Why I Stopped Buying This One Color

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This year I’ve decided to stop buying the color black. Clothing, accessories, shoes: nothing will be black. It’s been a staple color in my wardrobe for years, so I expect my new shopping rule to be a bit of a challenge. And while I will still wear black occasionally, there are a few reasons why I don’t plan to add it to my closet.

The Black and White Wardrobe

The majority of my closet consists of black and white pieces. These colors are classic, chic, easy to buy and go with everything. But black and white have started to feel basic and too safe. In pursuit of creating a timeless wardrobe, I’ve found myself with not a lot of color in my closet. Even more versatile colors like tan, camel, ecru, cream, gray, navy and brown aren’t nearly as prevalent in my wardrobe as black and white. While I might buy one or two items in white for the summer (T-shirts, linen tops, etc.), I can’t justify purchasing anymore black pieces.

Getting My Color Analysis

Black is often portrayed as an elegant, slimming, timeless color that looks good on anyone, but this is a major myth. Black only works well on individuals with cool, deep and bright coloring. So if you have warm, light and muted coloring like me, then black isn’t the best color for you.

After doing a color analysis on myself last month, I discovered that I am a true spring. For years I thought jewel tones and soft pastels looked the best with my pale skin and red hair. I was so wrong. Just glancing at the true spring color palette, I realized that warm, fresh, saturated colors flatter me the most.

Now I reference my color palette to before buying anything to determine if an item will compliment my complexion. While black, white and navy were my most-worn colors last summer, I’ll be reaching for brighter hues like teal, marigold, cream and coral this season.

How To Color Analyze Yourself

Color analysis categorizes individuals into different color seasons based on the undertones of their skin, hair, and eyes. The four main color seasons are spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each season has a distinct palette of colors that harmonize with its characteristics. By determining your season, you can identify the hues that will bring out your best features.

1. Determine Your Skin Undertone

Start by identifying your skin's undertone, which falls into one of two categories: warm or cool. A quick way to determine your undertone is to examine the veins on the inside of your wrist. If your veins appear greenish, you likely have warm undertones. If they appear bluish or purplish, you likely have cool undertones. Another approach is to consider how your skin reacts to sunlight. Warm undertones tend to tan easily, while cool undertones may burn or turn pink.

2. Assess Your Natural Hair and Eye Color

Your hair and eye color are essential factors in color analysis. Determine whether your hair color is warm or cool-toned. Warm hair colors include shades of red, auburn, golden blonde, and warm brown. Cool hair colors encompass shades like ash blonde, platinum blonde, cool brown, and black. Consider your eye color as well, as it can help guide your color choices.

3. Test Different Color Swatches

Once you have an understanding of your undertone, hair color, and eye color, it's time to experiment with different color swatches. Begin by collecting a range of fabric swatches or color charts in various shades. You can use clothing items you already own as well as any fabric pieces you find around your house (think blankets, towels, pillowcase covers, etc.).

Stand in front of a mirror in a well-lit area, preferably near a window with natural light, and hold each swatch near your face. Observe how each color interacts with your skin, eyes, and hair. Pay attention to whether it brightens or dulls your complexion, enhances your eye color, or blends harmoniously with your hair.

4. Identify Your Season

As you compare different colors against your skin, you'll notice that some make you look radiant and alive, while others may make you appear tired or washed out. Use your observations to determine your color season. Here's a brief overview of the characteristics of each season:

Spring: Warm undertones, light to medium skin with golden or peachy hues, hair ranging from golden blonde to light brown, and eyes that are blue, green, or light hazel.
Summer: Cool undertones, fair to medium skin with pink or rosy undertones, hair that ranges from ash blonde to medium brown, and eyes that are blue, gray, or cool hazel.
Autumn: Warm undertones, medium to dark skin with golden or olive undertones, hair ranging from medium brown to dark auburn, and eyes that are brown, amber, or hazel.
Winter: Cool undertones, fair to deep skin with blue or pink undertones, hair that ranges from ash brown to black, and eyes that are dark brown, black, or icy blue.

If you have trouble identifying your best colors, try using a free color analysis service like colorwise.me. You just upload your headshot and select your skin, hair and eye color from the photo, then it will determine your color season for you. Don’t forget to upload a high-resolution headshot taken in natural lighting for better results. I uploaded multiple photos of myself and tested each one several times to determine my season.

Another helpful set of tools are the color analysis filters on TikTok. These filters act as digital fabric swatches to help you discover your color season. Try them yourself and ask for feedback from your friends, family and followers.

5. Embrace Your Color Palette

Once you've determined your color season, explore the palette associated with it. Each season has a collection of colors that flatter its characteristics. Consider these colors when choosing clothing, accessories, and even makeup. Remember, it's not about limiting yourself to specific shades but using the palette as a guide to find colors that make you look your best.

You can purchase fabric swatches as well as digital color palettes for your season, but there are several free resources online. I’d recommend saving a few images of your color palette to your phone to reference while shopping.

Should You Ditch Black?

Color analysis will help you discover your best colors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wear less flattering shades like black. As always, personal style is about expressing yourself, so embrace colors that make you feel confident.

You don’t need to get rid of black from your wardrobe entirely. Personally, I will continue to wear black on occasion or in small amounts as I slowly transition my wardrobe to a color palette that suits me better.

Have you gotten a color analysis? What colors do you avoid wearing? Let me know in the comments below.