What’s YOUR best color?

If you know — great! You look younger, prettier and better rested.

If you don’t know — it might be worth your time and effort to find out. You might be wearing colors that don’t suit you, and as a result, looking older and … well, you get the idea.

Or you just stick with your default color: black. And I do hear this all the time: “I wear a lot of black. I’d like to wear more color, but I don’t know how.”

• Visit the paint store. Give yourself the treat of a half-hour dawdling in front of the paint-chip display in a paint store. Collect a handful and shuffle them. Which ones do you love? Enjoy their visual appeal.
• Visit an art museum. If you live in or near DC, it’s free! Take an hour and walk around a museum and pay especial attention to the art’s colors. Again, what appeals to you — and what doesn’t?
• Browse magazines and art books. Try this same approach with magazines or art books. Open yourself to new colors and combinations.
• Notice the physical and natural environments. Mother Nature pairs colors together beautifully, so take your cue from her. See the irises blooming, or the beauty of some warm-red tulips against the fresh grass. Or think of the rich mix of colors in an autumn treescape. It’s all beautiful!

• Color your accessories. I’m not a fan of black-plus-a-color, but this is still a good way to dip a toe into the sea of color. Instead of black bag, try one in ivory, gray, camel, bottle green or royal blue. Tie on a colorful scarf. Or add a colorful necklace or pair of earrings to your outfit.
• Experiment with your clothes. Take your colored pieces from your closet and toss them on your bed or place them on a rolling rack. Forget shapes and styles: Which colors go together in an appealing way?
• Take the plunge. Next time you go shopping, buy one piece that’s outside your comfort zone — a chartreuse top or a baby blue skirt. Take it home and play with it — see what it works with that you already have in your closet, using your new-found color skills.
• Find your best colors. Try this quick test: hold a bright white up to your face and compare it with a warmer white, like an ivory. Does the bright white or ivory flatter you more — making you look younger and prettier? This may be a clue to figuring out whether warm or cool colors suit you more.

Not sure which colors look best on you, or want help getting used to the wonderful world of color? Send me an email or give me a call at 202.352.7120 and we’ll figure out how I can help you color your world beautiful. {Or register for my workshop “Color Me Fabulous,” on February 9 — I’d love to see you there!}