Getting your 'colors' done

avigailmiriam

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 7:53 pm

Isramom8 wrote:

amother wrote:

in case you can't tell I'm a fan of this process. I carry my color swatches everywhere I go. it is fun and I have not bought ANYTHING I didn't end up wearing happily and often for a few years now.

In that case it does seem worth it. I was assuming that even after getting one's colors done, one would still buy clothes that she mostly becomes dissatisfied with after a while - a phenomenon that seems built into the fashion business.

I depends. If you've already learned what colors are good on you (my mother taught my sisters and me when we learned how to sew) then this could be a waste.

Yes, planned obsolescence (I think that's the term) is a natural part of the fashion business. Apparently, most Americans own so many clothes they would never need to buy any more until they died if they wore them until they wore out.

Isramom8

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 7:58 pm

[quote="avigailmiriamYes, planned obsolescence (I think that's the term) is a natural part of the fashion business. Apparently, most Americans own so many clothes they would never need to buy any more until they died if they wore them until they wore out.[/quote]

Rebbetzin Heller tells a funny story about the time she stopped in to visit an elderly aunt. Teenage Tziporah and her sisters told their aunt they were going shopping. The aunt said, "Vat you need?" They said, "Clothes!" The aunt said, "Vat you vearing?"

avigailmiriam

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:04 pm

Isramom8 wrote:

avigailmiriam wrote:

Yes, planned obsolescence (I think that's the term) is a natural part of the fashion business. Apparently, most Americans own so many clothes they would never need to buy any more until they died if they wore them until they wore out.

Rebbetzin Heller tells a funny story about the time she stopped in to visit an elderly aunt. Teenage Tziporah and her sisters told their aunt they were going shopping. The aunt said, "Vat you need?" They said, "Clothes!" The aunt said, "Vat you vearing?"

*snorts* That sounds like my grandmother. I've just decided that the clothes don't "count" if they're bought secondhand or if I made my own. Lousy justification, I know. And I really don't need another kissui rosh. I say that I won't spend for a sheitel, but I but if I added up all the scarves, hats, etc. I'd be halfway to being able to buy a Milano by now.

Last edited by avigailmiriam on Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:05 pm; edited 1 time in total

yentaof8

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:16 pm

Actually, Jessica does more than suggest colors for you - she advises on styles too - which I think is more informative since colors you can see what looks good on you yourself but with style - she has a good eye re: ruffles, high collars, lengths of skirts, time periods etc. Another thing, besides colors and styles (and maybe what influences her suggestions) she assigns a season to you based on colors, and get this: personalities. Somehow she determined that I was a Jewel-toned Summer and DD is a French Impressionist Spring and a SIL is a winter and my MIL is an autumn. As I said, it has something to do with our personalities. While I don't buy into all the psych-babbble, somethings she said were right on the nail.

amother

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:16 pm

avigailmiriam wrote:

Isramom8 wrote:

amother wrote:

in case you can't tell I'm a fan of this process. I carry my color swatches everywhere I go. it is fun and I have not bought ANYTHING I didn't end up wearing happily and often for a few years now.

there are some clothes that I bought since getting my colors done that eventually I stopped wearing, or stopped liking so much - but that was because they WORE OUT - to the point of holes. or else just stopped feeling so snazzy. ---- but that didn't happen till I already wore them hundreds of times.

in contrast, I used to sometimes buy things and never find a match for them, or just not feel so comfortable wearing... now whatever I buy I start wearing right away and it "works" with the rest of my clothes. I wear it many times happily. this does not mean the item will never get old.

how fast this would happen to you partially depends on how trendy you want to be. and also on how high-quality you want to buy. a t-shirt from old navy will not last forever, no matter what color you buy it in.

I think also it helps that the person who did my colors (who is chana leider) was very good at explaining everything to me, including about which textures and styles and e/t would work for me and WHY. she used examples of clothing I already had, so I really got it. that makes a big difference to being able to apply the information.

hinda

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:47 pm

Where is Chanchi Lieder?
Is she really five hundred dollars? How much experience does she have compared to Jessica in Westchester? Im the OP and I agree if I hadn't bought all the clothes that I dont wear,Id have saved a lot more than five hundred dollars.I also don't think your colors ever change event with age .So if you live til 120,its definitely worth it,that's if I had 500.oo spare(which I currently don not ) (:

amother

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 9:24 pm

She lives in Cali but she comes to NY sometimes to do colors. She also sometimes has speaking engagements in different places. You need to contact her in advance and find out if/when she will be in your place.

I don't know how much she charges because she did my colors for way less than $500 but that was a few years ago. But someone I know hired her to do the colors of several family members and I know she gave her a discount. So if you get together with some friends she will probably be able to offer you more flexible pricing than otherwise. I don't know exactly how long she is doing this for, but she is quite young - in her mid/late 20's - so I'm sure it is less time than Jessica. You can ask her for some references - personally, I am very very happy with my results.

The contact info I have for her is chanaleider@gmail.com.

levial

Tue, Dec 16 2008, 2:26 pm

I went once to a community center where they did your colors as part of those $60 classes. I also bought the book, which you can get at the library. If you have a savvy friend or husband, a few items of clothing lying around (I.e. a jewel-toned blue, red, pink, to check if you are a "winter" or dusty/ warm shades to check other seasons)... you can do it yourself with the help of the book to figure it out.

Ironically, many of us are "winters" which mean we look great in red...can't really wear it, right, but black looks great.

I don't think it made $500 worth of difference. But $60 was ok. I'd spend the money on good foundation, lipstick.

JollyMommy

Wed, Jun 17 2009, 6:33 pm

my mother had her and all her daughters colors done about 15 years ago- I was 10!
it was by the "original color lady" in california and cost about $250 a person. I am a "satin floral spring"= very girly, happy, look good in flower colors like pink and red and purple... but we knew that before. I would say if you have any clue what colors look good on you- and most people know, do not spend the money.

AGINY

Wed, Jun 17 2009, 8:16 pm

I had mine done ten years ago. I got it as a gift and love having done it. Shopping is a breeze. I found it opened me up to alot of colors and styles that I would never have dreamed of wearing. It is a lot more complex that just colors. It is fabric type and texture, shapes of clothings, hair styles, shoe styled etc. I am an end of summer (renaissance summer) and my colors aren't easy to find but when I do find clothing I wear them over and over and don't get sick of them. I didn't pay for it, but I would consider $500 a great investment into all the money I have saved on "disposable" clothing over the years.

louche

Wed, Jun 17 2009, 9:42 pm

Before paying anyone to do your colors (oh, my, how very 1980's that is)--get your hands on the book Color Me Beautiful, a product of the 80s when this mishegoss--excuse me, fashion tool--first came on the scene. Get together with a bunch of clothes and fabric samples, a trusted friend, a mirror, a window with good daylight and a fluorescent lamp, do each other's colors, and use that $500 to buy yourself some new clothes and makeup.

yentaof8, you're right in naming a lot of that stuff psychobabble. The bottom line is, does X color flatter your complexion and make you feel happy, or does it make you look like death?

To the poster who asked 'doesn't everyone know what looks good on them?" the answer is "no." Not everyone has a good eye for color. Many women wear colors their mothers told them look good on them, or colors they personally like that aren't necessarily flattering, or what they think is slimming, whatever happens to be the Fashion Avenue color du jour, or what looked good on them when they were six, or colors that are easy to match, or colors they think blend nicely with their hair and eyes but don't flatter their skin. A green-eyed friend of mine moaned that she'd love to wear green to bring out her eyes, but it makes her skin look like a lizard. A brown-eyed brunette I know used to believe that earth tones went well with her hair and eyes, not realizing that brown made her skin look like mud and beige made her disappear. At least she knew not to wear yellow, which made her look malarial!

amother

Thu, Jun 18 2009, 12:35 am

My MIL gave me a copy of "color me beautiful" when I got married.
And a lady at the Mac cosmetics counter at Henri Be ndel told me not to wear orange.

I almost always wear black, with some burgundy, pink, blue and aqua. I have naturally dark blond hair, with very pale skin, that has an olive undertone. Before I was married (and started wearing brown sheitels) people always thought I was puerto rican.

tovarena

Thu, Jul 09 2009, 3:04 pm

Speaking of Color Me Beautiful, they have a website where in two clicks, you can determine your own color "season" and order a swatch packet for $35. I went to one of their home parties back when I was in college and had the consultant "do my colors" (for free). At the end, I could buy the swatch pack (back then it was maybe something like $15). Truthfully, it didn't tell me much I didn't already know in terms of clothes, but I did pick up a few new ideas for incorporating makeup colors. For the price, I thought it was worthwhile.