Tan France’s 4 Tips for Finding Your Color
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 2 min read
For many years, the fashion world has used color theory to determine the “right” colors to wear according to your skin tone, hair color, or eye color. However, world-class fashion stylist Tan France has a different take on wearing color: “There’s no right way or wrong way to wear color,” he says. Here are some of Tan’s tips for finding the color that works best for you.
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Tan France’s 4 Tips for Finding Your Color
If you want to add more flattering colors to your capsule wardrobe, check out the following tips from Queer Eye’s Tan France:
- 1. Don’t listen to old rules. Color theory is a set of guidelines that designers use for mixing, combining, and manipulating colors. These guidelines dictate the colors that pair best with your skin tone, hair color, and skin undertone. For example, warm undertones should wear with rich earth tones and warm blues, while cool undertones work best with sea shades and berry reds. “As far as color is concerned, don’t be fooled by what you heard years ago, that your skin color dictates what colors you can wear,” Tan says. “In my opinion, that is so archaic and unnecessary. Just because you’re white doesn’t mean you can’t wear cream. Just because you’ve got red hair doesn’t mean you can’t wear red.”
- 2. Ease into colors. When incorporating new colors, a good rule of thumb is to ease into the new look. If your wardrobe is predominantly neutral colors, buying a neon green jumpsuit may be too adventurous. “Find colors that feel like you and embrace those, as opposed to creating a character with color,” Tan suggests. A good way to detemine which colors look best on you is to experiment in the fitting room before purchasing. Try on bold-colored pieces that you can layer into your wardrobe (like tank tops, T-shirts, and even socks.) To find the colors that speak to you, try on as many colors as you can.
- 3. Take inspiration from your wardrobe. The simplest way of determining the best colors for you is to look at your current wardrobe. “Choose the colors that you know work well for you and then build off that,” Tan explains. If your capsule wardrobe includes a lot of blue pieces, then incorporate different shades of blue. If you have a few yellow pieces, find different shades within that family—brighter yellows, dark yellows, and even oranges—to incorporate into your wardrobe.
- 4. Use the color wheel. According to Tan, the color wheel is one of the best tools at your disposal for choosing colors to wear. Analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel and share a common hue. When incorporating new colors into your wardrobe, find a color that feels safe to you. Take for example, pale blue. On the color wheel, blue falls between teal and blue-violet. If you feel comfortable with pale blue, add a teal or blue-violet for a subtle, two-color palette. Complementary colors contrast each other on the color wheel and make for a beautiful power clash: Think fuchsia and chartreuse, or burgundy and forest green. When you make bold color choices, both colors stand out.
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Get a MasterClass Annual Membership and let Tan France be your very own style spirit guide. Queer Eye’s fashion guru spills everything he knows about building a capsule collection, finding a signature look, understanding proportions, and more (including why it’s important to wear underwear to bed)—all in a soothing British accent, no less.