"
i
^
Author of COLOR M E BEAUTIFUL
Carole Jacks on
with Kalia Lulow
.
^
,
Color
for
Me n
Carole Jacks on
with Kalia Lulow
Illustrations by Yuki
Photographs
by Ben Rosenthal and Jacques
Ba l l a n ti n e Bo o ks
Horikawa
Silberstein
•
New Yo rk
Copyright © 1984 by Color M e Beautiful, Inc.
Color for M en is a registered trademark of Color M e Beautiful, Inc.
A ll rights reserved under International and Pan-A merican Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Ballantine
Books, a division of Random House, Inc., N ew York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.
Book designby M ichaelis/ Carpelis Design A ssociates, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Jackson, Carole, 1 9 4 2 Color for men.
Includes index.
1. M en's clothing. 2. Color in clothing. 3. G rooming
for men. I. Lulow, Kalia. II. Title.
TT617.J33 1984
646' .32
84- 45196
ISBN 0- 345- 31946- X
First Edition: O ctober 1984
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
PA RT I: Yo ur Colors
1. Color for Men: W hat's in It for Yo u?
11
2. Right/ Wrong
14
3. The Seaso nal Palettes: The Color Charts
:
21
4. Determining Yo ur Seaso n: The Color Test
43
5. Understanding Yo ur Colors
58
PA RT II: Yo ur Clo thes, Yo ur Style
6. Build ing a Wardrobe: Content, Color, Lifestyle
7. Yo ur Bo d y Pro po rtio ns
89
— 105
8. Yo ur Suit: Size, Cut, Fit, and Quality
120
9. Yo ur Shirt
136
10. Yo ur Tie
149
11. Combining Coat, Shirt, and Tie
163
12. Yo ur Clothing Perso nality
174
13. Sho p p ing .
199
14. The Finishing To uches: Hair, Glasses, and Grooming
204
Epilo gue: The To tal Man
219
Seaso n-by-Seaso n Tear-Out Sho pping Guides
221
Fabric Glossary
229
Ind ex
:
231
This book is dedicated
to
A lec and M egan Bartsch, my children, whom I love, admire, and
respect.
Jean Halliburton, my mother, who loves, admires, and respects me. I love
you, too.
Steve DiA ntonio, president of Color M e Beautiful, whose warmth and
acumen have made our company grow by leaps and bounds, and who
made Color for Men possible.
Acknowledgments
Color for Men is truly a reflection of combined energy, talent, and enthusiasm.
To the following people who contributed so much I give special
thanks:
Jo elle Delbourgo, Editor-in-Chief of Ballantine Trade Bo o ks, w ho is not o nly a
genius but a saint. Steve DiA nto nio , for his logic, his love, and his tireless support.
Jean Halliburto n, for her literary skills (some of w hich rubbed off), and her broad
sho ulder.
Kalia Lulo w , my co-w riter, w ho endured spider bites in my basement guest
ro o m—fo r her talent and her fortitude! Nellie Sabin and Nancy Inglis, our editors,
for pulling it together so beautifully.
A ndrea and A lan Lentz, for w riting the chapters on suits and body proportions;
and A ndrea again for her incred ibly efficient handling of details. Ken Karpinski,
for his kno w ledge of the men's clo thing industry and his invaluable input. Louis
O'Co nno r of Blo o mingd ale's for letting me pick his brain for tw o years. Dennis
Lucier, for his expertise and advice on men's hair design.
Liz Singley and Sand i Wheeler for typing (and typing)—and late night laughter.
W innie A dams, for her perfectio nism and proofreading.
Marie Kelley, A lexand er White, and Mary Harz, for masterminding the photography shootings; Jacques Silberstein and Ben Ro senthal for taking these w o nderful
pictures; and Yuki Horikaw a for his fine illustratio ns. Sylvain Michaelis, for his
marvelo us book design; Fred Dodnick, w ho w orries about getting the co lo rs right;
and Jimmy Harris, w ho designed the w onderful cover.
Carol Brand ew ie, Tina Dyer, Errol Glidden, Norma Rios, Maria Caballeros, and
Suzanne and Bill Dosw ell, w ho kept the rest of my life running smo o thly w hile
I w rote.
The w o nderful staff at our headquarters and the Color Place, and the Color Me
Beautiful/ Color for Men co nsultants w ho eagerly participated, especially David
Kibbe, Roger Raley, Doris Pooser, Lou Marohn, Jo A nne and Harry Ro binso n,
Rubye Erickso n, Nancy Matlin, Lo uise Wiltshire, Camille Oordt, Barbara Watkins,
Carolyn Thurman, Earlene Herman, and Donni Betts.
PA RT
I
YOUR
CO LO RS
CH A PTER
1
COLOR FOR MEN:
WHAT'S IN IT FOR
YOU?
• Do you look your best all the time?
• Do you pro ject authority and co nfid ence in a business suit?
• Can you co mbine your coat, shirt, and tie w ith co mplete co nfidence?
• Do you have sex appeal?
• Do you have the "rig ht" thing to w ear for any o ccasio n all year
round?
• Do you have a w ell-co o rdinated w ardro be—o r a clo set full of unmatched clo thes?
• Do you hate shopping?
• Do you let your girlfriend or w ife buy all your clo thes?
• Do you shy aw ay from peach, pink, or turquoise?
• Do you kno w w hat co lo rs look best on you?
If even one of your answ ers does not please you, this book is for you. Color for
M en is about co lo r, image, and you. It's about using color to enhance your looks
12/ COLOR FOR MEN
and your life. Yes, co lo r is the secret to a good image. A nd w hat man do esn't
w ant to look his best?
Color for Men is a scientific system, a w ay of dressing in co lo rs that bring out
the best in you. Why scientific? Your genes have determined the color of your
skin, your hair, and your eyes. Only certain colors co mplement your natural coloring. When you w ear the right colors, you come alive. Dressed in co lo rs that
w ork against w hat nature has given you, you fade aw ay. I have seen a man change
from a frog to a prince simply by changing his shirt!
The key is know ing w hich co lo rs w ork best on you. The Color for Men system
w ill help you disco ver your personal co lo rs. Yo u'll know exactly w hat clo thes to
buy—and w hat not to buy. It w ill simplify shopping and help you co o rdinate
your w ardrobe w ith ease. The beauty of the system is that all of your co lo rs
harmo nize so you can mix and match easily. Best of all, dressed in the right co lo rs,
yo u'll look and feel terrific. At w ork, yo u'll co nvey pow er and elicit resp ect—
and yo u'll feel sexier after hours.
Color for M en is based on the same system that inspired my book for w o men,
Color M e Beautiful. To date, Color M e Beautiful has sold over 3 millio n co pies
and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over three years. Obvio usly
the system w orks!
Color Me Beautiful, Inc. is no w a multi-millio n-d o llar business. Our co mpany
has over 200 co lo r and image co nsultants (male and female) w o rldw ide. Our motto
is excellence, our philo so phy is service. In 1983, w e launched the Color for Men
divisio n. In our men's co nsultatio ns, w e determine our client's colors and show
him ho w to put co lo r pow er to w ork for him.
We use the seaso ns as a w ay of describing your coloring and the co lo rs that
look best on you. Nature has done an outstanding job of arranging co lo rs harmo nio usly, so w e borrow from her to create a harmo nio us w ardrobe for you. Yo u
are either a Winter, Summer, A utumn, or Spring.
The Winter man looks most striking in co o l colors w ith sharp contrast, like the
w inter evening's dark sky and the pure w hite snow . The Summer man's co lo ring
is most co mplemented by the co o l, dusty colors of summertime—the blue-green
sea, hazy w hite clo uds, and grayed blue of the summer sky. A utumn is the man
w ho looks best in rich, w arm co lo rs and muted earth tones, like the autumn leaves
or a golden sunset. The Spring man's coloring is brought to life in the clear, fresh
co lo rs that co me out in spring—the clear blues and ivories of mo untain flow ers
and the bright green of fresh buds on the trees.
COLOR FOR MEN/ 13
Now w e are happy to share the pow er of color w ith you. This book w ill take
you through the Color for Men system. First yo u'll identify your season. Then
w e'll provide you w ith a palette of co lo rs that w ork together auto matically. Yo u'll
learn ho w to assemble a w ell-co o rdinated w ardrobe w ith something to w ear for
every o ccasio n. The Color for Men system show s you how to co mbine a shirt, tie,
and suit, ho w to cho o se accesso ries, even w hich hairstyle is most flattering to
your face. Yo u'll also find a tear-out sectio n at the end of this book co ntaining a
summary of sho pping tips for each season.
Color for Men is a total system. It's easy to use and it w orks! When you put it
to w ork for you, yo u'll look great—and yo u'll feel great, too!
CHAP TER
2
RIGHT/ WRONG
D A T ELIN E: Monday morning, 8:00 A .M . Frank reaches into his closet
to get dressed for an important meeting. He pulls out a gray pinstriped suit, a
w hite shirt, and a burgundy tie. He dresses carefully, confident that his clothing
projects the image he w ants.
It's time to hit the streets. But alas, in the morning light, Frank looks as if he
died on his w ay to the office.
Frank is an A utumn, and A utumns look distinctly awful in most grays. He
cannot and should not try to wear that version of the standard business uniform.
No matter w hat season you are, there are some colors that work for you, and some
that don't.
Wearing the right color enhances your face. You look younger, healthier, handsomer, more vital, and more confident. Facial lines and shadow s are smoothed
away, your skin glow s, your eyes sparkle. You project a positive image to both
men and w omen.
The wrong color detracts from your face. It can make you look tired, sallow
(yellow ) or drain the natural color from your face. Dark circles, lines, and blemishes stand out. Wearing the wrong color may make your clothes overpow er your
face. People w ill focus on your clothes instead of you. Your capability and your
authority are undermined because you do not project a harmonious image. In
social and romantic settings, you may be turning yourself from a prince into a
frog.
Don't panic. The good new s is that actually you can wear almost any color in
the rainbow ; the tone, shade, and intensity are what make the difference. Know ing
RIGHT/W RONG/15
w hat co lo rs look great on you lets you make subtle adjustments in your w ardrobe
that have eno rmo us impact on how the w orld sees yo u—and on ho w you feel
about yourself.
Yo u can see from the photographs w hat a difference co lo r makes. Yo ur face
has co lo r (skin tone) and your clo thes have color. They react to each other just
like co lo rs on a co lo r w heel. Tw o co lo rs placed together can bring out the best
in each o ther—o r the w orst.
In a co nsultatio n, w e show each man how he looks in each of his co lo rs by
holding a piece of fabric under his face as if it w ere a shirt. So me men never
before realized ho w good-looking they are!
Yo u are probably intuitive about your best colors. Look in your ow n clo set.
Isn't there a particular shirt you end up w earing every w eekend, or a suit you
feel especially great in (even if it is old)? A nd then there's that nearly new item
of clo thing that you never w ear. Why? Most likely it's the co lo r. It looked fine on
the rack in the store, but it just doesn't w ork on you.
Men often have their intuitive color sense about w hat looks good on them stifled
by their w ives, their mothers, or salesmen, w ho instinctively try to dress you in
their co lo rs. Everyone favors his ow n best colors. If you rely on other peo ple w ho
don't kno w your co lo rs to do your shopping, yo u'll end up w ith a w ardrobe that
is out of step w ith your natural co lo r sense and clashes w ith your natural good
looks.
Most of the popular corporate-image surveys w ere co nducted in the East,
w here—particularly in New Yo rk—W inters predominate. W hile Winters and
Summers do look their best in the usual business colors, A utumns and Springs,
w ho are flattered by w arm, golden co lo rs, must find shades of navy and gray that
both pro ject a corporate image and w ork w ith their coloring. It's hard to look
co mpetent w ith a draw n, tired-looking face, yet many men undermine their image
by adopting the "su c c ess" look w itho ut regard for w hat w orks for them individually. A ll men have the freedom to find their ow n pow er colors in their ow n best
shades and co mbinatio ns. On some, for example, brow n looks best!
Frank (the man mentio ned at the beginning of the chapter) w as an executive
w ho came to us for a co nsultatio n. He w as w earing his dark gray pinstriped suit,
w hite shirt, and burgundy tie. The clo thes looked great, but Frank, an A utumn,
looked terrible. We sho w ed him ho w to find his version of "g ray " and ho w an
A utumn uses the right shirt and tie to pull off a navy suit. (Navy is not an A utumn's
best co lo r.) We changed his tie from burgundy to a shade of red that flattered
16/ COLOR FOR MEN
him. Result: Frank had an image that w as entirely appropriate for his job, but
w ith added personal cred ibility.
David, an overw eight middle-aged man, began to feel that life w as passing him
by. His w ife started to tease him about his "mid -life crisis"— until she no ticed
he w asn't laughing. To give his self-image a boost, she co axed him into having
his co lo rs done. Skeptical at first, David learned that he is a Spring. A modest
sort, he w anted to keep w earing "safe" co lo rs, but in his case, he needed to get
aw ay from w hite and dark blue and experiment instead w ith some more interesting, and more flattering, shades. David bought a new camel-co lo red jacket and
w ore it out to dinner. The respo nse w as immediate and dramatic. Had he changed
his glasses? Cut his hair? Lost w eight? Not yet. But soon, w ith the co nfid ence he
gained from learning his best co lo rs, David found the impetus to do all three.
The effectiveness of perso nal colors applies to any man, w hether he's a doctor,
a plumber, an executive, a retired grandpa or ajteenager. Test it yourself! The
results are immediate. Buy a co uple of polo shirts or T-shirts in colors that bring
out your best, and w atch the positive respo nse you get from those around you.
Try a new tie and shirt in your colors and give your w orking image a boost. It's
important that you get feedback from others, since yo u'll find it difficult to be
o bjective about your ow n appearance.
Once you kno w your co lo rs, you w ill have the pow er to look good co nsistently,
and to believe in yo urself all the time. Yo u really can color your w ay to the top.
RIGHT/WRONG/17
wrong/winter
right/winter
Jacques is a W inter with olive skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair. He looks best in crisp, cool
colors. The camel jacket looks dull on him and gives his skin a yellow cast. Jacques' face comes
alive when he wears a navy jacket, white and blue shirt, and navy tie.
right/spring
wrong/spring
Bob, a Spring, looks great in the camel jacket, ivory shirt, and tan tie. It complements his pinkpeach skin, blue eyes, and light reddish brown hair. The dark navy jacket drains the color from
Bob's face. He would look great in a brighter navy such as the one worn by Rick on p. 38.
18/ COLOR FOR MEN
wrong/summer
right/summer
right/winter
Terry, a Summer, has pink-beige skin, soft
blue eyes, and dark ash blond hair. The bright
polo shirt is too strong for his coloring. N otice
how your eye is drawn to Terry's shirt before
you see his face. Terry looks great in his
medium blue shirt which is more harmonious
with his Summer coloring. Even his eyes look
brighter and bluer in his correct shade of blue.
W inter Jacques, whose skin, hair, and eyes are
more intense, really comes to life in his royal
blue polo. Compare Jacques and Terry in royal
blue. Jacques wears the shirt; the shirt wears
Terry! Jacques would look washed out in the
medium blue shirt that so flatters Summer
Terry.
RIGHT/WRONG/19
wrong/autumn
right/autumn
A rthur is an A utumn with dark red-brown hair, hazel eyes and light peach skin. A lthough he does
not look bad in Summer's blue-gray suit, he looks better in A utumn's chocolate brown suit and
oyster shirt. The gray suit looks insipid on him, while the brown one brings color to his face.
right/summer
wrong/summer
Summer Terry is wearing the identical blue-gray suit on the left. This is his best " p o w er" suit.
W inter's charcoal gray suit and pure white shirt overpower Terry's Summer coloring so that he
looks drawn and tired.
20/COLOR FOR MEN
wrong/spring
right/spring
wrong/autumn
right/autumn
The burgundy shirt worn by Bob and A rthur in the left-hand pictures is wrong for both of them,
but for different reasons. Bob's Spring coloring is overwhelmed by the dark color; its blue
undertone is harsh on him. He looks younger, healthier, more handsome in Spring's orangered. A rthur looks fine in the intensity of the dark burgundy color, but the blue undertone clashes
with his peach skin, making him look pale and accentuating the lines under his eyes. His warm
A utumn red on the right smooths his face and enhances his natural good looks!
CHAP TER
3
THE SEASONAL
PA LETTES: THE
COLOR CHARTS
In order to determine your own colors, look at the color charts in
this chapter. The four seasonal charts are the building blocks of the Color for Men
system. A fter you understand how the colors work and study the pictures of the
men in each season, you can move on to the next chapter to personally test yourself
and decide w hich palette is right for you.
UNDERSTANDING THE FOUR SEASONS
The Color for Men system uses the seasons to describe your coloring and the co lo r
palette that flatters you. Each season co njures an image of colors that everyone
understands, and just as in nature, the colors w ithin each seasonal palette harmonize perfectly. The four charts are not designed for use during the appropriate
season of the year; instead, you belong to one season all year round. By using
your seaso n's chart as a guide, yo u'll be able to match your own coloring to the
colors that are best for you, as w ell as put together a w ell-coordinated w ardrobe
in w hich your clo thes go together effortlessly.
The Winter man looks best in vivid colors, dark colors, or very light, icy
shades—say, a navy suit w ith a pure w hite shirt and red tie. The Summer man
22/ COLOR FOR MEN
w ears pastels and muted dark co lo rs best; a blue shirt and blue suit are his favorite.
A utumn is most harmo nio us in rich, deep earth co lo rs, brow ns and russets, or
muted gold-based shades from medium to dark. A nd Spring is the man mo st
flattered by w arm, golden co lo rs, clear rather than dusty, light to med ium rather
than dark. A Spring man loves his camel jacket.
CO M PARING THE COLORS
Winter and Summer are the co o l (blue-based) palettes. The Winter chart has either
blue-based co lo rs or true co lo rs (those w ith a balance of yello w and blue, black
and w hite). The Summer co lo rs have blue, rose, or gray underto nes. A utumn and
Spring are the w arm (yellow -based) palettes. The A utumn palette is based on
golden to nes, and Spring's co lo rs have clear yello w underto nes.
The co mpariso n table at the beginning of the charts show s so me of the basic
differences among the four seaso nal palettes. First look at the different shades
and to nes. No tice ho w W inter's navy is clear and dark, Summer's navy is grayed,
A utumn's is a marine navy, and Spring's is a bright, clear royal navy. Now look
at the greens. W inter's is a true green, Summer's is a blue-green, A utumn's green
is golden and earthy, and Spring's is a clear yellow -green. The reds for both Winter
and Summer are blue-reds, because they are the co o l (blue-based) seaso ns; the
reds for the w arm (yellow -based) A utumn and Spring are orange-reds.
Now examine the co mpariso n chart for co lo r intensity. Even though Winter and
Summer are bo th co o l, the intensity of their colors differs co nsiderably. Summer's
co lo rs may be either clear or pow dered (muted), w hile W inter's are all bo ld and
intense. Compare Summer's light sky blue to Winter's deep royal blue. A utumn
has strong co lo rs, either vivid or muted, but Spring has only clear co lo rs. Spring's
palette can be bright or light, but never muted or extremely dark. Look at the
difference betw een the bro w ns and yello w s of A utumn and Spring.
Now lo o k at the co lo r charts. No tice that a few co lo rs are missing from so me
palettes. Only the W inter man can w ear both black and pure w hite, but Winter
has no bro w n or orange. Only A utumn has dark brow n, but A utumn has no gray,
pink, or purple. Summer has no orange. Spring has a little bit of every co lo r except
black and sno w w hite.
(text continues on p. 40)
W INTER
SUM M ER
AUTUM N
SPRING
Cool Colors
Cool Colors
W arm Colors
W arm Colors
Yo u can w ear almost any co lo r; it's the to ne, shade, and intensity that co unt.
W inter's and Summer's co lo rs are co o l w ith blue underto nes. A utumn's and
Spring's co lo rs have yello w und erto nes. One co lumn is best for you.
W INTER BUSINESS/DRESS
N eutral Colors:
Light Colors:
Suits, Coats, Pants
Business/ Dress Shirts
Pure W hite
Icy Pink
Icy Gray
Taupe (G ray Beige)
Light True G ray
Icy Yellow
Ties:
Icy A qua
Colors from any category. Choose from N eutrals or Basics for a conservative look;
any color for sportswear.
Shoes and belts
Black, N avy
(dress):
Shoes and belts
(casual):
Briefcase and other
Black, N avy, Cordovan (burgundy-toned), G ray. A dd Taupe and W hite for warm
weather.
Black, Cordovan (burgundy-toned)
leather goods:
Shopping guide:
W inters are best in clear colors and high contrast. A W inter strives to stay sharp
and should never wear muted, powdered tones. W hen shopping, think true, blue,
and vivid; sharp, clear, and icy.
THE SEASONAL PA LETTES/25
W INTER SPORTSW EAR
Basic Colors:
Bright/A ccent Colors:
Sport Coats,
Slacks, Outerw ear
Spo rtsw ear
Lemon Yellow
Blue-Red
Royal Blue
Shocking Pink
26/COLOR FOR MEN
W INTER M EN
Ben is a W inter with rose-beige skin, gray-green
eyes, and silver-gray hair. He grayed
prematurely, as W inters often do.
D anny has classic W inter coloring: dark brown
hair, brown eyes and olive skin. He is
especially flattered by the bright W inter colors.
Dean has black-brown hair and hazel eyes.
Unlike most W inters, he has rosy cheeks.
Toshio's olive skin appears sallow if he wears
the wrong colors. In clear colors, he looks
healthy and attractive.
THE SEA SONA L PA LETTES/ 27
W INTER M EN
Dale is a fair-skinned W inter, with bright blue
eyes and dark hair. He wears W inter's icy
colors and dark, cool colors especially well.
Tim, unlike most W inters, has pink-beige skin.
His eyes are a soft blue with brownish centers.
N eil has light gray-beige skin, green eyes with
white flecks in the iris and dark brown hair. He
wears all his W inter colors equally well.
Joe's dark hair, black-brown eyes and rosebrown skin are flattered by the high contrast in
his pure white shirt and dark suit.