Think that little black dress is your best fashion friend?
David Zyla might tell you otherwise. Yes, he knows it’s sexy. Yes, he knows it’s urban. Yes, he knows it’s slimming. But black is not, Zyla says, universally flattering.
Nor is the blushy pink that’s all over red carpets these days (Beyonce wears it well; Eva Longoria doesn’t), or even the most luscious shade of blue (great on Penelope Cruz, not so great on Sandra Bullock).
Zyla, a celebrity stylist and costume designer, has devised a system that could radically alter the way you shop for clothes. When you’ve got it right, he theorizes, you project better energy — which can help make good things happen in your life and career.
“It’s not just about determining what color looks great on you,” he said during a book signing at Saks Fifth Avenue in Houston for his new how-to manual, The Color of Style (US$25.95, Penguin). “It’s more about how to be. It’s about how to package yourself, show the world who you are and reap the riches.”
But colors that reflect your personality, literally, are the starting point: They appear in your skin, eyes, hair and veins. (Yes, your veins. They can be bluish, purplish or greenish.)
And they might surprise you when you examine them closely in broad daylight. The palm of your hand is flush with hues, most likely varying from the dark tones in the creases to light shades in the center and at the base of your thumb.
Your ideal palette, Zyla says, comes from finding five “true” colors and three “base neutrals” on yourself. Though not everyone will have a black — one of the neutrals — everyone will have what he calls “your version of black” — which might be a warm or cool variant of gray, blue or even green.
Zyla suggests using your true colors to project your essence, your romantic side, your dramatic side, good energy or tranquility.
Your base neutrals, meanwhile, make you appear either formal and powerful (your version of black), warmer and casual (your version of brown) or playful (your verion of khaki).
Not everyone has a yellow or a blue, he says. “I love yellow. But would I ever wear it or put it in my home? God, no.”
When shopping, Zyla suggests, put the palm of your hand next to the items you’re considering. The colors should harmonize, not contrast.
Those morning wardrobe-strategy sessions just might get longer until you’ve figured it out — but should be easier afterward. And you’re less likely to buy orphans that never get worn.
If you want to take it even further, Zyla adds a layer to the familiar season concept, suggesting six archetypes within each season that reflect your overall style. You’re not just a spring — you’re a vital, early, floral, buoyant, mischievous or tawny spring.
Eva Longoria, Kristin Davis and Rachael Ray are vital springs, Zyla writes. Their archetype is the “prom queen” — a woman who shines in crisp fabrics and high-contrast outfits but fades in muted colors and fabrics. Each archetype also has nature images; a vital spring’s are vibrant flowers such as zinnias, French parrot tulips, Gerber daisies.
Zyla puts Beyonce, Scarlett Johansson, Grace Kelly and Katherine Heigl in classic summer territory, where the archetype is “classic beauty.” Their must-haves are languid, elegant garments (they’re in luck with the draping trend); their must-nots include animal prints and hardware (so long, Sasha Fierce).
Sandra Bullock, Hilary Swank and Joy Behar are spicy autumns and “sensuous backpackers” who can mix up the ethnic influences and wear muted colors that would look muddy on others.
Anne Hathaway, Penelope Cruz and Sandra Oh are classic winters and “queens” who show their regal selves best in garments with simple lines.
“If you want to take it to the deepest level, you can immerse yourself from head to toe,” Zyla says.
The Color of Style also tiptoes through the door of home decor — the idea being that once you know your ideal colors, you won’t just want to wear them, you’ll want to surround yourself with them.
And the concept is not just for women.
Zyla — who designs the costumes for soap opera All My Children and has helped dress US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among others — looked sharp in an olive-gray pinstripe suit with a bright-turquoise tie and a turquoise and white-striped shirt with a crisp white collar.
The fair-skinned, blue-eyed, red-headed Zyla classifies himself a “high autumn” (archetype: “theatrical impressario”).
“Turquoise is my drama color,” he said. “I wore it because I was speaking today.”
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