Your dress color should flatter your skin tone and really make your face pop. It's the number one style secret that all stylists know! We've laid it all out for you below, so you'll never be caught in an unflattering outfit again.
After you've figured out which colors look best on you, consult this handy primer on the best colors to wear to match your eyes.
And remember, dressing well is as much about the color hues you choose as it is the way your clothes fit! Make sure you're picking the most flattering fits for your shape, too.
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If You Have Dark Skin
Think of matching colors to your skin tone as a game of opposites attract. Dark skinned gals are going to look best in colors on the warm end of the spectrum in any shade, from pastels to brighter colors and rich, deeper tones as well. Warmer colors will bring out the warmness in your skin tone.
Think any shade of purple from light and bright to royal purple to plum and eggplant; the pink spectrum from pastel and ballerina pink to poppy pink; yellows from soft yellow to a rich, bright yellow, and don't forget gold, bronze, and copper. Dark skinned girls can also pull off white in a really fabulous way and colors in the orange and red families. These hues will pop against their skin, warm their complexion and overall, really flatter their tones.
Dark skinned girls should steer clear from browns and blacks, plus colors on the cool end of the spectrum, like blues, gray and silver. If a color is too close to their skin tone, it just won’t flatter as much. Cooler colors are harsher on dark skin, can bring out gray undertones and can even make your skin look yellow… which in turn will make you look sickly.
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If You Have Medium Skin
Picking out colors to flatter your skin is like playing a game of opposites. You never want to wear a color that’s the exact shade of your skin, because it just won’t be as flattering.
Girls with medium skin should stay away from browns, beiges, caramel, oranges and very pale pastels in any hue. Pastels and other light hues will be too cool against your skin and can bring out gray undertones. Gray is just not something you want in your complexion. Instead, you want colors that will bring out the warmth in your complexion.
Stick with brighter, deeper hues and jewel tones that will really pop against your skin. Jewel tones are deep, rich colors that resemble precious gems like emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and amethysts.
The blue family, from deep navy to royal blue, is really flattering for medium skin. Deep pink, bright pink and raspberry pink are also good choices. The red and green families, plus deep purples will also be flattering for you as well.
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If you have olive skin.
Girls with olive skin are lucky because they can pull off practically any color. Olive skin tends to have yellow and brown undertones, so when you’re shopping, think of colors that will compliment these hues.
The best color for girls with olive skin, however, is pink. Bright pinks will bring out the subtle red undertones in your skin, and give you a colorful glow that will make you look like you just got back from vacationing in the islands.
Any shade of green, from olive to emerald to lime, will bring out your beautiful brown tones.
Olive skinned girls can also pull off colors in the orange family really well (it’ll give you a nice summer glow) and any shade of red. Bright reds, like cherry and rose, can really make your skin pop. Deeper reds like burgundy and softer reds with hints of brown and rose will give you a nice glow.
If your skin is fair, it can have either warm, peachy undertones (usually with freckles, chestnut, red, golden blond or strawberry blond hair) or cool undertones (think Snow White or Reese Witherspoon- no color in your cheeks, ash blond, dark brown or black hair). You’ll want to determine your skins undertones before you match colors to your skin.
So, if you’re fair skinned with warm undertones, earth-tones will look great on you. Think any shade of brown (even pinkish-brown) and any shade of green- from olive to grass, emerald and lime. Ivory, navy and gray will also look really good on you- they’ll compliment your peachy undertones.
The lighter side of the red and orange families (think peach, apricot, light pink, rose pink or rose red) will work well. It’s all about flattering the subtle red undertone in your skin.
You’ll want to stay away from very bright colors and neons- they’ll clash with your skin. Black will be too dark and harsh, and white is too pale and can make you look sickly.
If you’re fair skinned with cooler undertones, you look great in the berry family. Think strawberry or deep red, raspberry pink, boysenberry and deep purple. It creates a nice contrast with your skin and can bring out a hint of color in your cheeks.
Jewel tones can also really flatter your skin. Think emerald, turquoise and amethyst.
As for metallics, stay away from silver and stick with gold.
You’ll want to stay away from shades that are too bright and light. White will make you look too pale, and black will give you a goth vibe. Neons, yellows, and lilac won’t bring out the best in your skin, either.
There are several hues that work well with different skin undertones. Warm-toned individuals should opt for earthy colours such as amber and beige, or pastel shades like peach and lavender. Cool-toned individuals look stunning in jewel tones like emerald and ruby, or blush and pink undertones.
As a general guide, lighter suits are most complimentary for people with medium and darker skin tones. Likewise, a deep and dark-coloured suit looks most complimentary on fairer skin. You can also consider and work with your skin's natural undertones.
Check the color of your clothes against your skin and see which ones complement you. You have cool undertones if cool colors like blue suit you. You have warm undertones if warm shades like the yellow suit you. You have a neutral undertone if any and every shade suits you.
Some colors that can help make someone with tan skin look lighter or paler include pastel shades like light pink , lavender , and baby blue . These colors have a cool undertone that can create a contrast with the warm undertones of tan skin , making it appear lighter .
Average skin colors are seen as most attractive. Typically, tan is the average skin color, making it very attractive to most people. However, the most attractive skin color varies on preference, culture, and sex. A healthy skin complexion and rosy “glow” is always considered attractive.
There are several hues that work well with different skin undertones. Warm-toned individuals should opt for earthy colours such as amber and beige, or pastel shades like peach and lavender. Cool-toned individuals look stunning in jewel tones like emerald and ruby, or blush and pink undertones.
Atlanta-based makeup artist Brielle Brenner says this quick at-home test is perhaps the easiest way to find your skin undertone: “Check the veins in your wrist, and if they appear more blue or purple, you most likely have a cool undertone; if they look green, you most likely have a warmer skin tone,” she tells SELF.
Black never fails to make you look slim and elegant. Darker shades of colors like blue, purple and brown can also help to hide flaws and create a slimming illusion. On the other hand, lighter colors, like white and khaki, can add pounds and give the illusion of a larger frame.
Here is one way to mix skin tones using a limited palette: Begin by mixing together equal parts of cadmium red, yellow ochre, and titanium white to create a basic peach tone. Adjust the color by adding more red to create warmer skin tones, or more yellow to create cooler skin tones.
Bright colors like hot pink, electric blue, and neon green can be difficult to wear for those with pale skin because they can make your skin look even paler. However, if you choose a shade with a blue undertone, it will complement your cool undertones and make your skin look brighter.
Natives of Buka and Bougainville at the northern Solomon Islands in Melanesia and the Chopi people of Mozambique in the southeast coast of Africa have darker skin than other surrounding populations. (The native people of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, have some of the darkest skin pigmentation in the world.)
Sidhu and colleagues found that black and red clothing produced the highest ratings of body attractiveness and slimmer body size judgments. In contrast, grey and green clothes produced the lowest body attractiveness and highest body size assessments.
The key to choosing flattering colours is to understand if your natural colouring is either warm or cool, and then 'match' your clothing colours. It is important to note that the colours that most affect how you look are those that you wear next to your face, through tops, scarves, or jewellery.
Typically, jewel tones will work best on cool-toned skin while earth tones highlight warm-toned skin well. If you're a neutral tone, then you're in luck! Practically every color will look good on you. This doesn't mean you can fall asleep at the wheel, though.
The Sun Exposure Test: Spending time in the sun is a good way of revealing one's undertone. If you tend to tan easily and rarely burn, you have a warm tone. If you burn very easily and tan minimally, you are cool-toned. If you both tan and burn, you have a neutral tone.
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