“The Essential Guide to Mindful Dressing” is a holistic approach to looking younger and feeling more confident by weaving the physiological and neurological with the every-day impact that wearing colours can have. It reveals the secrets of how colours can help you radiate happiness and well-being, and how to be calm in a frantic world. The link between mindfulness and great personal style has now been brought to life in this easy to follow, insightful guide, full of practical tips and advice to enhance all areas of your life through your wardrobe.
It is fascinating to discover how wearing colours can have a beneficial, psychological effect on your emotions. You absorb colour through your eyes that trigger neurological responses in the brain which causes the hypothalamus gland to release “feel good” hormones. With colours at the hotter end of the spectrum namely red, orange and yellow being stimulating to your senses, propelling you into action, and the cooler colours that produce calming hormones, like blue, green and purples, help make you feel more in control and peaceful.
With the recent ‘lockdown’ covid crisis, we have all had to find ways to mindfully get through these challenging times and colour can really help keep you to feel balanced. So, for now and through these changing times, consider using colours mindfully in the following way:
- Choose red to get yourself energised and motived to exercise, it’s romantic and fun for a first date, or highlights your driven nature if you are going for a job promotion
- Wear orange for all your zoom meetings with the family and friends, to spread some happiness and keep them stimulated with lots of active chat! This is a great choice if you need to start a new project or hobby to instil some vitality and optimism into your life
- Yellow is the instant hit of sunshine and positivity to put some joy into your lives. It helps you to detach emotionally from a negative situation or relationship, is the colour of mental creativity and wearing it makes others smile
- Green keeps the harmony at home, and is renewal and rebirth so bring some nature inside your homes as well as wearing green. It can act as a physical tonic, helps to detox the body, is balancing and aids with all decision making
- Blue is the natural communicator so a perfect choice if you are attending an online or in person job interview, or making a speech. Plus, it’s a calming colour on your nervous system, so wear this to help you feel more in control, if you are feeling anxious or stressed, and the lighter shades are fabulous to sleep in
- Purple and violet are wonderful colours to meditate or do yoga in, and also for all forms of mediation, keeping the peace where families are together for long periods of time, and will help you to rest. These are inspirational and creative colours so if you like to paint, draw or dressmake, choose shades that suit you to get in the mood
- Pink is a fabulous colour choice particularly at a time when we all need to be kinder and more caring of each other. Pink is the colour of nurturing and compassion, unconditional love and sharing. It projects an image of independence combined with femininity, so is empowering and dynamic particularly in its stronger shades.
Whilst most of us can wear any colour (aside from black) the key is to discover the shades that suit us best, to really shine. Mindful Dressing has a step by step draping guide to discover your ‘wow’ colours; are you genetically warm or cool? Do you fit into the warmer category with a yellow based skin tone, looking fabulous in bright shades, lime green, red or hot coral pink or suit the more muted, rich golden undertones of burnt orange, khaki green and chestnut brown? Or do you have a cool blue based skin tone, looking and feeling totally fabulous in the softer pastel shades of pinks and purples or love to look dramatic and dynamic in black, white, electric blue and fuchsia pink?
Ultimately, mindfulness is about coping with stress and anxiety, using the senses to engage with the present. Ask yourself “how does this colour make me feel today?” calm and composed or energised and confident. Do you want to look your most attractive and appear younger or slimmer, or do you need to boost your immune system to feel healthier? Are you trying to cope with an emotionally challenging situation? Your colour reactions can be very personal, emotive, and based on past experiences and can also be cultural. So, bring a sense of harmony into your world by wearing colours that make you feel good and look fabulous, every-day.
Chapters in the book include How to master your image; Ageing is all in the mind; Dress for optimum success; Lift your face naturally with coloured make-up; Choose the right shades of red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and the neutrals of black, grey and white to look and feel your best at all times. Case studies in the book are inspiring and touching real life examples from people who have turned their lives around by making clever colour choices.
To summarise, wearing colours can provide powerful possibilities and opportunities for self-discovery at this difficult time, helping you to feel more positive and in control for the ultimate feel good factor and well-being in your wardrobe.
So, here are some of my top ‘Mindful Colour’ tips for looking and feeling great this summer:
- If blue is your favourite colour, choose navy or pantones colour of the year ‘Classic blue’ both brilliant options to black this summer and combine with shades of turquoise which suit all skin tones, to get the glow into your complexion
- Wearing green up against the face is THE best anecdote to anyone who has a high cheek colour, or experiences blushing through shyness, anxiety or whilst enjoying a drink or two!
- The sunshine colour, yellow combines beautifully with your favourite shades of blue for a blend of calm and joy. Wear a yellow top with denim jeans or navy trousers for getting your communicative skills across in a happy and optimistic manner. If wearing yellow isn’t for you then wear some gold jewelry or team with metallic accessories
- For a slimline summer look, choose stronger colours to highlight your best body bits and darker ones on areas you wish to camouflage
- Wear shades of colours from your own warm or cool harmonious palette as our eyes glide over them more easily creating a co-ordinated and balanced look
- If you want to get noticed then colour clash, the best summer choices are red and pink, a dynamic duo of passion, femininity, energy and fun
- White and cream add freshness and clarity to all fashion looks and they ‘reflect’ other colours allowing them to shine and take centre stage
- Everyone needs neutrals and combining colours with your best choices, of either black, brown, grey or white will make your wardrobe practical and smart for that ultimate mindful co-ordination.
The Essential Guide to Mindful Dressing is available for £10.99 at www.amazon.co.uk and all good bookstores. Follow Jules @julesstandishcolour www.colourconsultancy.co.uk
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