Column of Colour Dressing
If you have been following me for a while you may have seen the other posts in my 101 series on colour and posts on body shape. A column of colour is one type of dressing that brings the two together.
A Column of Colour is where you wear either a top or a topper in the same colour as your bottoms (trousers or skirt).
Because you are wearing one colour from head to toe (or knee to neck) it creates a long vertical line which the eye can skim over, which makes you look taller.
Body Shape and Columns of Colours
So where does style come in? Style comes in with your body shape and body variations. (Don’t know your body shape yet? Drop me a line).
If you want to hide you tummy or lack of a waist, wear a top the same colour as your bottoms. This is called an Inner Column of Colour. It is good for people with an H or O shape.
If you want to hide your thighs, then wear a wear a top the same colour as your bottoms. This is called an Outer Column of Colour. It is good for 8, X and A shapes.
Tip: If you have a body variation you may want to vary from the standard recommendations.
For example, I am an H but I have solid thighs (body variation) and an undefined waist (it is there, but only just) so I and am happy wearing both an Inner and an Outer Column of Colour.
Why?
Why wear a column of colour?
Look Taller
As the column of colour draws the eye up and down the body it makes you look taller, which is great if you are petite (under 5’ 4” or 163cm).
Look Slimmer
As the eye isn’t stopping on the way, attention isn’t drawn to your waist (inner) or thighs (outer) column, so you look slimmer.
You can maximise this slimming effect with by:
Making your column darker than the rest of your outfit, as in the first example.
Making the column in your palette, even if the rest of your outfit isn’t. It the column matches your face, your face will keep the eye moving up and less attention is drawn the areas where you don’t want attention.
Making a Column of Colour
Making a column of colour sounds simple, but sometimes when you go to your wardrobe you will find that you don’t have bottoms and a top or bottoms and a topper that go together. So how do you make a column of colour without spending a fortune?
Tip: Colours don’t have to be an exact match.
If you look closely at my first picture, you will see that my bottoms aren’t always an exact match. What matters is that they are the same hue (teal, mustard etc) or the same value (darkness). If you look at the burgundy outfit above, you can see that one of the items can even be a print, as long as the background of the print contains the colour of my bottoms so it ties the outfit together.
Tip: Use a Dress or a Jumpsuit to Create an Inner Column of Colour
If matching a top and a bottom sounds like too much hard work, just grab a dress or a jump suit to create an inner column of colour.
Tip: If you can’t match the colour, match the value.
If you don’t have a top or topper in the same colour as your bottoms, match the value of your bottoms. This works best when the colours are darker or softened with grey rather than with clear colours. The aim is to ensure that you don’t create an obvious line where your top or topper hits your bottoms.
Over to you
Do you use a column of colour? Are you like me and mix and match inner and outer (and non-column) outfits or do you stick to one? '
If you haven’t used an inner column before, will you try one this week?
