A reader mentioned that she needs to wear different colors within her seasonal color palette since going gray and wondered if there’s a formula she can use to simplify things. Understanding which colors look most flattering can be a very helpful tool for looking your best, but your personal contrast levels can make a huge difference too. Let’s talk about how to find your personal contrast level.
There are three components of a color. Hue is the actual color…red, yellow, blue, etc.). Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. Finally, saturation is the strength, purity, or intensity.
Our hair color, skin, and eyes all have a value (light to dark) on a sliding scale. Our personal contrast level is the difference between them. Wearing contrast levels that match your own contrast levels is as important as whether the undertone is warm or cool. In some instances, it’s more important!
A high level of contrast is when there’s a big difference between the lightness of one or more colors. For example, if you have very dark hair and light blue eyes, you have a high-value contrast. However, if your dark color hair has gone a medium grey, it will lower the difference (contrast) with your eyes. As our hair goes gray or silver, our personal contrast level will shift.
If you have light silver or blonde hair, fair skin, and pale eyes, you have a low contrast value and will look best in low-contrast outfits. Medium value contrast is when there’s a difference, but it’s not extreme.
Contrast levels that are too strong overpower and wash you out. Conversely, wearing a contrast that is too low reduces your visibility. Knowing and wearing outfits that echo your personal contrast levels keep you looking vibrant and visible at a time when society often overlooks midlife women.
How to find your personal contrast level
The easiest way to see your inherent color contrast is to take photos of your face and hair. Then, use the settings on your phone to change it to a grayscale, monotone image. Now you’ll see the level of difference between the intensity of your hair, eyes, and skin. I have makeup on in my photos, but you can still see the difference.
The black and white have a strong contrast that overpowers me. The red lipstick attempts to make it flattering but falls short in the monochrome image. The black jacket is intense against my complexion. Its contrast with the white shirt draws your eye to the garments, away from my face.
In this photo I have highlighted, pale ash blonde hair. Along with my fair skin, and medium eyes, I have low/medium contrast value levels that match the chambray shirt and denim jacket. My eyeglass frames and lipstick are also a low contrast which doesn’t overpower my coloring. My low intensity is also why I am flattered by monochromatic outfits because they are the epitome of low contrast.
Since I’ve let my hair go ashy gray, the contrast between my hair and eyes has become even softer than when I was highlighting it. This black shirt looks even starker against my low contrast coloring so my head looks like it’s floating.
Below is another example using outfits. The same sweater with different-wash jeans is a great example. High contrast is when there’s a big difference between one or more colors. Low contrast is when they’re very similar. Medium contrast is when there’s a difference between them, but it’s not extreme.
When we remove the color, you can see the contrast levels. The light sweater and deep wash jeans have a high contrast, which would flatter someone with equally high contrast. If you have white hair and deep brown eyes, you can wear stronger contrast.
Now let’s try a deeper sweater with the same jeans.
Now here’s a sweater with a medium value and the same jeans.
Try this yourself. Do all the grays meld softly, or do your eyes stand out? Is your hair noticeably darker than your skin tone? The comparison is what shows your personal contrast level. With practice, you’ll learn to recognize the contrast levels in outfits so you can wear ones that match your own. These will be the most flattering, so you’ll look the most vibrant and visible.
Hair that changes from black to pale gray lessens your personal contrast level, so you will look better in color combinations with lower contrast. You may also look better wearing the lighter colors within your palette. Remember, you will not change seasons, just the colors that flatter you most within those seasons…unless you were mistyped in the first place.
Do you pay attention to contrast levels in your outfits?
Thanks for reading, and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
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