Color Profile: Yellow

There are a number of colors that are (nearly) universally flattering. Yellow is not one of them. For most people, the color yellow evokes images of sunshine and happiness. It's definitely a feel-good color, and when it's worn well, it can look stunning! 

The most important thing to keep in mind when trying to incorporate yellow into your wardrobe is to consider shade. From lemon to goldenrod, there are a multitude of bright shades to choose from. In order to find your perfect shade, you'll have to really get to know your skin-tone and hair color. This is especially true if you have blonde hair, because you don't want to end up blending in with your dress! 

Generally speaking, if you're unsure about which shade is best for you, ask yourself these basic questions:

1. Do I have warm or cool toned skin? 
Hold up a piece of gold jewelry to your skin. Now do the same with a piece of silver jewelry. If the gold looks better it means you have warm toned skin. If the silver is better, then you have cool toned skin. Similarly, you can also do this with white and ivory fabric. If you look better in ivory, you have warm toned skin, and if you prefer white, your skin is cool toned. 

2. What color is my hair?
Blonde hair tends to look best when paired with light, soft shades of yellow like lemon, daffodil, and butter. Brunette hair can be paired with a wider range of yellow shades because it's such a contrast, but a few nice shades for brown haired gals are canary, goldenrod, and mustard. If you have red hair, you're going to want to stick with neutral shades of yellow, like gold, bumblebee, and pineapple.

3. What's the occasion and time of year?  
Although this might not seem like an important question, it's worthwhile considering because yellow is not a color you can wear at any time or place. If it's spring, you can wear lighter and brighter shades of yellow. If it's fall, you're better off going with richer, darker shades of yellow. Similarly, if you're dressing for a casual look, it's best to stick with neutral shades of yellow. If you're going for a fancy look, you've got more flexibility to experiment with bold shades of yellow in a variety of textures. 


Finally, if you're going to be mixing yellow into your outfit and not wearing it as a stand-alone piece, you'll have to consider what colors will look nice. Yellow is complimented very nicely by shades of blue, whether it's cobalt or cornflower. Coral is also a nice, bright color to pair with yellow. If you're looking for something more neutral, yellow always looks crisp and clean with white.