In an ideal world, we would all wear only our very best colors every day.  We feel better that way — better about ourselves and also just better (as in, more energetic, less drained, etc.).  But reality is that sometimes we don’t have a choice.  Or sometimes other factors outweigh our preference for “comfortable” colors.  Like, for example, when it’s St. Patrick’s Day and you really want to wear that Irish green. 🙂

More often than not, there are some things we can do to lessen the negative impact of an all-wrong color.

Consider the Alternatives

First, ask yourself whether you really need to wear the totally-wrong color.  Sure, it’s St. Patrick’s Day.  Sure, it’s traditional to wear that kelly green.  But do you really have to wear the kelly green, or will a different green serve?  If muted colors are your best, can you wear a more toned-down avocado or sage instead of kelly, and still accomplish your purpose?

Keep it Small

If you have to have that particular color, but you have some leeway in how it’s used, you have a couple of options.  The first is to keep it small.  That is, to use the color as a small element somewhere in your outfit.

A belt is a perfect example.  If you want to go bright green for St. Patrick’s Day, but bright doesn’t work well for you, then use the green as a pop of color in an otherwise-right-for-you outfit.  If you want to be sure the green takes center stage, keep the remainder of the outfit neutral.

Keep it Low

Another option is to keep the wrong color low — away from your face.  The wrong color against your skin is the wrong color against your skin, whether it’s your face or your hands, or whatever.  But the negative visual effects of a wrong color are most obvious in the face, so if you separate the color from your face, these effects will be minimized.

If cream and brown are your colors, but kelly green is not, a cream shirt and kelly green skirt will be a better option than a kelly green shirt and brown slacks.  (Also, some variation of white is less likely to cause an obvious clash with the “wrong” color, despite its qualities not quite mirroring those of the color in question.)

Buffer It

Finally, you can buffer the color, by separating it from your face by even a small amount of a “good” color.  This might sometimes be an option even if you don’t have much choice in where you wear the color.  If you have a uniform shirt, for example, you can’t change that it’s a large garment up high near your face.  However, depending on your dress code, you might have the freedom to buffer it.

A scarf is a perfect buffering option because it tends to completely interrupt the “connection” between your top and your face.  However, it’s often not subtle enough when your clothing choices are constrained.  A jacket or sweater doesn’t typically come directly between your neckline and your face, but does provide a large block of color.

If neither of these is an option, you can still go subtle.  A necklace or earrings might not have as big an impact, but they’re better than nothing.  (Guys, you probably don’t have the colored-necklace option, but in some cases you might be able to swap out your tie.)

Wear the Right Makeup

Finally, be sure to always match your makeup to your face.  It might seem that you’d want to match your makeup to your outfit, to “tie things together.” Don’t give into that temptation.  If a wrong color in a garment has a negative impact on the appearance of your face, the wrong color directly on your face is even worse.

Wear the right makeup to flatter and brighten up your face, and it will give you the best fighting chance against that wrong color. 😉