Lizzy - True Clours

According to research, the colour black is perceived by others to indicate power, seriousness, mysticism, (think black magic), and intelligence, (graduation gowns are often black). Black also indicates sadness, for example when mourning, and anger- a black mood. I don’t wear black very often. It emphasises every dark shadow and saps light from my face. I own two black dresses. One is completely plain and is what I wore to my grandfather’s funeral. The other has an embellished collar which reflects light up onto my face and stops the outfit from looking stark.

In contrast, white symbolises purity, cleanliness and innocence. Christening and wedding gowns are traditionally white; a white lie is touted as being harmless. White clothing acts as a reflector; it bounces light up onto the face which gives the appearance of a more even skin tone. It’s important to choose the right shade of white though. No matter what colour the skin, it will have either warm or cool undertones. Those with cool undertones have pink tones in their skin and suit silver rather than gold. Cool whites with a touch of blue in them are more flattering. Those with warm undertones have yellow tones in their skin and suit gold rather than silver. I fall into the latter category- I have strawberry blonde/red hair and better suit gold jewellery. Warm creamy whites are more flattering on me than cool, icy whites. 

Red signifies confidence and passion, (great for a first date), and aggression, which is why matadors use a red flag. Red increases metabolism and raises the blood pressure and is sometimes seen as a barrier, for example, a red light or red tape. When I wear red, I feel confident, vibrant and upbeat. I have more red dresses than any other colour and I always feel fabulous when wearing them. The same rules apply though. My warm colouring means warm, coral/orange reds look a whole lot better than reds with hints of blue.

Red model: STS-30056 colour F390

Royal blue model: STS-30056 colour F590

Green model: STS-30050 colour F690

Light blue model: STS-30050 colour F590

 

Blue signifies loyalty, stability and tranquillity. It is associated with blue skies, which we perceive as a positive thing — it means being outside or being on holiday in the sun and sea. Evolutionarily, it also means there are no storms to come, it is good for crops. Blue is a good colour to wear for a job interview because it symbolises reliability and for this reason, a lot of work and corporate uniforms are blue. However, on the contrary, it can suggest something unexpected: an event that happens out of the blue or sadness: when someone is feeling blue.

Green denotes freshness, safety and harmony. It has a kinship with nature and growth, (green shoots) and is a permissive colour, (green light). It has negative connotations too though- being green with envy or being told one is as green as grass are probably not characteristics, we’d chose to describe ourselves. In general, though, green is perceived as a calming colour. It interests me as an optometrist to know that the human eye can distinguish more shades of green than any other colour. The reason for this is a complex combination of physiological reasons- how the rods and cones work- and evolutionary reasons- humans interact in the natural world. When we lived and hunted outdoors, green was the most predominant colour.

The latest STEPPERS frames offer super-lightweight models in an array of mouth-watering translucent colours. I adore them all and cannot pick a favourite. Whether you wear a colour to reflect your mood, or whether you choose a colour to change your mood, my advice is the same: let your true colours shine through.