So you've built your wardrobe around black... but what if it's not in your colour palette?
If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that every woman has black in her wardrobe. In fact, most women spend decades buying black pieces thinking it's the intelligent solution to easy, versatile dressing.
How many times have you heard black is timeless, classic, slimming, easy to find, goes with anything, and will never go out of style? It makes black the obvious investment-worthy staple colour.
Problem is, black is actually not most women's best neutral. This can come as a shock, and even a block to having colour analysis done - the idea of giving up black feels overwhelming in every way.
Prior to learning colour analysis, even Jess (while working as a stylist for many years) couldn't see how you could remove black completely and still have a cohesive wardrobe... let alone having it suit you better.
Why black isn't everyone's neutral
Meet Carly, our lead colour analyst at C&S. She has a cool undertone but she doesn't have dark features - so black (left) is not her best colour. Her best neutral is instead a steely blue-grey (right).
So what in the colour theory is going on here? To keep it simple: Black is the harshest, darkest colour in the spectrum, with a cool undertone. This means that unless your natural colouring shares those same properties (very dark features, cool undertone) - black won't be in your palette.
While we think Carly always looks gorgeous, you can see the subtle but impactful shifts between her colours above. Her best neutral brightens her skintone and darker areas like the undereye, her lips look more pink, and her gorgeous eyes take centre stage. Your focus goes to her face, not the heavy black shirt.
So... do you have to give up black?
When you receive your colour analysis you’ll learn whether black sits harshly on you or harmonises with you.
But rather than bluntly decarling you need to stop wearing black immediately! we instead take the time to fully educate you on your colours - not fearful about moving forward.
You don’t have to give black up but most of the time when clients see the difference, they want to. And it’s not as hard as it sounds, we promise.
Finding your black replacement is easy. When we analyse your colours, we teach you your best neutrals and your ideal black replacement. This will be the darkest colour you can wear that isn't black, tailored to you to anchor your wardrobe and replace your blacks over time. Some palettes even have multiple black alternatives.
Swapping out black slowly and mindfully
No big wardrobe purge necessary. Well, you can if you want. But you don't have to! The aim of the game is to switch out your purchases slowly over time.
So instead of buying that next black pair of pants, black handbag, or another black pair of shoes, you buy in one of your best neutrals instead.
And over time you’ll slowly see and find that you naturally gravitate towards using your best neutrals instead of black when dressing.
Your colour analysis also comes with video education covering how to style black with your colours as you transition to your new palette - we'd never just leave you hanging!
Your palette is powerful
We're told black brings versatility and styling ease - and it can be hard to move on to something that feels so rock solid. But colour analysis doesn't just leave you with random colours - it's a system designed to seamlessly mix and match, allowing for even more versatility than black alone.
Because the thing is, our 18-palette system (an advanved system that goes beyond seasonal colour analysis for more accurate and precise results) gives you not only your best neutrals but your best chromate colours, too.
This means your physical palette has 50 swatches, and your individual palette spans around 50,000 colours using C&S’s 18-palette system.
When you start shopping with your palette, every single colour will mix and match together. When you shop your best neutrals instead of black, they are guaranteed to work with all the other colours you buy. No more guessing if those two colours go together, or work with anything else in your wardrobe. Everything goes together, every time.
So your wardrobe starts to mix and match easily. Not just together but with you as well - bringing out your natural harmony and beauty. Our clients report dressing gets easier and more exciting, not harder.
But what if you still love black?
That's totally okay. In fact, Jess does not have black in her palette either - her best neutrals are khaki olive green and brown. But she still wears black because sometimes she loves it, sometimes she wants the high contrast, or a particular look or piece. She's simply far more selective and black is no longer the default choice, nor the core of her wardrobe.
All colour analysis does is teach you what you’re seeing in the mirror, why things in your wardrobe aren’t working, and the language for it. This allows you to invest your money the right way. So many women have wardrobes full of pieces they never wear with no clue why this keeps happening. Colour clarity allows for better, smarter choices - without being locked into harsh rules.
Ultimately, if you you will want to wear black - you can!
There's so much more to colour analysis
Honestly, even though it's a valid concern to have - whether or not black suits you is really just one small part of the full magic colour analysis offers. From truly carving out your personal style to figuring out what make up tones suit you - there's so much to gain from colour analysis.
We only have 15 colour analysis spots available for the rest of the year. This includes both virtual analysis and in-person analysis at our Gippsland studio. If you'd like to understand your best colours before Black Friday and summer lines start dropping into stores, book now to secure your spot.
Book your colour analysis with C&S today
