How Do You Find Your Personal Contrast Level?

Happy Tuesday ladies. One reader said she has had to wear different colors in her color palette since she turned gray and wondered if there was a formula or guideline to keep things simple. There are three color components. hue true color… red, yellow, blue, etc.). Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. Finally, saturation power is purity or intensity. Let’s talk about today’s value, contrast, and how to find your personal contrast level.

learn more about personal color analysis here

Our hair color, skin, and eyes all have a value on a sliding scale (from light to dark). Our personal level of contrast is the difference between them. Wearing contrast levels that match your own contrast levels is just as important as whether the undertone is warm or cool. In some cases, it’s more important!

High contrast occurs when there is a large difference in the lightness of one or more colors. For example, if you have very dark hair and light blue eyes, you have a high contrast value. But if your dark hair has turned medium gray, it will reduce the difference (contrast) in your eyes.

If you have light silver or blond hair, fair skin, and pale eyes, you have a low contrast value and will look best in low-contrast outfits. Mid-value contrast occurs when there is a difference, but not excessive.

Contrast levels that are too strong, overpowering and devastating. Conversely, wearing a contrast that is too low reduces your visibility. Knowing and wearing clothes that reflect your personal levels of contrast will help you look vibrant and visible at a time when society often ignores middle-aged women.

How can you find your personal contrast level?

The easiest way to see your natural color contrast is to take pictures of your face and hair. Then use the settings on your phone to convert it to a grayscale, monotone image. You will now see the level of difference between the density of your hair, eyes and skin. There is makeup in my photos but you can still see the difference.

Black and white have a strong contrast that is beyond me. Red lipstick tries to compliment her, but falls short of a monochrome look. The black jacket is intense against my skin. The contrast with the white shirt draws attention to the clothes, away from my face.

I have light ash blonde hair, fair skin and medium eyes, so I have low/medium contrast value levels that match the chambray shirt and denim jacket. My eyeglass frames and lipstick are also low contrast which doesn’t overwhelm my coloring. What color I wear is less important than how light or dark it is. My low density is also why I’m proud of monochrome clothes because they are the epitome of low contrast.

Let’s look at some outfits. This sweater with different wash jeans is a great example. High contrast occurs when there is a large difference between one or more colors. Low contrast is when they are very similar. Moderate contrast occurs when there is a difference between them, but not excessive.

When we remove the color you can see the contrast levels. Lightweight sweaters and deep wash denim have high contrast that will please someone with equally high contrast. If you have white hair and dark brown eyes, you can use a stronger contrast.

Now let’s try a deeper sweater with the same jeans.

Now a medium sized sweater and the same jeans.

Try this yourself. Do all the grays blend softly together or do your eyes stand out? Is your hair noticeably darker than your skin tone? Comparison is what shows your personal contrast level. With practice, you will learn to recognize the contrast levels in clothes so that you can wear what suits you. These will be the most flattering so you will look the most alive and visible.

Hair that changes from black to pale gray lowers your personal contrast level, so you’ll look better in lower contrast color combinations. You can also look better by wearing lighter colors in your palette. Remember, you won’t change the seasons, just the colors that suit you best in those seasons… if you haven’t mistyped them from the beginning.

Do you pay attention to the contrast levels in your clothes?

Thanks for reading ladies and don’t forget to wear what makes you feel safe.

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