’re blue, you are cool, if they’re green you are warm-toned.
Most women intuitively sense which colors look best on them. I would encourage you to listen to your gut and wear what feels right.
As we age our skin, eyes, and hair loose pigment which changes the contrast between them. Even if you continue to color or drastically alter your hair color, your skin and eyes will continue to change and that affects your contrast.
Here is where my professional color training varies from simple seasonal color typing.
Several of you have commented that I must be a winter because I can wear black. The truth is I couldn’t wear it when I was younger. If you look at my coloring you’ll see I have very low contrast and very cool skin, which should type me as a summer. That’s too simplistic and in fact, I’ve been typed as a soft winter because although my coloring is soft, I have a strong personality.
The level of your personal intensity plays a large role in colors that flatter you. That may be why many older women are attracted to and reaching for bright and strong colors. They feel more confident at this age and feel like they want to make a vibrant statement.
Has your personal intensity changed which altered the colors that look good on you?
Has your coloring changed dramatically as you’ve aged?
Please share in the comments.
Thanks for reading ladies and have a great day!
I love your blog and have particular interest in this post. Even though I was classified as a cool summer a few years ago, I keep buying black tops and other colors that don’t flatter me. Time to make a change! I’m very fair skinned, have blue veins and eyes and light blonde hair (with a little gray). I’m 68 years old and a heart transplant recipient- doing great). I know I look better in pinks and jewel tones, especially now that I am healthy. My question is where do I start in buying the right clothes? With the basics? One thing at a time.. My goal is not to buy anymore black pants :). Thanks you inspire me..
Congratulations Beth! Wishing you continued good health. Start with a few tops that you can wear with black pants. Black is cool so if you’re a cool summer, it’s not that surprising you’d wear it. Try one pair of charcoal pants and see how that goes. Baby steps by adding pieces that you love.
Hi, my skin color is a combination of olive and yellow. I live in the Island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. It’s been very hard for me to be sure what colors are the best for me for years . I’m 65 now and my hair is been with blonde tips for years and still, I never use yellow , pink , reds , violets or green . most of the time I wear warm colors , and blues,( navy and light blue ) I do wear kaki , blank and love white and jeans . Finally I found a site that talks about colors for your skins . I can’t find exactly what color is on my wrist ! Can you please help
I will be sharing more about color very soon.
Fabulous blog Jennifer and satisfying to read there are readers in my age group 69. Draped as soft autumn premenopausal but cooling down to summer leaning on light summer now. I am a trained colour consultant and did this successfully on others but being objective about yourself takes more work. Different systems have different shadings too. I’ve ended up personalising my swatch with those shades I’m happy in. Very pleased to have found your work Jennifer.
Welcome Janice! It is hard to be objective about one’s coloring. There are so many systems out there with varying results for women which can confuse the results.
HI. Love your blog. Enjoy every one. I am happy and young at 88 years. A great life and I learn more every single day. Read this blog re colors and realized your ladies are trying to understand their best colors. Found your info most informative about changing thru the years. The makeup line Look Fabulous Forever will be of interest to many of ur readers. It is now just coming into the US and their product was included in the academy awards gift box last Sunday. It eliminates all questions regarding what looks best on you plus it is a well researched top line product with good price points. You may want to research this. It’s fantastic and the approval rate is over joyous ! Be sure to remember to play dress up no matter what your age and enjoy this great life ! Be comfortable but also be brave enough to dress how you feel not just to please others. We are all so unique. There is no there like you and never will be. That is a gift to be celebrated. Have fun! Doreen
Thank you for sharing Doreen, you bring up some excellent points.
When my hair was still brown, heathered gray was great on me. Now that my hair’s mostly gray/silver, it washes me out & heathered charcoal gray is better.
Thanks Jennifer…your insight on color is helpful to me. I get so confused about all the expert advice and am surprised when it doesn’t work on me. Thanks for the reminder that we are all our own best decision maker…just look in the mirror and decide if the expert advice is still working for us or not…how does it make us feel. Love your blog!