[dispenser]

A lot of us are in the first impressions business.
If you're peacocking, you want your clothes to seem natural and congruent: getting the colours right is half the battle.

There are two main factors in picking flattering colours.
1. The degree of contrast in your complexion
2. Whether your complexion is 'warm' or 'cold.'


1. Degrees of Contrast Within Outfits

Four Examples:
Black hair / pale skin : Max contrast.
Dark brown hair / pale skin: High contrast.
Tawny brown or red hair / pale skin: Medium contrast.
Blond hair / pale skin: Low contrast.

For simplicity and ease of comparison, I'm sticking to classic, upscale menswear.
In a conservative environment, a pale shirt is best, so the main focus here is the suit.
You have a lot more latitude if you go monochrome: this is about contrast between garments mirroring complexion.

Max contrast guys look outstanding in a tuxedo or black suit.
However, true black hair paired with pale skin tends to be very rare.
Yo may have a hankering for a black suit, but you won't necessarily look your best in it.


High contrast guys tend to look better in a charcoal or navy suit.


Medium contrast is harder to pinpoint, but not too light and not too dark.


And finally, Low contrast:


Of course, this isn't definitive. It all varies by degrees: you'll have to experiment and figure it out for yourself.

Matching your suit to just your hair or skin tone and leaving the shirt as neutral territory also works.
Cary Grant's going grey here, but the way that suit and that tan get along, he looks damn healthy.


2. Warm and Cold Complexions

Warm complexions tend to have greenish veins in untanned areas, and cold complexions tend to have purer blue veins.

If you're not sure, buy a red t-shirt and a blue t-shirt.
Both should be about equally dark so you don't get thrown off the real focus.
Wear one for about half an hour so that you forget about it, then go to a mirror.
Repeat w. the other awhile later: you need time to rest your eyes.
Does the blue make you look jaundiced? That's because it's a complement of yellow, meaning you have a sallow or warm undertone to your skin.
Red's more forgiving, but does it make you look your best compared to the blue?

If you decide on red, consider trying colors like red, brown, tan and burgundy. Maroon or grey for a sophisticated look.

If you decide on blue, consider trying colors like blue, indigo, violet, and teal. Navy or grey for a sophisticated look.

Pure purple is neither warm nor cold, so gets along well enough with just about any complexion.

Try matching your eyes to an accessory like a tie or pocketsquare. Sounds a little womanish, I known, but we're in
the first impressions business. A navy suit makes blue eyes pop, and helps turn attention into eye contact.

Cold complexion, low contrast:


Warm complexion, high-medium contrast:


Again, experiment. This guide's just here to help you towards a look that works.

[rottenapple]

This thread deserves more attention.

[Ethan Hunt]

Good thread idea. Quick bump so we can get more attention here.

[MrXY]

I used to think this complexion color palette theory was beauty industry bullshit, until one day I was discussing coloring my hair with my hairstylist, who is a color specialist, and she brought out a color palette that she said was my palette and explained to my why. What struck me was the colors she said were good for me were ones I already thought I looked good in, and, even more strongly, the colors that I shouldn't wear were mostly ones I thought I looked bad in, I just didn't know why. I was sold on it and have mostly followed the guide ever since.

I'm a "clear winter", one of the rarer types-I have dark hair, blue eyes, and pale skin with a distinct blue undertone. Undertone is a critical determinant of what colors look good on you

I'm something like this:

   

   

Courtney Cox and Megan Fox are good examples of female clear winters:

   

   

I look good in some colors that most white guys look bad in, such as pure white, lime green, hot pink and brighter purples, and conversely I look bad in earth tones, most yellows and any orange. Blue in many shades is the staple of my wardrobe, since it always suits me.

I encourage guys to experiment with this; it really takes your style to the next level but with subtlety. Women will say you look good without knowing exactly why.