Being a tailor, we find it quite hard to believe how customers are so hell-bent on getting a shirt that is in trend or a particular color because it merely ‘looks nice.’
Every person talks about creating the ideal ‘self’ and in doing so his image is completely concealed in his possessions. A person will get his clothes tailored to make him stand out and yet his poor choice of colors is what makes him blend in. We will gladly give you advice on the way you should dress and present yourself. However, we do not feel the urge and necessity to adhere to the latest fashion trends to bring out the best in you.
Truth be told, you will never find your color palette on the first try. Finding your set of colors comes from an extensive amount of trial and error. Years and years of shopping and yet something’s missing from your wardrobe. You can overwhelm yourself with choices to no avail. Somehow, deep down inside, your personality and your ‘self-image’ remain buried. Approaching this problem with a guideline could ease you from this exhaustive and expensive problem. In fact, we recommend all our fabrics to our customers based on these rules.
There are more important things than fashion to keep in mind when selecting your shirt. Fashion trends will always come and go and you should take it as chance that what is in fashion also looks good on you. We are not trying to slam the industry for their creativity and dedication towards creating a shirt for you (Well, we are a part of it after all). We only ask you to rise above fashion trends to give importance to a few factors when selecting a shirt. This is not a guide to selecting a nice shirt. Rather, this is an outline to help you pick a shirt that will make you look nice. In doing so, there are three main factors to keep in mind (in order of importance): your skin tone, your hair color, and your eye color (to a smaller extent). Finding a shirt to match all your body features is an impossible task. Don’t go down that route. Instead, find something that will either contrast or compliment you.
Before we start building your wardrobe, there are a neutral set of colors that apply to everyone regardless of hair and skin tone. It will always come in handy at any given time and occasion. Make sure your closet is always filled with a few black, white, dark grey, and navy blue shirts. All are easy to match and seamlessly transition from work wear to night wear. These colors never get old and will keep you fresh and sharp for any curveball life has in store for you. It also helps to keep a mental note of how people respond to the color you wear. Make a note of every compliment you get and build on it. Avoid those colors that leave a bad first impression. Remember, the purpose isn’t only to make you look good. It should also make you feel good.
To make things easier we have divided this article into sections based on hair color and skin tone. A person’s eye color is given less importance since it’s completely a wild card factor. It merely introduces a few colors to a person’s range that wasn’t there initially.
Light skin tone- Light hair color:
People with these features should opt for shades that contrast from their features as much as possible. When people in this category wear earthy colors, such as beige and a light brown, they will look very flushed. Try wearing these colors and your friends might just assume you’re feeling under the weather. Pastel colors work very well. A light pink or a peach colored shirt really makes you stand out. Try to go for sharper colors such as a metallic blue or a hot pink. The idea here is to find something to stand out from the muted features of both skin and hair.
Light skin tone- Dark hair color:
People in this category will have a wider range of colors to play with. Since the hair and skin already have a contrast, we can find colors that compliment either of them. A dark colored shirt will match the hair while giving the skin tone a nice contrast and a light colored shirt doing just the opposite. When customers with these features walk in to our store, our job becomes a whole lot easier. However, once again, we will ask you to stay away from the earthy colors to avoid looking flushed. Other than that you really can’t go wrong. Since your palette is so diverse, try to find a shirt in the same shade as your eyes, the wild card factor.
Dark skin tone- Dark hair color:
Two negatives make a positive. Add a negative it becomes a negative again. A dark hair dark skinned person should avoid dark colors at all cost. While a light skinned person in earthy colors look flushed, a dark skinned person in dark colors will look dull. Bright colors are encouraged. As mentioned earlier, find a color to give your skin a good contrast. Our approach is to always make you stand out. Go for the fluorescent colors. Don’t hesitate to step out of your comfort zone. For a change, earthy colors, like Khaki, gives a very classy look.
Dark skin tone- Light hair color:
Older people with grey hair also fall into this category. It would actually look nice to find a shade that matches the grey hair. Again, avoid the dark colors. Countless customers shy away from lighter shades because it makes them look even darker. Having dark skin is something you’re born with. Looking dull or sharp is a choice that you can actually make. We always encourage bright colors. This time, find something to match the hair to further boost your image.
We encounter choices daily and despite our wealth of experience we don’t always get it right. There will always be a right turn to every left one, a black to every white, and an up to every down. We aren’t here to decide what shirt you should wear. This is just an attempt to simplify your daily decisions one color at a time. Happy Shopping!