Oct 11
6
Reese Witherspoon's go-to is navy blue.
That troubling “little black dress” myth has been around a long time. I think it originally began about the time couture design started to be replaced by readymade, prêt à porter. It was easier to manufacture black, and was helped along by the popularity of Coco Chanel’s early designs. Black came into vogue and has stayed there since.
Any social event after five o’clock is cocktail hour. And that means you need to slip into your little black dress. Right? And just like people believe men can only wear black tuxedos, they also believe there’s only one black and that “color” is right for everyone. The truth is few people can get away with attractively wearing “Blind Black,” but everyone has and can wear their own “Authentic Black”.
Every human being has his or her own version of an appealing, deep, dark seductive neutral color that looks really amazing. Unlike as with pure Blind Black, however, discovering and wearing your Authentic Black compliments your skin tone, is kinder to your face and gives you a healthier, more vibrant appearance.
How do you determine your own Authentic Black? One of the first exercises I invite my Image Therapy clients to do is stand in front of a mirror, clearly and honestly looking at their reflection.
Try it yourself. What is your natural hair color underneath? What is your eye color? Look at your skin tone. Notice the myriad of tones present. Do you see tinges of greens, blues, reds and yellows? These are the colors that make up the palette you’ll use to discern your own Authentic Black. Now choose a predominate color and imagine its deepest, darkest value, thereby turning it into a dark, nearly black neutral. What you’ve just determined is your own natural Authentic Black.
If your eyes are brown, most likely your iris has a dark brown ring around the edge. That color also reveals one of your own Authentic Blacks. If you have a lot of green in your eyes, then your Authentic Black might be a deep forest green, or a rich, dark olive color. The rim around the iris of blue or blue/green eyes is most often slate, or deep midnight navy, making those your “blacks”. Now, go replace that “little black dress” hanging in your closet with a beautiful little Authentic Black one and get ready for the compliments and looks of envy to start coming immediately.
Michelle Obama looks prettiest in purples.
Of course, some woman can wear pure Blind Black. If you have eyes and hair of pure black, without any hints of brown, wearing Blind Black can complement you nicely. There is also one universal Authentic Black that looks beautiful on almost everyone and is safe to fall back on. That is deep rich teal.
As an Image Therapist I work with men and women with all types of appearance. A woman with beautiful olive skin and brown hair and eyes, for example, if clothed in Blind Black, her skin tone deadens and appears sallow. She looks harsh, unappealing, and unapproachable. Switching her to an outfit in her Authentic Black immediately transforms her into a softer, more appealing and beautiful human being glowing with life. Now that you have an understanding of your appropriate black, try this comparison on yourself and share the experience with a friend to see their reaction.
What can you expect now when you go to a Cocktail Party dressed in your newly discovered Authentic Black? People will come up and talk to you. You’ll shine more radiantly, distinctively than others wearing their traditional little black dress. Once you’ve switched to wearing your Authentic Black, there’s no going back. Instead of your appearance saying, “stay away from me,” you’ll start to be seen and attract the right kind of attention.
Angelina softens her look by breaking from her usual black.
Learning and wearing the right colors and your own Authentic Black requires effort and knowledge. But the truth is the rewards are a million fold. Every single Image Therapy client, whether man or woman, a movie star, politician or housewife, has the same response to discovering their authentic self, “Now people really see me.”
And that’s when the myth of the little black dress falls away and their blossoming begins.
