Wear these two colours to look your radiant best

Powerful hues look great on everyone whether you are a brown-eyed warm tone like me or a cool toned blue-eyed blonde.
This month on 21 March, people around the globe are celebrating the International Day of Colour. In fact, March, worldwide is known as the month of Colour Therapy.

Colour Therapy is simply about why we choose colour and have favourites– and how colour affects how we look and feel. I personally have too many to choose from, not just one. Although, as I am a dark haired, brown eyed, olive skinned, warm tones are better for me (we all fall into a warm or cool tone group – more on this later). I love cobalt blues, aquas, pinks, crisp whites and mysterious blacks. I love most colours and know which tones I feel great in and which tones I run from.

What are the two tones that suit everyone?
“I’ve been 40 years discovering that the queen of all colours was black” — Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

It is no surprise that the first of the powerful tone is the bold and beautiful black. Favoured globally by plus size fashionistas throughout fashion circles as the sartorial uniform de rigeur, black boosts our confidence by enhancing our silhouettes and evoking a mysterious sense of sophistication and potential. Black is powerful in classic clothing.

A fun fact, the phrase “the new black” is often used to give merit to a colour trend. And yes, we can wear all black, the trick is to layer interest and depth through fabrics and textures.

Be certain of one thing: BLACK is far from dull. As seen here in new season Swish 2017, the 8034 Zebra V-Neck Top’s loose fit and bold print is modern, vibrant and sexy.

Perfect plus size womens wear, the Zebra V Neck Top teams stylishly with black soft jersey pants or a mid-calf black jersey tube skirt. I have this top and I absolutely love it! I love the drape and fluidity of the 8411 ZEBRA JACKET – EQUALLY GORGEOUS.

“Without black, no colour has any depth. But if you mix black with everything, suddenly there’s shadow – no, not just shadow, but fullness. You’ve got to be willing to mix black into your palette if you want to create something that’s real” — Amy Grant.

The second of the powerful colour duo is red-carpet-ready Red.

Red represents beauty, love, joy, creativity and life in many languages and cultures and this season. Red is a feature colour in catwalks throughout the world. I love Red and in my wardrobe, I accent often with my favourite red lipstick. This season there are so many different tones of red to choose from.
Pictured here is the 8431 Moulin Rouge Cardi, a beautiful luxurious blend of red, grey and black.

BE BOLD, COLOUR OUTSIDE THE LINES with the 8030 MAROONED ZEBRA TOP.

Some fun facts about the colour Red

• Bees can’t see the colour red, but they can see all other bright colours. Red flowers are usually pollinated by birds, butterflies, bats, and wind, rather than bees.
• Red is the highest arc of the rainbow.
• Red is the first colour, you lose sight of at twilight.
• Feng-shui recommends painting your front door red to invite prosperity

Our tone group affects which colours we should wear to look our best. Knowing what colours flatter your skin tone saves time and money when shopping.  Each of our own unique features, our hair colour, skin colour and eye colour determine which tone group we fall into. I am dark haired, brown eyed and golden skinned, so I am in the warm tone group.

Are you a WARM tone or a COOL tone?

You're probably WARM if you have:

• Dark brown or black hair
  Deep red or auburn hair
• Reddish or golden brown hair
• Brown or green eyes
• Olive or golden skin
• Beige skin
• Skin which tans easily
• Yellow skin undertones

Our warm complexions look best in these colours:

• Red (with warm undertones such as tomato red)
• Peach
• Orange
• Golden yellow
• Golden brown
• Olive green
• Gold jewellery

You're probably COOL if you have:

• Light to medium brown hair
• Light green, hazel or blue eyes
• Grey or blue-grey eyes
• Natural blond hair
• Fair or pale skin
• Skin which burns easily 
• Pink skin undertones
• Veins have a blue hue

Cool complexions look best in these colours:

• Red (with blue undertones such as cherry red)
• Pink
• Blue
• Teal
• Turquoise
• Purple
• Mint green
• Silver jewellery

This isn't to say that you always must select one of your suggested colours. These are guidelines, not rigid rules. However, they do help to make you your radiant best!

Is there something you know about wearing bold colour that should be included here?

We’d love to hear your stories.

Comment here or on our Swish Facebook page. More plus size tips here.