Of all the colors that permeate my wardrobe the most prominent are shades found in wine; maroon, crimson, and of course burgundy. To me there is some thing sexy and sophisticated about the hue. Whether in my beauty looks or my fashion choices, I have worn the color for some of the most important moments of my life, both consciously and unconsciously.
My first real experience in collecting pieces for my wardrobe in this shade was when I went to college. My school colors were maroon and white and as I entered into a Freshman year with loads of football games, student housing events, and sorority functions began creeping their way into my schedule. So a beautiful dress here, a cute flirty top there, and suddenly I was finding a small corner of my closet beginning to grow.
The thing was, it wasn’t really a love for my school that had me dressing as a poster board for colligate pride. I really liked the color. It was one of the first hues that I think suited my complexion, something that I could always throw on and feel good about what I was wearing. It was easy, an effortless style choice that would never fail me. When you can find a color that works with you and your style it is like reaching fashion nirvana.
Upon graduating and moving to New York City, I suddenly found myself in a sea of black. Chic women perfectly appointed in onyx hues from head to toe, not a hair out of place. When going to my first interview at a major publication, I debated, do I wear all black and mimic these stylish ladies I had encountered during my internships or try and do something different.
The night before the interview I remember sitting in front of my closet for about an hour going through the options that I had and trying to figure out the mythical combination of clothing that I felt would help me get the job. I decided to rally behind my favorite color and went with a lovely 1930s silk burgundy blouse along with the 1980s gold and maroon embossed blazer featured in this post. Paired with a black Zara accordion pleated high waisted skirt and a pair of black pumps I felt ready to take on the world or at least fashion publishing.
I didn’t get the job on that particular interview, though I did make it to the final round and a couple years later spoke with the girl that interviewed me, who now is a friend. She said out of all the people that had come into interview that day, that I had stood out among the sea of black and had shown a creativity in my dress that had made me memorable.
That’s the wonderful thing about fashion, it is a way of creating a visual impression of yourself that you want to present to the world. I felt like I looked amazing and which gave me confidence day and it showed to the people I was meeting with. I might not have gotten the job then, but I had made a good, lasting impression that helped me at later.
Color can play such an important part in figuring out your own individual style. Below are a couple tips in discovering what your own perfect hue is.
- Figure out your undertone: There are two basic undertones for everyone either warm or cool. Cool toned people, not surprisingly, look best in what we call “cool” colors; blues, purples, silvers. While folks with warmer tones will look better with warm hues, like reds, golds, and oranges.
- The shade of it all: Once you have discovered your undertone that does not mean that you will be relegated to wearing only warm or cool colors for the rest of your life. Different shades of colors can create a cool-warm crossover. For example, there’s warm-red, which has an orange cast to it and there’s cool-red which has a blue undertone. This is also true for makeup as well. That is why everyone can wear red lipstick, it just depends on which shade of red you wear. I look best in cooler shades with my complexion so when choosing a warm color to wear, I want it to have cool undertones.
I hope that you enjoyed this post and as always thank you for reading. If there is anything you want me to cover on the site please leave them in the comments below.
xx
The Everyday Editor
OUTFIT DETAILS
Burgundy Coat: Celebrity Pink (HERE). Gold and maroon embossed blazer: Vintage (Similar HERE). Grey polo neck sweater: Jeanne Pierre (HERE). Black and gold necklace: Vintage (Similar HERE). Black and gold necklace with crystal drop: Vintage (Similar HERE). Black and gold statement ring: Vintage (Similar HERE). Black denim jeans: Mavi (HERE). Black leather boots: Delmans (HERE). Bag: Proenza Schouler (HERE).
All Photos by Della Bass
theeverydayeditor.com 