Color Me Beautiful - Anyone Want to Reminisce with Me?

[ChrisB]

Another thread about matching clothing made me reminisce about my mom's 80s/90s obsession with the color seasons in the book, Color Me Beautiful.  Anyone else have a dog-eared copy of this sitting in your parents' home or your own?  My mom even went so far as to purchase the season clothing swatches to haul around with her whenever she went shopping.  She is a true winter, as am I;my dad a summer.  She's always said she loves all colors and was happy to find something clear cut that told her which ones she looked good in.  Come on in...it's a good memory...

[fairfarmhand]

I don’t remember the book but just looked at their website. 

I’m an autumn! And yes the colors listed do look best on me.

[prairiewindmomma]

I still carry a pocket swatch with my colors! I have seen the old books, but I like the modern ones too!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Remember the home parties?  The representative would drape colors over each guest, and everyone would "ooo" and "ahh" at all the best colors, and by the end of the evening, everyone would know their season.  I'm a definite winter.  If I wear orange or yellow, people ask me if I'm feeling okay because they make me look ill.  Give me my jewel tones, and I'm happy.

[Lady Marmalade]

Fun!

My parents were Amway sellers for awhile and Mom had the ginormous folio of make-up that she would demo on people with- after she'd read this book, of course.

I am also a winter, though I can get away with certain shades of orange or yellow now that I have my blond hair dyed violet-red.  ?

[PeterPan]

I read this so much as a preteen/teen with my mom's copy that then when I found it on the sale shelf at the library I snagged it, hehe. Yup, another winter here, and yes I wear my colors. 

[Hilltopmom]

Oh my gosh, I was a bank teller after college while dh was finishing his degree & the bank brought in a consultant to have all the tellers colors done & then gave us, I dunno, maybe $200 to buy new clothes with! We were bank tellers- not models, geez.

[Arcadia]

My friend from middle school asked me to go with her to a workshop in the early 90s as moral support. I was an autumn in a room of winters. It was very worth it for my friend though as she feels bad asking us to tag along as fashion consultant whenever she needs to buy new clothes or makeup. Her work outfit was dress shirt, A-like skirts and pumps so as long as the colors look good on her, the clothing fit being a little off wasn’t a significant issue. 

[ChrisB]

Oh, the home parties!  That's where it all started for my mom.  She came home draping all sorts of clothing around our necks to figure our colors....good times!!  I'm naturally attracted to colors that look good (I think...lol) on me, those lovely jewel tones.  But, for mom, she loves all colors and has a hard time determining things.  When DH and I were first dating, he wore a cream colored dress shirt, and I asked if he was feeling fine.  Come to find out that he's a winter, and those cream color shirts do him no favors--memo to MIL.    

[AmandaVT]

Oh man, blast from the past! My mom had this book and I used to pore over it. I think I am a summer if I remember correctly. 

[IfIOnly]

The consultant I saw in high school couldn't figure out my color. I'm still disappointed over that. Haha!  It was between two, don't remember which.

[Selkie]

Oh yes, I remember when finding out your season was all the rage. I’m a spring.?

[Liz CA]

MIL was fascinated with it and told me several times I needed to "get my colors done." I don't think I ever got around to it. 

[Catwoman]

Another Winter here!!!

I remember when, back in the late 1980s, Color Me Beautiful premiered their cosmetics line at JC Penney stores, and I had a modeling assignment getting makeovers at mall presentations. Right before one of the makeovers, the makeup artist told me I was a Spring, and I told him he was wrong and that I was a Winter, but I might be able to get away with Summer colors, too. Nope. He insisted I was a Spring, and we went onstage and he put on quite a show, doing my makeup in shades of yellow-based peach. Thank goodness the audience wasn’t too close, because it wasn’t pretty.

After it was over, the guy said to me, “Oh honey, I guess you really are a Winter because right now you look like death warmed over.” ?

 

[Ellie]

5 hours ago, ChrisB said:

Another thread about matching clothing made me reminisce about my mom's 80s/90s obsession with the color seasons in the book, Color Me Beautiful.  Anyone else have a dog-eared copy of this sitting in your parents' home or your own?  My mom even went so far as to purchase the season clothing swatches to haul around with her whenever she went shopping.  She is a true winter, as am I;my dad a summer.  She's always said she loves all colors and was happy to find something clear cut that told her which ones she looked good in.  Come on in...it's a good memory...

I don't have her book; instead, I was draped by a friend at church who was certified. I am a Summer. Mr. Ellie is an Autumn. One of my dds is a Winter, one is a Summer. Mr. Ellie's mother was a Spring.

I always, always buy colors in my season. :-)

[laundrycrisis]

It never worked for me or my mom.  We both have yellow undertones but look best in winter colors, plus some autumn colors. We both baffled the people who tried to match us to a season.

[Shoeless]

Oooh, I remember my stepmother had this book.  I think it was decided that I was an autumn, although I look terrible in yellow. 

 

[Guest]

My mother had the book and I still have it. I poured over that book when I was young. My mother called me a Summer, but I think I am a Winter; when I was young, I was very shy and I think that is why she felt the more subdued summer colors were a better fit for me than winter. (I would never have worn red at the time because it commands attention!) But now I wear a winter pallette the very large majority of the time and purple and red are my favorite colors. I have never in my life chosen any clothing in orange or yellow. It is also very rare I wear green, except possibly a couple shades that are towards blue or a dark emerald green. 

I forget - was it that book that also had things like shapes of clothing and how it goes with your body type and face shape? I don’t recall if that was a different book or the same one, but this is still important to me to this day. There are some shapes of clothing I will never wear and in which I feel very conspicuous. 

[lavender's green]

No, but I wish I'd known about it. I'm the type to need explicit instruction in colors. I had no idea they made such a difference until I was in college. I bought two of the same shirt because the cut was cute and the price was great. I got compliments from the medium heather gray one, and "Wow, are you okay today? You should go home and rest" from the salmon one. All the time.

I think I'm a soft summer, flowing into soft autumn. It's hard to say because my skin is neutral-to-cool, but my hair really warms up from natural highlights if I've been outdoors a lot. Think a slightly cooler Drew Barrymore. I can pull off winter colors depending on my hair. Spring looks atrocious on me, though.

 

[Lecka]

I loved this book!  My mom had it.  

Neither of us really fit a season, we couldn't figure out what our tones were, we were mixed I think?  

Still, we both liked the book.  

[Ellie]

10 hours ago, laundrycrisis said:

It never worked for me or my mom.  We both have yellow undertones but look best in winter colors, plus some autumn colors. We both baffled the people who tried to match us to a season.

The original methodology used in Color Me Beautiful included things like eye color and hair color. There was another, much more accurate method that came out later that used drapes of specific colors which first decided whether someone was warm or cool, based on her skin's reactions to the drapes, and then whether she was Summer/Winter or Spring/Fall. 

[ChrisB]

3 hours ago, Quill said:

I forget - was it that book that also had things like shapes of clothing and how it goes with your body type and face shape? I don’t recall if that was a different book or the same one, but this is still important to me to this day. There are some shapes of clothing I will never wear and in which I feel very conspicuous. 

 

Yeah, I don't think this was part of the book, but it's been many moons since I've read/seen it.  I definitely have shapes that flatter my figure more than others;some I'll never wear.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

This was a thing?  Wow, my teen years make so much more sense now ??

I was never into fashion, make up, etc but there was window of time where women would randomly come up to me and tell me that I was "such a winter".  I had no clue what they were talking about ?

[ChrisB]

8 minutes ago, Ellie said:

The original methodology used in Color Me Beautiful included things like eye color and hair color. There was another, much more accurate method that came out later that used drapes of specific colors which first decided whether someone was warm or cool, based on her skin's reactions to the drapes, and then whether she was Summer/Winter or Spring/Fall. 

 

I was about to post the same thing.  Maybe we've talked about this on the board in the years past because it sounds familiar.

One of my daughters is a winter/spring, I think. She's a light/bright blue-eyed blond that wears some bright oranges/corals that a true winter would not look good in, but she's essentially a winter.  So, there's overlap for some.  To complicate things even more, there are also colors that all seasons can wear and look nice...can't think of them now, but there are a few.

[Tina]

Never had the book, but know I'm a jewel toned person.  I always peruse the racks for my colors when I'm shopping.  The color is what leads me to buy. lol

 

[HS Mom in NC]

2 hours ago, Ellie said:

The original methodology used in Color Me Beautiful included things like eye color and hair color. 

Yep, and not everyone makes the best choices for their skin tones when they choose a hair color, so it muddies the waters.

 

[Arcadia]

I would look off in a yellow dress or yellow scarfs, but can carry yellow totes well despite being an autumn. I can carry off summer colors for clothing and still look good. 

The one thing I appreciate while clothes shopping is that I carry off colors that people tend not to buy. So more “leftovers” for me. Like Navy Blue, Espresso, Velvet green (Its a very dark shade of green, I can’t carry olive green), Burgundy, Cream are often left on the sales racks and I can wear those colors well.

[AmandaVT]

Find your season! She still has a website!

https://carolejacksoncolors.com/

[Crimson Wife]

I had a personal consultation for my 13th birthday and was not just a "summer" but a "true exquisite summer" LOL. True because my natural hair color is dishwater blonde. "Exquisite" is because I have grey-blue eyes.

[Catwoman]

1 hour ago, Crimson Wife said:

I had a personal consultation for my 13th birthday and was not just a "summer" but a "true exquisite summer" LOL. True because my natural hair color is dishwater blonde. "Exquisite" is because I have grey-blue eyes.

 

Well aren’t you the fancypants!  ?

(Not that I’m totally jealous or anything!!! ?)

[Angie in VA]

I think it was a CMB story where a woman knew her colors and wore one that was not a good one for her coloring. Her boss sent her home. That was her plan all along, to skip work and go have fun. Totally worked. 

[Catwoman]

18 minutes ago, Angie in VA said:

I think it was a CMB story where a woman knew her colors and wore one that was not a good one for her coloring. Her boss sent her home. That was her plan all along, to skip work and go have fun. Totally worked. 

 

Rats. I thought I invented that!!!

I used to do that when I wanted to take a Friday off so I could go away for long weekends. I had a mustard-colored top I would wear for just such an occasion, and I would wear yellow-toned makeup and style my hair sort of droopy, and people would always ask if I was feeling sick, so then when I called in sick the next day, everyone believed me.

I know some people will think it was dishonest and showed poor character — and they’re right!  I look back and cringe at some of the things I did way back when I was in my early 20s, but I can’t go back and change anything, so I might as well laugh about it. ?

 

[Catwoman]

6 hours ago, Ellie said:

The original methodology used in Color Me Beautiful included things like eye color and hair color. There was another, much more accurate method that came out later that used drapes of specific colors which first decided whether someone was warm or cool, based on her skin's reactions to the drapes, and then whether she was Summer/Winter or Spring/Fall. 

 

 I’m pretty sure I still have that color drape set packed away somewhere in a box out in the garage. I remember that my MIL used to have that adorable little CMB pocket-sized wallet that contained little fabric swatches with her best colors.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

When my mom downsized, and we were cleaning out her house, I found her swatch wallet.  She and I were the same palette (winter), so I kept it, but I don't know whee I put it!  I looked at it, though, and thought, "Yup.  Those are still my colors." 

Interestingly, I decorated my house with those same colors (jewel tones).  I am totally comfortable, surrounded in my colors, and I can't imagine changing them.

[IfIOnly]

I've spent so much time since this thread started trying to find my colors/season online with no success. Most of my clothes are neutral and boring because I have no idea what colors are best for me. I'm color impaired. LOL. Hopefully these color analysis things come back in style, and I can find someone IRL to help figure me out. 

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, IfIOnly said:

I've spent so much time since this thread started trying to find my colors/season online with no success. 

 

When I did my session with my friend, the consultant was saying that in general those who look good in clinical white are likely to be winter while those who look better in cream/linen white are likely to be autumn. 

Take selfies during daytime with your phone with different color tops and see which ones make you look more awake and which ones make you look pale. 

For me, burgundy makes my face look healthier while olive green makes my face look sickly pale. Dark emerald green does nothing except making my face look fairer than it is but doesn’t make my face look pale.

Edited September 13, 2018 by Arcadia
Typing error

[Crimson Wife]

2 hours ago, Arcadia said:

 

When I did my session with my friend, the consultant was saying that in general those who look good in clinical white are likely to be winter while those who look better in cream/linen white are likely to be autumn. 

Summers tend to look awful in white (and black as well) because it washes them out. 

I got married in ivory and wear navy to funerals because those colors are far more flattering to my complexion than white and black. 

[Mom25girls]

LOL! My first thought was "What!! This isn't a thing anymore?" I feel old... I'm a winter but I always wished to be a spring. LOL. 

[DawnM]

I am definitely an Autumn.  My friends told me at our party that that made sense, since I grew up in the jungle!  Jungle colors look good on me!  hahahaha!

 

[sheryl]

On ‎9‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 7:35 PM, Suzanne in ABQ said:

Remember the home parties?  The representative would drape colors over each guest, and everyone would "ooo" and "ahh" at all the best colors, and by the end of the evening, everyone would know their season.  I'm a definite winter.  If I wear orange or yellow, people ask me if I'm feeling okay because they make me look ill.  Give me my jewel tones, and I'm happy.

Suzanne!  I forgot about those until I read your reply which brought a smile to my face.  Yes, I have the little book with "cloth" circles.  I think I still have it and think of it often as I make a purchase.  I'm an autumn!  

[dirty ethel rackham]

I'm a winter, but can get away with pastels on the cooler side (say, lilac.)  I often chose clothes based upon color.  My husband once commented after I had come home shopping that I must have owned at least 8 purple shirts, not including my sweaters.  I didn't even know I was doing it.  I just saw the color, liked the shirt and bought it.  I do wear colors on the bottom that are not part of my palette, but they are just about always paired with a color on top that suits me better. 

My mom was an autumn until she stopped dying her hair.  She had auburn hair growing up and had always worn it in the red shades.  When she went gray, she was more of a spring/summer.  It must have been the blue eyes.  

I do remember there being something about what shapes to wear, but I'm pretty sure that was a different company.  

[J-rap]

I don't remember the book, but I remember the talk about finding your season.  I know that pastels look bad on me though, really washed out.  Jewel tones and black seem to look best.  I'm not sure what season that makes me!

[ChrisB]

On 9/12/2018 at 1:23 PM, Arcadia said:

I would look off in a yellow dress or yellow scarfs, but can carry yellow totes well despite being an autumn. I can carry off summer colors for clothing and still look good. 

The one thing I appreciate while clothes shopping is that I carry off colors that people tend not to buy. So more “leftovers” for me. Like Navy Blue, Espresso, Velvet green (Its a very dark shade of green, I can’t carry olive green), Burgundy, Cream are often left on the sales racks and I can wear those colors well.

IIRC, winters have a very specific yellow with a white base that we can wear.  Although, it's a bit counter intuitive for a winter to look good in any yellow.

You're lucky you can carry off colors people tend not to buy.  Sometimes I'll walk into a store with that season's color palette and know instantly I won't find much of anything since they are catering to a specific season that isn't mine.  

[ChrisB]

On 9/12/2018 at 2:50 PM, AmandaVT said:

Find your season! She still has a website!

https://carolejacksoncolors.com/

?

[ChrisB]

On 9/12/2018 at 2:54 PM, Crimson Wife said:

I had a personal consultation for my 13th birthday and was not just a "summer" but a "true exquisite summer" LOL. True because my natural hair color is dishwater blonde. "Exquisite" is because I have grey-blue eyes.

I'd like to be "exquisite", too  ?  That would be a great 13th b-day gift.

[ChrisB]

On 9/12/2018 at 5:35 PM, Catwoman said:

I remember that my MIL used to have that adorable little CMB pocket-sized wallet that contained little fabric swatches with her best colors.

Yep, that's my mom.

On 9/12/2018 at 8:57 PM, Suzanne in ABQ said:

When my mom downsized, and we were cleaning out her house, I found her swatch wallet.  She and I were the same palette (winter), so I kept it, but I don't know whee I put it!  I looked at it, though, and thought, "Yup.  Those are still my colors." 

Interestingly, I decorated my house with those same colors (jewel tones).  I am totally comfortable, surrounded in my colors, and I can't imagine changing them.

When my mom passes (not for a long time, God willing), I'm sure we'll find those around her place somewhere, probably in her purse.

[ChrisB]

On 9/12/2018 at 10:24 PM, IfIOnly said:

I've spent so much time since this thread started trying to find my colors/season online with no success. Most of my clothes are neutral and boring because I have no idea what colors are best for me. I'm color impaired. LOL. Hopefully these color analysis things come back in style, and I can find someone IRL to help figure me out. 

Maybe your boardie sisters can help you figure your colors out...  Reiterating what Crimson said above, winters look good in sharp white and black and colors that have a white base, not cream or brown.  Autumns and summers look better in cream and soft (faded?) black, not sure about springs, maybe cream.  

[ChrisB]

On 9/13/2018 at 4:46 PM, DawnM said:

I am definitely an Autumn.  My friends told me at our party that that made sense, since I grew up in the jungle!  Jungle colors look good on me!  hahahaha!

That's too funny!!  Let your wild side out...LOL

[DawnM]

4 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

That's too funny!!  Let your wild side out...LOL

 

Yup, got some wild greens and browns going on over here!  ROAR!

[ChrisB]

On 9/13/2018 at 1:06 AM, Crimson Wife said:

Summers tend to look awful in white (and black as well) because it washes them out. 

I got married in ivory and wear navy to funerals because those colors are far more flattering to my complexion than white and black. 

True!  My sister is a summer and wears black occasionally because she refuses to always find navy.  Black is easy to find.  Luckily for her, black doesn't make her look sick, just it's not the "perfect" color for her.

Edited September 15, 2018 by ChrisB