Color 101

A lot of trends these days is about color and pattern mixing.  I often hear people say to me - "I never would have thought to put that together, but it looks wonderful!"  So I've put together a little guide to color and pattern mixing.  Because there is an abundance of information I'll just talk color today (and just an intro) and then I'll continue this little series in the next few weeks.

Today's post will discuss:

• What is Pantone anyway?  
• Pantone's colors for Spring 2013
• Pantone's color of the year
• What are my colors?

What is Pantone?

Color is, of course, an important part of fashion.  Not just what colors are "in" but what colors do you look best in.  Pantone, the leading authority of color, picks wonderful color palettes each season.  They are known "worldwide as the standard for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retail to customer".

Pantone's colors for Spring 2013:

Types of Springs

• Eyes: Blue, green, turquoise, or light hazel.
• Hair: Light to medium golden blonde, ash blonde or light to medium brown.
• Skin: Ivory with peach tones, pink beige.

• Eyes: Turquoise blue, green, golden brown or topaz.
• Hair: Medium to dark brown, or brown-black. May have red highlights.
• Skin: Bronze, deep warm brown, brown-black, light ivory, light peach, or porcelain.

• Eyes: Topaz, olive green, light hazel, or warm turquoise.
• Hair: Light golden brown, red, strawberry blonde, or deep golden blonde.
• Skin: Bronze, golden beige, ivory, or porcelain. May have freckles.

• Eyes: Blue, gray or green.
• Hair: Light to medium ash blonde or light to medium ash brown.
• Skin: Pale beige, porcelain, ivory or pink beige. (Usually pink-toned.)

• Eyes: Gray-blue, hazel or soft turquoise.
• Hair: Light to medium ash brown, mousy brown. May have blonde in it.
• Skin: Light to medium neutral beige, ivory.

• Eyes: Gray, blue, or slate.
• Hair: Medium to deep ash brown. Little to no red tones.
• Skin: Ivory, pink beige, gray beige, or neutral beige.

• Eyes: Dark brown, dark hazel, black, or dark green.
• Hair: Medium brown, medium to deep auburn, dark brown deep chestnut or black.
• Skin: Warm beige, neutral beige, golden brown, dark brown, olive.

• Eyes: Light brown, soft hazel, blue, or gray-green.
• Hair: Golden blonde to medium brown or mousy brown. May have blonde or red highlights.
• Skin: Ivory, neutral beige, warm beige, golden brown.

• Eyes: Brown, olive green, hazel or topaz.
• Hair: Medium golden brown, red, auburn, strawberry blonde or golden blonde.
• Skin: Bronze, golden brown, golden beige, ivory, or warm beige.

• Eyes: Black, black-brown, or dark hazel.
• Hair: Black-brown, medium brown, steel gray, or salt & pepper.
• Skin: Black, medium beige, black-brown, or olive with no pink or peach undertones.

• Eyes: Bright blue, hazel, violet, or green.
• Hair: Black, chestnut, medium brown, or dark brown hair.
• Skin: Black, deep brown, neutral beige, pale olive, milky white. (Usually translucent.)

• Eyes: Charcoal gray, blue, dark brown or violet.
• Hair: Blue-black, silver, salt & pepper. No red tones.
• Skin: Cool brown, olive, or neutral beige.