'I'M A COLOUR ANALYSIS EXPERT AND FINDING OUT YOUR "SEASON" WILL COMPLETELY CHANGE HOW YOU SHOP.'

As a former fashion designer, I thought I knew all there was to know about colour.

Oh, was I wrong.

When I upskilled to become a personal stylist, the 'seasonal colour analysis' was part of the course but I thought I could skim over it because I thought it was obsolete. Fashion is about moving forward, not backward and this 1980s system felt dated.

So, reluctantly I learnt it, but after pulling it apart and trying to disprove it, that was my lightbulb moment. 

I was in love with this science and I've used it every day since.

I realised this was the most incredible colour system and EVERYONE needed to know this information about themselves, because we never actually learn how to dress ourselves.

How had I worked in the global fashion industry dressing women for 15 years and still had NO CLUE what flattered my features?

The irony wasn't lost on me.

Watch: The three different ways you can style one scarf. Post continues after video.

But this was a completely different way of looking at colour, matching people's facial characteristics to a particular season's palette.

Sure, I could tell you what a cool colour looked like, it was steel blue or a warmer hue like orange, but I could never have identified a cool or warm-toned person and therefore never matched the right shade to them.

You might like the colour but it doesn't mean it likes YOU.

I realised that by infusing a little science and strategy into fashion, shopping could be utterly revolutionised, efficient and rewarding.

People can fall into one of four season categories: winter, spring, autumn or summer. 

Then from there, you can work out what specific part of the season you belong to based on your specific features. So, for example, you can be a true winter, a cool winter or a bright winter. 

You can take the quiz below to figure out which season family you fall into!

Expert personal stylist tips for your seasonal colours.

Seasonal Colour Analysis: What not to do when colour matching in fashion.

The problem is that most people don't know what suits them BEFORE they hit the shops and end up buying random pieces from each season thinking they'll work together, but they don't (and they're not meant to). 

So you can't create outfits, you get frustrated, go back out shopping and the overconsumption continues.

That's A LOT of extra mental load.

When you wear the wrong colours, you have to work harder to feel good. 

You know when we think we need more makeup or need to change our hair colour. Don't change your natural beauty, just change the colours you're wearing to echo your features. 

That's when the magic happens!

Seasonal Colour Analysis: How to achieve perfect colour matching in fashion.

Once analysed, you can walk into a store and ignore the colours not meant for you (yes, that's a thing, how empowering is that!?!). 

You can then spot YOUR colours and shop to shape. Colour first, shape second. Easy! 

Over the last decade through seeing 850 clients, I've developed this 1980s colour system and modernised it because the way we wear clothes and colour has changed.

When I was designing, most of the collections I put in the store would be in cooler shades — think dove grey, charcoal, and black with pops of jewel-toned red and cobalt blue.

Then about 10 years ago, the '70s trend trickled down from the catwalks, drastically changing the colour landscape to more brown-based hues of paprika, mustard, and chocolate. And quite frankly, a lot of my clients didn't know what the hell to do with them.

More choice equals more 'noise' for many people and that creates confusion. 

But finding out your season solves that problem and can take you from confusion to clarity. 

And don't we all want to shop with more confidence?

It will also help make your eyes pop, your skin glow and your hair appear glossier. 

Buying into a particular season's palette means everything you buy — including accessories, denim, jewellery and even makeup — has a common denominator where you can mix and match effortlessly, so you can create so many more outfits from fewer clothes. 

You'll save money, time, energy, stress AND the planet because you drastically reduce waste. It's a win-win (win-win… win).

However, the real genius is in the second part of colour theory, how we shop your colour palette and put it ON your body. So I came up with a 'cake and icing' strategy. 

This is because not all your shades create the same value, certain hues are more versatile than others so my unique approach gives you a shopping plan to create even greater bang for your buck. 

I call it compound interest effect, because two outfits that mix and match equals four outfits that mix and match, which is 20 outfits! 

It's like the gift that keeps on giving.

Globally, Australia is the second highest consumer of textiles per person yet we dispose of between up to 85 per cent of them, depending on what stats you read. That's an average of three-quarters of our purchases going in the bin. 

Gulp.

So I invite you to take control of your self-image and play a little game to figure out what season family you belong to so you can shop easier for what suits you.  

Compliments incoming! Take the quiz below. 

For more from Kim Crowley, you can follow her here.

For more Fashion & Style content, read here:

• 6 queer-owned Aussie labels that know what you want to wear this winter.
• Don't think you can 'pull off' the trending track pants? Here are 3 ways to style them.
• 'I've been on a mission to find the best size-inclusive jeans. Here are the best ones I've found.'

Feature image: Instagram @style.sense.

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