Have you ever purchased a clothing item such as a blouse or dress online? When it arrives, you are so excited and can’t wait until you have the time to dress. when that day comes, and you open the package, hold it in front of the mirror, or if you’re like me you just go for it and put it on. Suddenly, your smile fades in the mirror because you realize the hue or colour tone just doesn’t work for you.
This shouldn’t happen, or at least it should be a rare case when it does. Most of the time, if I buy something online, I know the risk I am taking. The colour of the blouse online may not even be close to what I think the actual colour turns out to be. Generally, my concern when buying online is more a question of fit rather than colour. I know my colours; what tones or intensity works with my eye colour, hair colour, and skin tone.
These three things should definitely be considered before you order clothing online or when you shop in person. If you haven’t heard of the concept of warmer, cooler, and neutral colours when selecting your clothing, then I hope you are going to be informed by reading the rest of this article. To determine your skin tone and undertone, check the inside of your arm. Flip your arm over and look at the veins that mark your wrist. If they appear blue or purple, then your skin is considered a cooler tone.
If your vein colour on the surface of your skin is greenish, then you have a warmer or neutral skin. Cooler skin tones look best with charcoal, cool blues, violets, and pastels in soft blues, yellows, pinks, and even greens. It is suggested to keep away from bold, strong colours, such as electric blue or grassy green, and wear oranges and yellows.
If you have a warmer skin tone, LA-based fashion and celebrity stylist Philippe Uters, suggests colours like orange, yellow, or even gold. He adds that bright colours also make the perfect match, while natural earth tones such as browns, deep tonal reds, and rich shades of green look great as well. If you don’t attend to these basic fashion details, then you’re likely to be disappointed with your purchase. If you’re making an online order, try to contact the retailer and confirm what the colour of the dress truly is.
There are so many hues for blue and similarly for reds. Being diligent in confirming the colour will make more of your purchases have a positive outcome when you open the package! I have always bought my wife clothing for her birthdays and Christmas. I know her colours, she has a cooler tone and luckily so do I. Thus, if I buy her a blouse, I pick out what I would like to buy for myself. Really, what I am getting to do is practice shopping for my crossdressing. I pick out a blouse or two and go to the mirror to get an idea of the colour relative to my skin tone. Because I already know what colours work, it makes shopping more fun and productive.
So, gals, if you rely on buying a gift card as a present, you’re missing out on so much fun. Find out your wife’s or girlfriend’s colour preferences, which will give you an idea if she is a warmer or cooler colour tone. You can also check her wrist. From there consider shopping in person either crossdressed or in your male attire. The salesperson can always be helpful, don’t be afraid; they won’t bite but they’ll take your Visa for sure.
I found looking through womenswear, dressed as my male self, used to make me feel self-conscious and a little nervous. But I was always impressed by the help the retail staff provided. I would pick out a blouse and ask for their opinion. If I weren’t sure, I’d say I’d think about it and thank them for their help. You don’t always have to buy on impulse. I guarantee your wife or girlfriend will try on many tops, skirts, and dresses in the colours that work best for them. When I shop in CD mode, I feel no nerves at all because I see myself as a woman buying a dress or whatever. Typically, I pick out at least five items, head to the change area, and let the fun begin. Interestingly, I find most often I am happy with the colour but not the fit.
Let me just note that my thought of how it would look on me, the way it drapes my body, is often completely different than what I see in the mirror. So if you don’t know your colour tone, check it out, find your colour tone, and you’ll be happier with your fashion selections. Try shopping for your girlfriend or wife, you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll become much better at picking out colours that will work for you.
More Articles by Melissa Honey
- Body Image and Shaping
- Finishing your Feminine Face Part 3
- Sweet Cheeks!
- Hairstyles for your Face Shape
- The Eyes!
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I really like this article! Very helpful and informative. My wife helps me shop and knows how colors and clothing construction can make or break one’s look. Shopping for my female side definitely is an art!
So glad to hear. If you ask your wife she will same the same thing to you. Nope the colour doesn’t look good on you or yes, that’s the one. Now fitting is different matter!
I rely on my gut to tell me what “looks good". Some colors are wow, other colors are just yuck. I have a preference for bright colors that pop, not keen on beiges and browns. I would agree that fit and draping matter almost as much as color.
You are more than likely finding and choosing colours that work with your colour tone. We all have a favourite or favourites colours. But I know certain reds or oranges just don’t work with my skin tone. This article I hope was helpful for CDs who are finding it confusing when shopping.
Yes I would agree, The truth is I am finding things that work with my skin tone which is an unassailable fact. It was a great article. I read it with great interest and I think it’s good now we have a platform like CDH to be able to take deeper dives into these kinds of topics.
What if we can’t determine just what colour our veins have? Beats me as to what I see.
My skin is pale enough that I have never worried about warm/cool colours, except for maybe the seasons or occasion. My wife has brown skin and she eliminates certain colours because she thinks that they don’t work with her. I am not that fussy. I figure any colour will work, if everything fits the same colour scheme. I would use a colour wheel for that.