The best way to shop (is not actually to look for your colours)

This may sound counterintuitive but... hear me out!

When you first get your colour palette it can be very exciting, and you're itching to find items in these beautiful new colours of yours. And you know now that when you walk into a shop you can immediately eliminate a load of items because you know they're not right for you because they're not "your colours".

Right?

Well, sort of.

When I first had my colours analysed, I went shopping straight after and was thrilled to find a number of items of clothing in colours that matched the swatches - scarves, tops, a skirt, you name it. However, over time something started to feel "off". I loved the colours but I wasn't so sure about the outfits I was putting together. Something about it all didn't feel fully "me". And then I realised - in the pursuit of finding the exact colour matches I was losing sight of something else: my own personal style.

You see, our colour swatch fans are not supposed to be dictators but rather guides for us - to give us a filter by which to measure all colours and see if they work. Your colour swatches give you colours that you know work on you because they've been tested, but you are not limited to only those.

And that's why I recommend that, once you get to know your colour palette (and also the colours you should avoid), the best way to shop is not necessarily to look for your colours first but instead look for what you need in terms of function (e.g. a waterproof winter coat) and what you like in terms of style - and then use your colour palette to see if it works for you or not.

For example, if you're after a summer dress, first think about the kind of dress you need and would like to wear. Maybe it's a maxi dress with straps that's fairly loose fitting. Now if you're not sure exactly what kind you want, but you know you'd like a pink one, you can of course look for a dress that harmonises with your pinks and then see if you like the fit, style, etc. But just remember that you don't have to get one if you find it just because it's a match for one of your colours. In other words, don't let colour be at the expense of the style, fit, fabric, function, etc that is right for you.

Now, that's not to say you can't just walk into a shop and know if you're going to find something or not, because colour is easy to spot first and can save you a lot of time and hassle knowing whether to bother looking or not. But, if you see a section of cashmere jumpers that really appeals to you but you don't obviously see any matches to your colours, don't assume none of them will work. Have a browse, hold your colour fan up, hold it up to your face in a mirror, think about it if fits with your key words or if it's in the avoid category. You have more flexibility than you think 😉

For more tips on what to look for, check out my shopping checklist.