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I happen to like looking at red, and I’m told it’s a flattering color for me, but, just like with fushia, it’s hard to coordinate cosmetics, and gets to be a little too overwhelming at times. I’ve also been partial to snowy white, but now that I read that women shouldn’t wear white because it will make their teeth look yellow, I can’t get that cheery thought from my head. When younger, I loved pastels, only to find out that they were more for blondes. Yikes. What’s a person to do?

Many folks research their color classification, or “type”, that’s been around for about 25 years. It separates looks into the seasons, and for each one, suggests the shades that are the most complimentary. My coloring is “winter”, and is the most dominant in the world. That is because the majority of the earth’s population is dark-haired, and usually darker eyed and skinned. When one considers Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, African Americans, Middle Easterners and the people from the Mediterranean and India, it’s clear that there are more in this group than in the natural blonde group. Winter coloring supposedly looks best in strong, clear, primary colors such as red, royal blue, black and the like. Those with lighter hair colors fall into summer and spring, depending on their complexion tones and eye color, and as such, should opt for more pastel or neutral shades, while autumn individuals (usually with the auburn hair shades) have a more limited, but very striking, selection of flattering colors from which to choose. (If you are interested in pursuing this, there is a good deal of information available from the libraries and probably on line as well.)

However, the subject of this particular article is asking whether you believe in some of the color myths. For starters, do you think color makes any difference in how you feel on any certain day? We’ve been taught that we can tell a lot about a person regarding the color they’ve chosen to wear that day, but really, does anyone really get up and say, “I feel like wearing lilac today”? No. Most folks grab what’s clean, what they haven’t worn for awhile, or something that will suit their schedule for the day, regardless of color. I’ve also read that just putting on a certain color will lift my spirits or set the mood; again, I’m not sure if I believe this. When I was young, I read (with great interest) a book about how Anne Boleyn seduced Henry VIII, and the story often referred to her choices in dress color for the occasion. She, apparently, knew how to work her wardrobe. What I’ve often wondered is, does today’s woman put that much thought into color selection, other than wearing black to a funeral? (Speaking of which, there's another myth about how ultimate sexiness is a blonde in a black dress, but according to the seasonal classifications, it’s way too overwhelming for them; black should only be attempted by those with dark hair because it's considered too strong for light haired individuals.

Another myth is to never wear opposite colors, but look at Ralph Lauren’s polo shirts combining red and green, or the wealth of orange and navy in men’s athletic wear. There is an entire chain devoted to black and white worn together, and I’m sure that many Easter fashions will mix purple with yellow.

Probably some things will never change, such as toned down colors in men’s business suits and the wearing of black at evening and formal occasions. It’s also encouraging that when a color regains popularity, designers do manage to put out fashions in various hues in order to allow everyone’s personal taste to be accommodated. Plus, many items are available in almost every shade of the rainbow, so we shouldn’t complain too much.

Everyone has colors they love, and feel good wearing, regardless of whether they suit their coloring or not. There may be deep-rooted associations with a color, so on a subliminal level, we feel it’s good for us. We really shouldn’t feel limited in what we can wear when it comes to color. Life is already hard enough, and sometimes choices are few and far between. so let's go with what we like.