Stores that carry "FIRE" season clothing

[aoknkentucky]

If as we age we can't change from, for example, EARTH to FIRE, does that mean you can't migrate from, for example, soft spring to true spring?

 

Cross posted on the EARTH thread.

 

Glad you are able to type again, Margaret and join us. If I understand what I read correctly, you CANNOT migrate from one season to another. I'm not sure about migrating from a subdivision of that season to another. Because if you buy into the 12 or 16 color system, there are that many seasons, right, and it's not four seasons with three subdivisions each? At least, that's the way I look at it. Again, from what I've read, you may want to change your makeup colors a little. If you go gray instead of color your hair, you will need to go with a more vibrant (so more contrast?) shade of lip and blush. I'm not there (YET), but I have envisioned playing with lipstick when the time comes, since I buy cheap and it's the easiest to play around with. I often layer two or three colors now to give me the right look I am aiming for.

 

Is that what you're thinking, Margaret?

 

(I really need to type this in proper sentence structure instead of talking with my fingers. Every sentence is ending with a preposition. My English teachers would just DIE! I'm not preparing a paper here for a grade, I'm just a talking, don't ya know? Please forgive me ya'll. I know better.)

 

Just because my season is called Light Spring doesn't mean I don't have dark colors. I have dark, for me, colors. My darkest blue isn't as dark as Pam's blue tops that she posted. It's hard for me to put into words, because looking at the three Spring color cards on the internet, it looks like some of the colors intermingle on the three cards and I feel in my heart that they do. It's just that my Light Spring has an overall feeling of lightness. It is warm and it is clear, but it is the light side of those two. Not muted in any way, just a lighter feeling. In my mind, I explain it this way:

 

Light Spring = LIGHT warm and clear (least saturation)

 

True Spring = truly warm and clear (good saturation)

 

Bright Spring = blindingly BRIGHT warm and clear (most saturation)

[Anita Latte]

All these light, bright and true categories are very confusing - but I am very impressed by Anita's ability to analyse them.

 

I think that I have finally gotten this down. I feel like I understand the concept of subdividing the overall seasons well enough to attempt to explain...to try to take away some of the confusion.

 

Since this is the Fire thread...I'm going to use Spring as an example first. And I'm going to say Spring...because Curt doesn't subdivide. So I think it would be wrong to add the new subcategory names to Fire. Personal opinion.

 

So.

 

Spring is defined by colors that are OVERALL warm and clear.

 

HOWEVER...we understand that color exists on a spectrum. We can take a line from the coolest of cool colors to the warmest of warm colors. As soon as you move toward cool from the warmest warm...you have a warm color with a touch of cool. Eventually, you go so far toward cool that you end up with a cool color with a touch of warm, and so on to no warm in a coolest cool color.

 

This same kind of spectrum exists for how bright a color is.

 

Brightness is a spectrum...we can start from the most bright, the clearest of the clear to the "dullest" of the clear. The question is, how can a clear color be dull? That is, LESS bright? We know it isn't a muted color...it can't be muted, because then it would be an Autumn color, not a Spring color.

 

My best explanation begins with the term parts per million (PPM)...think of pixels, if you will, in PPM. The clearest clear will have nothing but colored pixels. The least clear...the "dullest"...will have some white pixels mixed in with the color pixels. The more PPM of white...the paler the color...the less bright the color appears. It's still CLEAR...it just varies in how BRIGHT it is.

 

You could almost say that the white pixels MUTE the color. The clearest, the most PURE color will have no white pixels mixed in. With NO white pixels at all...this is the BRIGHTEST color possible for any given color. As white pixels are added...the color becomes less bright and more light...as more and more white gets added.

 

So...Spring has a spectrum of an overall warm color that can range from having absolutely NO cool added...being the warmest of the warm...to having a touch of cool. As the color gets cooler, it is still a Spring color until it crosses that line that transforms it from a warm color with a touch of cool, to a cool color with a touch of warm.

 

Also...Spring has a spectrum of bright colors that can range from the brightest of brights...with no hint of "muting"...to paler and lighter colors with white in a ratio of PPM.

 

With these two qualities...degree of warmth...and degree of brightness we can subdivide Spring into 3 combinations.

 

The first is warm, nothing but warm...no hint of cool. Generally, this will also be a middle of the road in terms of lightness. There must be ENOUGH color reflecting on the skin...not too pale (not enough color hitting the skin) and not too bright (too much color overwhelming skin tone). There's a good range here...straddling the middle ground for brightness. Very Goldilocks.

 

You will see this often translated into TRUE or WARM Spring.

 

Both of the other subcategories can tolerate a touch of cool. What differs...is the PPM of white allowed.

 

The first looks best with the greatest PPM of white in the colors. There's a range here...but definitely heavy on the PPM of white. Touch of cool. And so we have what is called LIGHT Spring.

 

On the other side of this brightness spectrum is the brightest of the bright. No white PPM at all to few. Still, a touch of cool. This is often referred to as BRIGHT or CLEAR Spring.

 

Now here's where all this talk can get a bit tricky.

 

Because everything happens on a spectrum...each individual can tolerate a certain amount of "cheating" into another color palette. Because we all have a unique coloring that tolerates a range on a spectrum...The big question, is which way can you cheat most successfully, if you cheat into a color that is technically not your "dominant color."

 

It's too difficult to make an overall statement...so going back to our examples:

 

True Spring...the dominant need for true spring is warm. ABSOLUTE warm. So what can vary is the PPM of white...the degree of brightness. True Spring can dip into Light Spring and dip into Bright Spring. Not too far. So a little too far into bright and you get too much color reflected onto the face (like seeing Mom in the Brighter Spring V-neck). Too far into Light and there's not enough color reflected onto the face...skin is undersaturated, too pale, showing "gray".

 

An excellent example of being undersaturated is Mom's whole series of coral/orange/red photos. She explained the difference in the light itself shining on her face and we can see that she didn't get enough light in general in that series...compared to the purple series...her skin has a kind of gray cast.

 

Light Spring...the dominant need for light spring is many PPM of white in the color. The color needs to be toned down...less bright...more "muted" dare I say. I do...because when Light Spring cheats...because they do not need absolute warm, they can go into cooler colors that have the same paleness factor. That would be the brightest/clearest of the muted cool colors...that is the lightest cool muted color...the lightest Summer colors...or what is often called Light Summer. But not too far...somewhere, that color becomes too cool and not enough of a touch of warm, KWIM?

 

Bright Spring...the dominant need for bright spring is no to little white...no/little distillation of the color. They need rich and vibrant color. Again, absolute warm isn't important...could be cooler...and so when bright spring cheats...they need to stay with a highly vibrant color that may be cooler...that would be the clearest of the cool colors...Bright Winter. But not too far...somewhere, that color becomes too cool also.

 

Understand that this is truly nit picking. OMG.

 

And I think Debbie said that you can keep picking new "spectrums" for the quality of a color...and finding where on each spectrum your tolerance is...where is YOUR range on that particular spectrum?

 

Back to why we want to know this information in the first place...

 

Curt said that when you wear "Your Colors," you look healthier and younger. Your skin has a properly blended and overall skin-toned color...not oversaturated, not undersaturated. Eyes pop more, too. They are naturally more prominent. Lips pop more, too. They are naturally more defined.

 

The deal is that you can wear less makeup...that is, have less need to correct your "flaws" and imperfections that make you look less healthy, more tired, and older. You don't need as much eye make up because your eyes naturally stand out more. You don't need as much lip stick because your lips naturally are more defined. Wearing makeup when you wear "your colors" is more about enhancing and less about correcting.

 

Now corrections are more easily accomplished when we stray from our BEST colors into a nearby color palette that offers us what we need most.

 

I know, because she told me, that Mom experimented with my makeup suggestion for the V-neck shirt. And she made it look as good as the True purple, she said.

 

This is the value in knowing all this information. It just helps us equip our tool box in a quest to be able to look our best.

 

It isn't necessary to do this every day.

 

In fact, Curt used to joke that this was how to "get away" with a sick day at work! LOL!! Reserve one of your worst colors for a day you want/need to leave early. You can really get away with the concept that "you don't feel so good" because people will be like..."yeah, you don't look so good..." LOL.

 

So...I've been in and out now all day. And I have come and gone and revised this particular post since I last posted. I know there is other conversation going on...and I'm going to post this and get caught up on the conversation.

[aoknkentucky]

Where did you find information on light/true/bright spring? Were there other indicators of what category you fell in, besides the colors looking better?

 

Try 12blueprints dot com. Do a search for spring, but be prepared to grab a favorite beverage of choice and spend some major time. I had to read and reread to absorb. Heck, I even took notes! If you've been working on trying to purchase a certain color group for a while, you can walk into a store, take a quick glance around and know if you'll be shopping or if you need to spend your time at the jewelry racks waiting for your BFF to get ready to leave and move on to another store. There just isn't much out there for us to look at except during early spring, right? You just don't see much in warm and clear colors except in workout gear, maybe? I look at is as Merchandisers way of helping me to limit my shopping. LOL

 

I read everything I could about Light, True, and Bright Spring and still wasn't any closer to figuring it out. Some people can see the warm and clear of it all very easily, but for some reason, I didn't think my choices were the best fit for me. After shelling out what was big bucks for me, I had a consultation and I am figuring no longer.

 

Hope this helps. Let me know what you think about what you read, ok?

[Anita Latte]

To share:

 

 

To see it all big and uncompressed:

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=a600c73afa45484a!633&authkey=!ANB6z4cgeQuPtnw&ithint=album%2c

 

Nice Mom!

 

Ladies, don't get caught up in the fact that she did this earlier in the day. The quality of the light is cooler in the top photos...so overall...Mom is looking cooler. The quality of the light was warmer in the bottom photos...so overall...Mom's skin looks more golden.

 

The point is that just a bit of makeup made the Bright Spring look good on a True Spring.

 

I think that Curt avoided all this because the makeup goes a long way. And perhaps he thinks that when it matters most...when we care the most...we wear makeup.

 

I know that, for me...the application of makeup is a chore...and not something I feel especially gift in...and so I do rely on the specifics of color to help me out as much as possible. I rarely wear cosmetics. I've actually had to make a personal resolution that I will make more of an effort at times...enhancing my eyes, etc...or I might as well toss all the cosmetics in the drawer. A lose it or use it mentality.

 

For some ladies...this will be totally moot because of their daily makeup ritual.

[aoknkentucky]

Oh, Anita!

 

You. Are. So. Awesome. I love how you are able to articulate what I feel and see about color but can't explain. You are such a gifted teacher. Thank you, Sensei.

[MJC]

Try 12blueprints dot com. Do a search for spring, but be prepared to grab a favorite beverage of choice and spend some major time. I had to read and reread to absorb. Heck, I even took notes!

 

Hope this helps. Let me know what you think about what you read, ok?

 

I have my coffee and I've been reading and reading. Thank you so much for sharing this website!

[Member123]

Anita was able to explain textually what I could translate visually to understand how to analyze the differences among Bright, True, Light Spring distinctions. I don't know that I could verbalize what I grasp, but I know that I can internalize the knowledge.

 

I took a lot of pictures for what I would call a Study In Blue/Aqua. The end result is that I have no True Spring blue/aqua colors. If I close my eyes and visualize an aqua that would be a True Spring, I would come up with a patch of color that is a complete blend of the perfect hue of blue and green to achieve aqua. Before I had this understanding, I would look for an aqua that achieved its color with tint, the lifting of a blue/green hue to achieve the aqua. Well, that's what I've done, because all the aquas in my closet are, whether they fall into Light or Bright, definitely not True.

 

In looking at the True Spring palette, there isn't an aqua color on there that remotely resembles what I have in my closet.

 

I'm glad for this learning.

 

I'm also glad to have taken the pictures with what I would call "color correction" through the use of foundation makeup. I admit that I never really thought that the effort of putting on foundation was "worth" the time; I've changed my mind, obviously, about that!

 

I wouldn't say that this knowledge is even more limiting to me. I'd say that the knowledge provides me with more clarity about specific colors in relation to activity; i.e., for those times when I know that I'll be wearing makeup, as in cruise ship formal nights, I won't be as concerned with staying in the True Spring palette as, say, wearing a swim suit or sundress where I want to have freedom from makeup and have a natural face.

 

Unfortunately… at the moment, all those aquas in my closet appear in my more casual clothes!… it's just another work in progress.

[CrossBluePerchance]

Anita - thank you for the explanation about Light, True and Bright. Your use of the PPM of white made it easier to understand. If you ever need to change careers you could be a technical writer - you have an amazing ability to break a complicated subject down and make it easier to grasp.

[Anita Latte]

Anita - thank you for the explanation about Light, True and Bright. Your use of the PPM of white made it easier to understand. If you ever need to change careers you could be a technical writer - you have an amazing ability to break a complicated subject down and make it easier to grasp.

 

Per...thank you so much.

 

Funny story...Ever heard of aura pictures?

 

There's this one book store in Arizona that offers aura pictures. You put your hands on these electrodes (or something)...kind of like a battery or a circuit?...and your hands on the two spots complete the circle? Anyway, Mom and I went there. She had had her aura picture taken and she was interested in what mine would be like.

 

The "interpreter" of the aura picture asked me if I was a teacher? Because I had a "teacher's halo." It turns out that I was the first person this interpreter had encountered that was not employed as a teacher with such a quality...

 

I really love writing. I get in a mood...you can find these dissertation like posts of mine...my love is to translate a concept into something understandable...something helpful. It's not just the writing...the audience, the intended reader means a lot to me as I formulate my written composition.

 

Anyway...

 

I appreciate the feedback a lot.

 

Debbie!!

 

Fellow hoodie lover. :D

 

You have a Macy's anywhere near you?

 

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/karen-scott-ribbed-panel-front-zip-hoodie?ID=2121288&CategoryID=120&swatchColor=Eggshell&tdp=cm_app~zMCOM-NAVAPP~xcm_zone~zPDP_ZONE_B~xcm_choiceId~zcidBc0011-8abf6fe4-8231-43ab-9226-8a0ac873fac2@H5@you+might+also+like...$120$2121288~xcm_srcCatID~z120~xcm_pos~zPos3

 

I don't know why this isn't hyperlinked now...but if you copy and paste the whole above thing...you get there.

 

This is the cutest and most flattering hoodie. Look at it in all the colors because it has this ribbing on the sides. AND it has a seam down the middle of each front panel...It has the most flattering lines! Except for the black...all the colors were light. The blue and gray had a heathered quality to them. The gray was definitely cool...and the blue was pretty cool too. Honestly. But it might work okay with non-blue colors...

 

The white is a sort of creamy white? Definitely NOT cream...but Creamy.

 

I bought the vest version because it's a nice lightweight thing that I will be able to use to push all my camis/tanks into a more modest place (especially around high school boys) and into some cooler weather.

 

I would have also bought the hoodie but I thought that was overkill with all my purchases I made. I needed the vest and I didn't necessarily need the hoodie.

 

Mom!!

 

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/inc-international-concepts-ruched-zip-front-hoodie?ID=2234298&CategoryID=120&LinkType=#fn=BRAND%3DINC International Concepts%26PAGEINDEX%3D1%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D23%26ruleId%3D%26slotId%3D5

 

This was too bright for me.

 

It has a heathered quality IRL that made me question whether or not it was Soft or Clear, KWIM? I concluded...based on the flood of orange on my skin...that it wasn't Soft and was more bright than I needed. Don't know if it was bright enough...BUT...it is Warm. Not a hint of cool warm.

 

At least the dye-lot in Georgia was.

 

And it is SO FLATTERING!!

 

The front panels are rushed...and then there is a flat panel...and then the center back is rushed. The fabric is super lightweight. It would be a great AZ fabric. It's a fashion hoodie!

 

Do any of those purples work with that blue/orange skirt? This hoodie would be so fabulous with that skirt...

 

Anyway...just wanted to share...

Edited August 16, 2015 by Anita Latte

[aoknkentucky]

Anita, I think the link is broken. At least, I can't seem to make it work. We don't have a Macy's, but are visiting my folks tomorrow and they have one. I'd love the opportunity to snag another hoodie. Sounds like princess seam style. Usually a good look for me. The ones I have and like the best are, of course, not quite light enough. LOL

[Anita Latte]

The link doesn't work. You have to copy and paste the whole paragraph.

 

Yes on the princess seams!

 

Karen Scott is the designer. It was over in the Macy's section by Charter Club and American Living...if that Macy's is similar. She had a few racks of "outerwear" looking layers but they are thin and cotton/poly blend. Not really suited for truly cold weather.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Anita Latte

[Sweetest Sin]

Try 12blueprints dot com. Do a search for spring, but be prepared to grab a favorite beverage of choice and spend some major time. I had to read and reread to absorb. Heck, I even took notes! If you've been working on trying to purchase a certain color group for a while, you can walk into a store, take a quick glance around and know if you'll be shopping or if you need to spend your time at the jewelry racks waiting for your BFF to get ready to leave and move on to another store. There just isn't much out there for us to look at except during early spring, right? You just don't see much in warm and clear colors except in workout gear, maybe? I look at is as Merchandisers way of helping me to limit my shopping. LOL

 

I read everything I could about Light, True, and Bright Spring and still wasn't any closer to figuring it out. Some people can see the warm and clear of it all very easily, but for some reason, I didn't think my choices were the best fit for me. After shelling out what was big bucks for me, I had a consultation and I am figuring no longer.

 

Hope this helps. Let me know what you think about what you read, ok?

 

Thank you for the link. I also have a hard time seeing the clarity of a color. The site looks like it gives a lot of good information. I'm looking forward to reading some more.

[Joby]

Going to retake the study photos now without glasses. Hope I can see the camera to take the photos :eek:

[Joby]

I have the photos all taken and uploaded to Onedrive. How do I get them to post here?????

Edited August 16, 2015 by Joby

[Joby]

Let's try this. It is all the photos I took. I did put them into folders of color groups i.e. "browns", etc. but, it won't link.

 

I had no makeup on and obviously no glasses. The tangerine dress was what I wore to a "grown up" wedding and I did have makeup on.

 

I also took some photos of colors that are not FIRE--black, white, gray, sky blue, blue/red. Just to see what I looked like in those :(

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=47C368AF053E4C0!108&authkey=!AOsYaAjlfNuOrxQ&ithint=folder%2cJPG

Edited August 16, 2015 by Joby

[Anita Latte]

Hey Kim,

 

Could you make a photo album? That's what let's us zoom in on the photos.

 

Use the navigation menu on the left side of the screen to select "Photos."

 

A new page comes up. Select Albums from the menu across the top of the screen.

 

A new page comes up. Select New Album from the menu across the top of the screen.

 

You can type the name of the album in the lower left on the new page that comes up. Here can also add all the photos to the album by clicking on them and having the check mark appear in the upper right corner.

 

Once you pick all the photos and name the album, click Create in the lower right corner.

 

Then you open that album. On the album page, click Share from the menu across the top. Then get a link. And share that link.

 

The benefit of this is that in the album, we can actually zoom in on those photos. But as they are now, we can't zoom in on them.

 

That would be helpful, being able to zoom in...

[Anita Latte]

Actually...Kim...

 

I think most of your clothes are Bright Spring. What does everyone else think?

 

You took some obviously NOT Fire colors...

 

But most of the Fire seem to be Bright. I only see a couple of Light Spring...and I'm not sure that I can identify any True Spring. A lot of them seem to have a hint of cool to me...

 

Hmmmm...

[Joby]

Muchas gracia, Anita, for the step-by-step!

 

We will try a brown album and see if I did it correctly :)

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=47c368af053e4c0!203&authkey=!ALbHS3dTCCxjlDs&ithint=album%2c

[Joby]

Yep, I did take about 5 that were definitely NOT FIRE, just to see what they looked like as comparisons. If my brown album works, then I'll do the rest of the albums, ok?

 

Even a couple of the FIRE color tops I know are not the best but, I thought I would throw them in again, just for comparison.

 

The colors I chose only on the idea that each one seemed a little different to my eye, whether it was lighter, darker, cooler.....let me know if there is something I could post that would be better. Holy, s#!t, I was just getting the FIRE stuff down :-)

Edited August 16, 2015 by Joby

[Member123]

Kim…

 

I can chime in here and tell you that the Brown Album works beautifully. I know that the more you can give to Anita (obviously within reason) the better.

 

The problem becomes trying to find colors that are within all 3 of the palettes… and enough of the different spectrum colors, kwim?

 

I have come to the same conclusion as Margaret; I do believe my brain hurts! LOL.

 

I think this new understanding is actually going to be quite helpful. I went to Macy's today… wow, that store was a complete zoo with all the clearance merchandise. I could definitely see "why" those Spring/FIRE colors that I thought should work for me just weren't working quite the way that I wanted them to; a new learning curve begins! But, I have also come to the conclusion that I don't have a lot of luxury of casually shopping and then going away to "think" whether I want something or not; if I see something, I'd better grab it and haul it home and let it sit with me while I do my thinking. Found nothing at Macy's. Had to come home and order online. What?!?

[Joby]

We went to a grown up wedding yesterday. We've never been to a wedding where the bride and groom were older on on 2nd marriages (or thirs as it may be).

 

I had on makeup and thought I would post this collage of 2 photos.

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=47c368af053e4c0!204&authkey=!AOHy7nUDcAgR_xI&ithint=album%2c

 

Hopefully, this works.

[laurspag]

What a pretty dress that is! It looks comfortable and dressy at the same time. How was the wedding?

[cruzisme]

You look fabulous!

I went to my nieces wedding, wore a purple dress, a pink fascinator too.( I am Ice!)

Fun to attend weddings, right?

[Joby]

It was a nice wedding, Laurie. It was outside and HOT. My dress stuck to me numerous times :o There were maybe 50 people there and the overall dress was fairly nice, many men were in suits, some Dockers and collared shirts. The women were mostly dressed similarly to me.

 

I love that dress. I've only worn it one other time. I love the material--it's like a silk shantung? It has a sheen plus a sort of texture to the fabric. I got a lot of compliments on it yesterday.

 

My last post had several misspellings :( That bugs me! Sorry about that.

[Joby]

cruzisme,

 

Yes, it was fun to go to the wedding! We haven't been to a wedding in several years. Guess we live in a hole, don't we :rolleyes: We rarely get to dress up very much. We dress nicer to go to Mass, a rare night out, the once in a blue moon wedding...I think that's a big part of why I like cruises, I get to wear things that I rarely or never get to wear at home. I call it "adult dress-up" :)

 

Ooohh, a fascinator, what fun. Photos????