Standing half-clothed, staring into the mirror, coffee in hand, with droplets of sweat gathering on one’s cupid’s bow is a morning scene not unfamiliar. Its soundtrack is mutterings of “I have nothing to wear,” often ending with a hurried exit and a day of avoiding mirrors.
The relationship we have with clothing is emotional. We turn to clothes for comfort and for power. What we wear helps us answer the question, “Who do I want to be today?” A favorite sweater can be armor against the world, or it can be our spotlight.
Beyond the benefits of inner confidence, beauty has a well-documented impact on job performance and treatment from both strangers and friends. With the increase in virtual meetings and video calls, how we look has become increasingly noticeable.
Seasonal color analysis promises to streamline the dressing process by helping people, mostly women, learn their ideal color palette and therefore look their best.
Color Me Beautiful … Again
The first wave of color analysis frenzy emerged in the 1980s with the publication of color consultant Carole Jackson’s bestselling Color Me Beautiful. The fad never faded away entirely, even showing up in the beloved 2000s dramedy Gilmore Girls, when serious businessman and grandfather Richard Gilmore finds his color season. (He’s an autumn, in case you’re wondering.) Now, seasonal color analysis has returned and is sweeping social media. A single color analysis video can accumulate thousands to millions of views across platforms.
Ashley Shryock has brought color analysis to mid-Missouri with House of Colour, a 40-plus-year-old company originating in London that hopped across the pond in 2010. In her home studio, located just across Columbia’s city line, Shryock leans into her teaching background to explain shifts in color theory, the core component of seasonal color analysis, to her clients.
Shryock recalls being a curious girl at the St. Louis Science Center, unknowingly learning about color theory for the first time. She experimented with different color squares, observing how each color can skew when next to others.
“Everyone has a unique tone to their skin because of the different types of melanin we all have. What you wear will affect how that makes your skin look,” Shryock said.
In social media terms, colors act like a filter for your face, brightening existing features or flattening features into an indistinguishable mask.
“There’s really nothing better than feeling good in your body. Color and style help you feel better about what you’re working with,” Shryock said.
A Season of Self-Discovery
The journey of color starts with determining whether a client’s skin has a warm or cool undertone. From there, clients are sorted into one of four seasons: summer, spring, autumn, or winter. Autumn and spring are warm, yellow-based seasons, and winter and summer are cool, blue-based seasons.
Shryock drapes dozens of fabrics around bare-faced clients, looking for specific color features and harmonies. Skin changes such as pinker lips; more pronounced imperfections; blue, green, or gray circles under the eyes; splotchy pink on the cheeks; and a lack of clarity of facial features cue Shryock as to where a client lands on the color spectrum. When a face looks less like a whole and more textured and separated, the color is not within the client’s season.
Rachel Flynn, owner and marketing director of Betz Jewelers and creator and curator of Flynn & Stone, has sent Shryock’s color analysis business upward of 30 referrals.
“I tell people it’s life-changing. It has simplified how I shop for clothes and how I get dressed,” Flynn said. “I waste less time second-guessing outfits, and shopping is easier because I know what works. Like if a shirt comes in three colors, I always know which one to get now. I feel more confident, and I feel more put together without trying harder.”
Flynn admitted she was surprised by the clear and objective process. To her, the process felt less like an opinion and more like a science.
“Seeing how certain colors instantly made my skin look brighter and healthier was eye-opening. Some shades I’d avoided for years — brown, for example — turned out to be incredibly flattering,” Flynn said.
After a season and sub-season are determined, Shryock explores makeup and hair options with her clients. She said clients often exhibit the characteristics of the colors they’re matched with, such as a warm personality invoking warm, autumnal reds and oranges.
Shryock lives by a “tools, not rules” philosophy. During a session, Shryock is building a color playground to experiment within, not a set of stringent decrees.
“Yes, there are things that will make you look your best, but you don’t always have to [wear them]. I say once you know the rules, you can break them,” Shryock said.
Time for a Chromatic Reset
Many of the women Shryock works with are experiencing transitional periods in their lives and may feel stuck and in need of a confidence boost. As emotional and personal as appearance is, Shryock weaves as much empowerment through education as possible into her sessions. Color analysis can act as a reset, helping women see themselves in a different light.
“Sometimes people are afraid to embrace change and things that would be good for them. For example, I’ve had redheads say, ‘I can’t wear red,’ and that’s just not true,” Shryock said. “You can see yourself in a totally different way than you ever have. … The before and after is a really big thing.”
When asked about following trends, Shryock observed that while trends tap into the desire to belong, the pursuit of what’s “in” can overshadow the more authentic choice of honoring one’s natural features. She stressed the importance of knowing why you’re chasing a trend before going all in. This is advice that her clients have taken to heart.
“Once you understand your colors, you’re not trying to fit into someone else’s version of style, Flynn said. “You’re enhancing what’s already there. It’s an investment that pays off every single day when you get dressed.”
So, are you a summer, a winter, a spring, or a fall? It may be time to find out.
