Choosing the right color of your clothes can be a challenging process and many people wonder what the best way to create a color scheme that will flatter your natural look is. In a previous article, we talked about the color wheel, which is a useful instrument when it comes to putting an outfit together. We also discussed in another article what the best way to choose the colors of your clothes according to your skin tone is.
In this guide, we are going to go a little deeper and concentrate only on putting together a great color scheme for people with dark skin. We know that there are different complexions of dark skin, from Indians and other Asian complexions to people of African or Mediterranean descent. To identify where you stand, you should we look at the Fitzpatrick scale. Before we start, it’s important to note that most people with dark skin tones have what is a “low contrast complexion”, which means that their hair and eye color are also dark. The reason this is important is because our eye color and hair color influence a lot the way we look overall and they add a new factor to the equation. This does not mean that people with dark skin tones can’t have a different hair or eye color, but then they should take these factors into consideration as well and count them as given parts of their look.
The tips we want to give you are not unbreakable “rules”, they are guidelines and tools you can use when you want to make your skin color (and by extension your whole image) stand out.
Contrasts
The first thing you need to know about colors is that different colors look in different ways on different backgrounds. That’s a lot of different-s. What this means is that any color, for example red, will look differently on green than it will look on black or on yellow. There are a lot of types of contrasts, but we don’t want to fill your head with all the terminology.
Basically, two colors that fall in the same category (the two main categories being warm colors or cool colors) will mute each other out, while colors that are rather different will make each other pop. To give you an example: a yellow square on a while paper won’t stand out as much as a purple square on a white paper. Colors found on exact opposite sides of the color wheel create the most contrast (red-green for example, etc.)
Just look at how the two shades of green interact with different colors. We actually had to check whether the two shades of green were the same. You can relax, they are.
It’s important to understand these theoretical things before we can discuss more about contrasts and colors.
Dark skin and warm colors
If you have dark skin and are wearing warm colors (yellow, pink, orange etc.) you should know that you are on the right path! For men with dark skin, “chalky” colors (which are what we as men call pastel colors) are the best along with bright, warm colors such as red or orange. They bring out your natural shine and make your skin glow.
Going very bright (such as really pale yellow) or very shiny is not recommended though, as these colors will make a contrast that we as advisers feel is a little too much. In this case, your clothes will stand out too much and your features won’t be visible.
Dark skin and cool colors
If you are a black/Indian/any-other-complexion-guy and want to wear colors situated on the cold side of the spectrum, you should be very careful. Of course, you can wear dark colors as well, but they will usually make you look duller and tone you down a lot.
This is why, when you are wearing browns, blues and dark greens, you should make sure that they make a contrast with your skin tone, even if the contrast is quite small.
Cool colors can sometimes make wonders if you wear them as accessories or in combinations with warm and bright colors: purple sunglasses go great with dark skin, and the same goes for wristbands, and especially for ties and bow ties, worn on brightly-colored shirts.
Black, white and other neutrals
Black and white, along with khaki, gray, beige and other colors are considered “neutrals” in fashion. They go with anything and can be mixed with any other color. Usually, we recommend that you choose neutrals for either the main pieces, and then use a lot of colors for the supporting pieces (for example: use a gray shirt, but wear a green tie and pale blue vest); or use bright colors and wear neutral accessories (for example: a yellow shirt can be toned down with a black vest).
The thing about black and white is that black people are not black as an absolute black, just as white people are not white like a sheet of paper; they are either more orange or pinker, for example. This is why each person should see how neutral colors look on them.
Remember that when it comes to accessorizing, gold and silver are both neutrals, so they go together well. This means that you can wear both a golden ring and silver one without feeling stressed about it.
The same does not apply to clothes, though. It’s hard to make gold and silver work on clothes, as they are very shiny and you don’t want to be mistaken for a lamp or something.
Mixing colors
So far, we discussed how each individual color acts on people with dark skin. This must not limit you, but it must make you more creative. You can make use of any color combination (should it be two colors, three, or more) as long as it looks great and flatters your skin.
You can wear very bright and pale colors and not feel self-conscious by mixing them with dark colors that will tone them out, you can add colorful patterns and textures whose colors and overall feel give you a great vibe.
People with dark skin can really take advantage of mixing warm colors with cool colors. In our opinion, it’s best to use the warm colors as the first, lowest layer, and use the darker on the upper layers. This will create more visual interest and will make you look really dapper. For example: wear a chalky cream shirt and a blue vest over that.
To draw a short conclusion, we can state that men (and women as well) who have a darker skin tone look best in colors situated on the warm side of the spectrum, combined with accessories and patterns in colors found on the cool side of the spectrum. Looking good means feeling good, which is why we encourage everyone to discover their own style and to make the best out of their natural features, should these mean skin color, size, weight, etc.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Further reading:
Choosing colors of your clothes according to your skin tone
A guide to coordinating the colors of your clothes (+examples)
Choose the colors of your clothes like a pro!
Choosing colored contact lenses according to your skin tone and hair color
Color combinations that work for any skin tone, hair and eye color
Discover if you are a Spring, a Summer an Autumn or a Winter
P.S. What type of colors do you like to wear? Do you have any questions regarding the best color clothes for people with dark skin? What issues do you face when you are dressing up? Share your thoughts in the comments or ask us a question directly! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our website via e-mail and to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
56 replies on “Choosing the Best Color of Clothes for Dark Skin Tones (B)”
BRAVO!! I couldn’t agree more!! I’m more of an bright and neutral color person. I mix my way into it. But I still learned a lot throu this article. Great post
Greets Jon
Hy Jon,
Glad you enjoyed the post! Check out our other articles on the subject, you might find them just as useful.
For example, you can read a lot more on the subject here: http://attireclub.org/2013/04/18/choosing-the-colors-of-your-clothes-according-to-your-skin-tone/
or here: http://attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/
Best wishes,
F&F
Thank you very much for this excellent article, however I’m still not quite sure how to achieve a combination according to my temperament and occasion. That said, appealing to the vast expertise that I read in your article, I dare to ask for personalized advice.
I’m brown (not black) skin, I have 36, I’m tall and outgoing. The event which I attend is to get my masters. I want to look stylish while out of the routine that usually prevails in terms of costumes in this type of event.
I wonder if you can, the combination of suit, shirt and tie I should wear to look like I want.
I am writing from Colombia.
Thank you very much.
Rolandot
Hy Rolandot,
Thank you for the question. While we don’t have very much data to work with, we can give you a few tips and some ideas to consider.
First of all, it’s great that you’ve told us what you need to dress up for! Congratulations on getting your masters, that;s fantastic! If you are presenting your thesis, it’s essential to look your best.
Generally, the academic field is quite conservative, but the degree of conservatism depends on the field in which you study. Science and economics tend to be more conservative than arts and languages.
When you present your work, you should try to keep it simple, as the focus should be on what you say and your presentation, and not on the way you look.
Before you decide on any clothes, make sure that they fit you well.
We would suggest that you go for a gray suit, they look clean, elegant and are something different than the classic black ones. We imagine that your skin tone is typical for someone on South America, and in our opinion, gray goes great with that type of skin tone as it really makes it stand out by contrast.
Because gray is a neutral, you can accessorize the suit with something more colorful. You can either go for a tie or a bow tie, depending on your field. Humanities and arts are generally more accepting of bow ties than sciences.
Your bow tie can be a solid color, or it can have a pattern. This can be anything (even pink, teal,burgundy or a colorful pattern), but we would recommend something between the intensity of your brown skin tone and the intensity of the suit, which we feel should be quite light.
If you want to learn how to match a suit, a tie and a shirt in terms of colors, we recommend you our guide on choosing colors, in which you can read about triad colors and how to match them! Check out the guide here:
http://attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/
There are a lot of colors you can wear, as darker skin tends to make colors look stronger, which is why we recommend you our guide on choosing colors for dark skin tones. See it here:
http://attireclub.org/2014/02/14/color-of-clothes-for-dark-skin-tones/
It would probably be most professional if you were to choose to wear a white shirt. A white shirt goes great with any suit and any skin tone. Just make sure it is well pressed and that it fits well!
If you don’t want to wear a gray suit, you can also go for a navy one or something similar, but we would not recommend going too flashy!
Be sure to follow other simple rules, such as: matching your tie to your shoes, your tie touching your belt (it should not be longer or shorter), and so on.
There are many factors you can take into consideration when it comes to choosing the right clothes for you, you can look through them in our style guides collection:
http://attireclub.org/style-guides/
Basically, if you want to stand out, you should wear something subtle rather than something flashy. If you don’t want to go for the classic black suit- white shirt- red tie – power look, you can opt for a wide range of other options, which can include more unconventional colors such as purple, light blue and green.
We would definitely recommend that you keep your suit and pants in a solid color, and if you want to wear a pattern, you should only have patterns on your shirt or accessories.
Mixing patterns is a great way to look cool. We have a guide on that: http://attireclub.org/2013/01/07/mens-fashion-rule-how-to-match-striped-shirts-with-striped-ties/
We hope this helps and if you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
Good luck with getting your masters!
Best,
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Excellent, I Really understood quite a lot about dressing for dark skinned people, but I have one question for you. As I’m going for “sensation white” this year, I’m really confused on What/How should I dress in white. I’m 21 years old Indian boy. I was planning to wear white shirt , white short with black suspender and blue shoes.
Please suggest me something to wear as I’m really confused.
Awaiting reply.
Thanks a lot.
Hello Umesh,
Thank you for the comment.
You really have a clear image of how you want to dress. We can give you a few tips to make sure your outfit will look clean and sharp!
First of all, make sure that all the white pieces you are going to wear will be in the same hue/clearness. Some white items are more on the gray side or on the cream side, so if you match white pieces that don’t have the same hue, at least one will look “dirtier”.
If you choose to wear black suspenders, you should make sure you won’t be wearing a belt as well. Also, the blue shoes will redirect the view towards your shoes, so our recommendation would be to either wear black shoes and black suspenders or blue shoes and blue suspenders. Of course, this also depends on the hue, as a pair of dark blue shoes might look great as well! We are not sure what you look like and what your skin tone is, but we think that chocolate brown is also a shade that would go great with this outfit and with your skin tone!
What type of advice are you looking for more precisely?Let us know more, so we can offer some in-depth information. if you want to contact us for fashion consultancy, leave us an e-mail at office@attireclub.org
ok, to be precise, I am 1.77m tall and my skin color is somewhat between 22-23 according to von Luschan scale. The dress code for the concert is complete white except for shoes and accessories. I was avoiding white trousers because I’m confused on whether I will be able to use it regularly or use it at all ever after the concert; So I was planning to buy white short as I could use it regularly. But I want your suggestion on How/What should I wear. should I wear a trouser or a short with shirt/ T-shirt and also about the shoes and what accessories should I wear. Any suggestion from your side will be a great help to me. All I know at the moment is that I will be dressing complete white at the concert.
And A BIG THANKS for the previous reply. It really was of great help and I’m glad that I got a reply from you and I’m really happy that I got it in no time. I really appreciate that 🙂
THANK YOU….. THANKS ALOT.
Hi Umesh,
Thank you for the additional information. You said that you are going to a concert with a dress code. What type of music will be played there? if it’s something casual, you can definitely wear shorts and a t-shirt. However, if it’s something more formal (even though formal events usually have another type of dress codes), you should wear long pants and we would recommend a shirt instead of a t-shirt.
If you want to wear a t-shirt, you can opt for a polo shirt, but make sure you don’t tuck it in your pants!
In terms of shoes, we would say slip-ons are the most easy thing to match to such an outfit, whatever you decide to wear: they go both with shorts and with long pants, they go with both t-shirts and shirts.
In terms of accessories, you should keep it simple. A casual watch or maybe a wristband might make a good choice, but depending on your personality, you can also wear a necklace or even a belt. To learn more about t-shirts, I recommend you our guide on choosing and wearing t-shirts. Have you seen it? if not, take a look at: http://attireclub.org/2014/04/09/pick-wear-t-shirts-complete-guide/
In terms of color, white goes with any skin tone, so you don’t have to worry about whether the outfit will go with it or not, just make sure that all the pieces are the same shade of white. Also, it is a neutral, so you can match it with anything. The only issue is that if you choose to place a pop of color, that will become the center of your outfit. If you choose to wear colorful shoes and the rest all white, everyone will be instantly looking at your feet. Maybe you can have a hint of color on your collar or on your sleeves to compensate. Can you do that?
In short, you have a few options here:
1) A t-shirt, shorts and maybe slip-on shoes
2) A t-shirt, long pants (but not dress pants) and slip-on shoes (you can choose casual oxford shoes for example as well, slip-ons are just our tip)
3) A casual shirt, shorts and slip-ons/suede oxfords
4) A formal shirt, formal pants and formal shoes
5) A casual shirt, long pants and shoes of your choice.
To any of these outfits you can add a watch, suspenders, or other accessories. To read more on how to pick those, I can link you to our guides:
The guide to suspenders: http://attireclub.org/2013/09/10/a-guide-to-suspenders/
How to match your watch to your clothes: http://attireclub.org/2014/02/24/match-watch-clothes/
The guide to choosing a watch: http://attireclub.org/2013/05/09/dont-wait-a-minute-a-guide-to-choosing-a-watch/
As very important tips, keep in mind that:
-Your accessories should be proportionate to your body (if you have a thinner frame, you can wear slim suspenders, a thin watchband etc., but if you are a bigger guy you should go for bolder accessories)
– Make sure they all follow the same line (don’t wear a formal watch with casual, multi-color suspenders, for example)
– If you wear suspenders, don’t wear a belt as well
– Try to match at least two pieces: your belt should always match your shoes, but you can also match your suspenders to your socks for example or your watchband to your shoes. This way, you will look more put together and polished.
There are many things you can consider when choosing an outfit. For more resources, we can recommend our style guides library: http://attireclub.org/style-guides/
Don’t forget that your clothes should fit your body to obtain the best effect. This means that they should touch your body, but not press hard on it!
If you have any other questions, or want to give more information for more insight, feel free to place a reply to this comment!
If not, make sure you go there and own the room! Have a great time at the concert!
F&F
Your article was great. But i have a question in my mind. I am Indian and i have a dark skin tone. As you mentioned yellow color as warm color. whenever i wear out yellow it shows me a more darker man. Means i feel that i have become more dark. what is this?
Hy Sunny,
Thanks for the comment. The reason why you appear to look darker is because yellow probably creates a big contrast with your skin. Contrasting colors tend to make each other stronger, so if you have rather dark skin it will appear darker if matched to a light color. This is not necessarily bad, it depends on what you want to look like, your taste and preferences. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
Also, you can check out our article on matching colors: attireclub.org/2014/05/05/coordinating-the-colors-of-your-clothes/
Best wishes,
F&F
Kindly help me.pls. i have brown skin not so dark and round face, 5 ‘6″ tall and mascular type’. What cobination of long sleev polo and tie would fit me thank u’.
Hello Samuel,
Thank you very much for the question!
We can offer you a few tips, but let us start by saying that a long-sleeve polo with a tie might not be the best choice in terms of pieces. If you are planning to wear a tie, it will look best with a dress shirt.
If you are a bigger guy, you can wear a wider tie (larger than 3 inches/ 7,5 cm), don’t go for the skinny ones. However, according to your coordinates, we think that an average tie should be just fine (around 3 inches / 7,5 cm wide. The same goes for the knot: you can wear a bigger knot, such as the Windsor knot. You can learn more about it here: http://www.totieatie.com/windsor4.asp
Now, in terms of colors, you if you have a slightly dark skin tone, you can wear shades such as red, mauve, or even light blue.
A good combination could be a light blue shirt with a navy tie. Another possible combination could be a white shirt with a tie that features a beige-ivory-brown pattern, such as this one: http://i2.wp.com/attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Monochrome-Achromatic.jpg . A third idea could be a light orange shirt with a dark-blue tie.
Do these combinations sound good to you?
To learn more about mixing colors, we recommend you this article: http://attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/ and this guide: http://attireclub.org/2014/05/05/coordinating-the-colors-of-your-clothes/
What you should do is basically to take the information from this article, see which colors look best on you and see if any combinations use the colors that go good with your skin tone. For example, we think that light (but not pastel) orange would suit you well and we decided that we can tone it down with a darker shade such as a dark blue, since the two colors are on opposite sides of the spectrum and therefore, complementary colors.
Let us know if you have any other questions, we’re glad to help!
Best,
F&F
Hi,
I am asian color skin, black hair, black eyes and i am fat which color of cloths good for mi in summer and winter. please help thakyou
Mani
Hello Mani,
Thank you for the question. However, we’re not sure what you mean by “Asian color skin”, as “Asian” can refer to anything from Pakistani to Indian or even Japanese. Do you have a skin tone that is lighter or darker?
If you are rather darker, like most of the Indian population, you can wear very well bold colors like red, cream, dark green and deep purple.
If you were to be very light, like most Japanese people, and have dark hair and black eyes, you can wear colors such as teal, black and white,or different shades of blue.
You are saying that you are overweight and to help you with that, we have a guide on dressing up for heavy men: http://attireclub.org/2013/06/10/dressing-up-for-heavy-men-b/
Basically, what you need to do is wear clothes that fit well, don’t wear anything oversized or of a smaller size than you are and stay away from vertical lines. In winter, you can wear more layers to keep warm instead of a big, boxy jumper. These layers can consist of a shirt and a vest with a light jacket on top.
In the summer, you can also wear a light vest to create visual interest and not be too hot. What you can do is wear clothes that are boxier by construction, such as pleated pants, but again, they need to fit right!
Let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with! You can even write us an e-mail at office@attireclub.org and chat with us via e-mail!
Best,
F&F
A great article. Thanks.
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
Loved your article and understood a lot about dressing up ..
I am Indian and medium brown (not light and not dark too ; 22-23 according to von Luschan scale ) . My height is around 5.5 . So pretty low in height . And I am of average size (weight around 55-56) So what should be my dress choices for casual college going and parties ?
Like for college should I prefer t-shirt or shirt and if thirst should it be round neck or v neck and if shirt should I go for skin tight or normal (or slim fit) ? and what should be my choice of jeans and chinos .? And should I go with 3 quarter pants as I am of average height.. etc .
and same for parties too .
I know question is pretty long but still would be helpful for my whole look up .If you have some articles related to dressing for short highlighted medium dark guys do share the links 🙂
Hello Rounak,
Thank you for the question! We are glad to see that you are taking interest in fashion and wish to look your best!
Let’s take this step by step. You can wear these clothes to both college and to parties, all you need to know is what makes you look better and how to dress up and down an outfit.
First of all, a shirt is always a better option than a t-shirt! It simply makes you look more elegant and put together! If you want to learn more about how a shirt should fit, read this article: attireclub.org/2014/01/15/shirt-fit. A shirt that fits well can be worn both to classes and to parties!
However, if you want to go for a t-shirt, you can opt for a polo shirt if you want to look dressier. That will take care of the neckline problem. But, if you wish to dress up in a basic t-shirt, the neckline choice should result from the way you look and from the way you wish to look. You gave us some information on what you look like, but we don’t know how you are proportioned or what shape your features are. If you have a round face, you should opt for a v-neck, as it will elongate your neck and balance your face, but if you have a square face or an oval one, opt for a crew neck, as it will make you look more proportionate and structured. You might be carrying more of your weight in your upper body or in your lower body or you might have a longer or a shorter torso. Remember that if you wish to elongate, go for a v-neck, if you wish to be rounder and shorter, opt for a crew neck!
Read more about t-shirts here: attireclub.org/2014/04/09/pick-wear-t-shirts-complete-guide/
When it comes to fit, a slim fit shirt can look great on you if you are proportionate and average looking!
In terms of pants, we can’t tell you whether you should buy jeans or chinos, it’s your own personal preference that will decide this; but we can say that a dark wash jean is dressier than other casual pants and if you buy a quality pair, it can last a long time!
Read more about jeans here: attireclub.org/2014/08/17/jeans-cuts/
We would not advise you to go for 3/4 pants, as they are neither short nor long and they are quite confusing! Either opt for a pair of shorts or for a full-length pair! To learn more about shorts, read this article: attireclub.org/2014/05/03/quick-guide-shorts/.
We do advise you to try on some 3/4 pants and see how they look! If you like them and if you feel they make you look good, go for it! Some guys simply look great in 3/4 pants, especially guys with long legs.
The tips we gave you apply to both going to classes and parties, but we would advise you to style up your outfits when you are going to parties. For example, a jeans and shirt outfit can be styled up by throwing on a sports jacket and putting on a pair of casual suede oxfords or a pair of casual wingtip shoes. (More on dress shoes: attireclub.org/2013/05/29/the-different-types-of-mens-shoes/)
This way, you don’t need to have so many pieces in your wardrobe, you can invest in more quality pieces and make sure that you put outfits together well!
In terms of colors, you can opt for a variety of colors, but we think that red, beige, orange, burgundy certain hues of green such as teal teal and ivory can look great on you! Using these colors, you can make simple, but effective combinations such as red-beige or burgundy -ivory. You can read more about color coordination here: attireclub.org/2014/05/05/coordinating-the-colors-of-your-clothes/ and here: attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them in the comments of the articles or to send us an e-mail!
Best wishes,
Fraquoh and Franchomme
wow..awesome…I usually don’t think about colors but by following this article I made best shoppings … really helpful..thanks..
Hi kapil,
That is great to hear! We’re glad we could help!
Keep on browsing for more style and fashion advice articles!
This blog is truly god sent. Thank the heavens I came across it because I kind of need a lot of help. I hope you’ll see this message. Basically I’m a female who is so used to jeans and t shirts with cardigans in dark or neutral colours like black, white, beige, grey, dark green and navy that I just developed a horrible fashion sense. I really do know these colours do not suit me at all because I tend to look dreary in them but for a long time I decided that since they are my favourite colours, I must look good in them (my denial was strong). Colour schemes are still a mystery to me even after I did a ton of research.
Now I have this event coming up – my really close friend is graduating from college and I’m going to be there to support her because she was there for me at mine. And yet she still wants to go to hang out with me and some of her other friends at a semi-formal restaurant and have dinner. So I realized I’m 19 so I think it’s about time I lady up – jeans won’t work for such an occasion.
I’m 5′ 8”, 161 lbs, my build is pretty average – I am chubby but my stomach is flat – most of my excess weight is packed into my lower body and upper arms and face, I am not at all very curvy on my top half (my bust is only six inches larger than my waist) and I have really uncomfortably wide hips with long legs (I swear my body is so weird that I don’t make an attempt to dress it up because it is work). So I literally sat down for a week and thought over my outfit mainly based on my body and what I thought would work for me.
I decided I’d wear a short high waisted skater skirt (because I like my legs and a skirt takes the guess work out of the ‘this is my size but will it go past my thighs?’ issue that comes with online shopping for jeans), a metal waist belt, bustier crop top and leather jacket/blazer to her graduation. The only thing is I’m not too sure of the colour combination. I would say I am a 30 on the von Luschan scale with yellowish undertones so I thought I’d go for a mint green or coral skater skirt, white or black bustier top and a faux leather black jacket or black or coral blazer. My friend assures me that coral and mint green suit me but I’m not sure. Plus I love black and want to incorporate it into the whole outfit. Now the only ideas I had: 1. black jacket/blazer-black bustier-gold waist belt-mint green skirt-black pumps, 2.(my least favourite of the two) coral blazer-white bustier-gold waist belt-mint green skirt-nude pumps. Or I thought I should switch around the whole style and instead do: mint green blazer-white bustier-black skirt-nude pumps. Or should I opt for a fitted high waisted skirt instead? I really don’t know, I’m not clueless as to what I want but I’m still really unsure … so if you make outfit recommendations too I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you so so so much for taking time out to read my long wall of words and thank you so much for any help provided. I’m really sorry this is so long, I tend to ramble when I feel like I’m hitting a brick wall (December just started and the event is sooner than I expected and gah! I haven’t ordered a single article of clothing … I feel like time is seriously running out). I know this was a post intended for men but women’s blogs that address this topic so thoroughly are just either hiding from me or don’t exist at all. But thanks again for any help provided!
Dear Adel,
Thank you very much for your e-mail!
We will analyze your questions and get back to you with an answer soon!
Stay tuned!
Dear Adel,
Thank you for your comment.
We can see that you have a lot of questions about style and we would love to help.
First of all, you say you always wear beige, gray, black, etc. Except for green, all these are neutrals and should serve as a canvas for other colors. They are not very interesting in themselves, which is why you feel that they don’t look great! If you want to learn more about neutrals, you can read this article on How to Wear Neutrals:
Now, regarding your outfit for the graduation which you were invited to and for the semi-formal dinner you will be having. Black and white are OK, so is the gold idea. Out of the two colors, we feel that coral would fit you better than mint green. We can’t tell without knowing you, of course, but we feel that mint green could be a little too much for you. Maybe teal would be a better option than mint green. However, coral sounds great. Other colors that could work amazing for someone who is a 30 on the van Luschan scale are red, pink, yellow, etc.
Our idea is to go simple and not complicate the outfit too much. What do you think about a simple, yet elegant, age and occasion-appropriate coral dress, paired with a black leather jacket, a nice statement necklace and a belt – optional?
Here are some dresses ideas:
http://www.mooretractorco.com/images/11%20Essouira%20Dress.jpg
http://www.vastkid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/almari-lace-bust-coral-dress-coral-dress-for-wedding-guest.jpg
http://fashionattractive.com/hedonia-coral-dress-maria/
http://www.vastkid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/yn-coral-dress-web-coral-dresser.jpg
These dresses might seem formal, if you find some similar ones that feature no bows and other embellishments and pair them with a leather jacket and a great (teal) necklace, you are set to go.
One of our blogger buddies featured a great necklace on her blog recently: http://myfashionslashlife.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/buy-nigerian/
We really love the model and think that it could work in other colors as well.
This coral dress – teal necklace combination is great too:
http://dresseslux.com/coral-bridesmaid-dress/
Please note that we are not associated with the websites containing pictures of dresses in any way, shape or form.
Regarding the shoes, you can wear pumps, but you can also opt for flats if you feel that you are too dressy and can opt for a small bag to keep your things in as well. White, teal golden or silver accessories could look great as well as a black-and white patterned bag and pair of shoes.
We like your ideas, your number one choice is ours too, but we feel you can do better! As we said, another tip you can use is instead of going for mint green, you should opt for teal, as it is a lot more dressier and more elegant! Teal goes a lot better for a graduation dinner than mint green!
If you want to learn more about mixing colors, check out our articles below:
The Professional Way to Choose the Colors of Your Clothes: attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/
Coordinating the Colors of Your Clothes: attireclub.org/2014/05/05/coordinating-the-colors-of-your-clothes/
Discovering What Colors to Wear According to Your Natural Features: attireclub.org/2014/07/10/discovering-colors-wear-according-natural-features/
If you have any other questions, you can contact us at office@attireclub.org or reply to this comment!
Have a great party!
Make sure you subscribe to our website to keep yourself updated with new articles on fashion, style and culture!
Yours,
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Wow! I am really grateful you guys responded so quickly to my questions. I really appreciate the response too; it’s thorough and it helped me a great deal with coming to a final decision. Thank you so so so much for all the help! I love your suggestions and I will take them all into consideration (I will get myself a teal skirt and a coral dress and see which outfit I prefer). But thank you so much.
Dear Adel,
Thank you for the message! We are happy you enjoyed our tips! You know best what suits you and we’re sure you gained a new perspective that will help you make better decisions!
Have a great party!
F&F
Really thanks for the article , it is really useful for me …
but i have a question which colors should be in the upper clothes , like turbans n shirts … the shiny like colors orange and red should use in the shirts or in pants n shoes … what about the simon n dark purple color , does it suit the dark skin color … which colors should i use in turbans which wont make my face appear pale … neutral color like black is better or beige ?
waiting for the reply
thanks
Hello Qinwan,
Thank you for the questions.
When you are putting an outfit together, you should always consider the fact that the strongest color / print / pattern is going to draw the most attention. While there is no exact rule as to which colors you should wear on your lower half and which you should wear on your upper half, our recommendation is to wear the stronger colors on the parts you wish to emphasize. If you want to draw attention to your head, then wear a red turban, if you people to pay more attention to your chest, wear a colorful shirt. However, if you want people to focus on your lower half, wear pants and shoes in brighter colors. You can also use bright colors to frame your body. For example, wearing a red turban, a beige shirt, beige pants and a red pair of shoes is going to make you stand out, as you will wear mostly neutrals colors, but with pops of red (or another color) on your accessories.
If you are considering wearing bright pants, you should always take the dust factor into consideration. If you live in an area where there is a lot of dust or snow slush, this will get visible very quickly on your pants if you walk down the street. If you always use a car, you don’t need to worry.
Also, if you have a dark skin tone, you can wear both black and purple, but we would recommend wearing them in very deep shades. Beige can also look good, but we can’t give you exact advice on whether it would look good on you or not. If your skin tone is very close to beige, we would advise you to stay away from it, but if it’s a lot different, you can definitely go for it.
Please let us know if you have any further questions, we are always happy to help!
For more information on wearing bold colors, you can check out our article on this topic: http://attireclub.org/2015/01/12/3-ways-to-men-can-wear-a-strong-color/
Yours sincerely,
Fraquoh and Franchomme
I’m dark skin but I find that greyish greens work well with my skin
It’s great to hear you found a color that suits you well!
Hey, I loved this post and it works wonders but, I am a Black teen and I was wondering what hairstyles I can use to still look precessional, stylish, and like a gentleman. However, not get the typical “even all over” buzz cut. Can you help?
Thank you very much for sharing ur knowledge.
You are most welcome, Ragavendran, we are glad you enjoyed the article!
This article is a great piece of work , I read some of the questions and answers on this thread and I feel way more knowledgeable than 5 minutes ago lol. I have brown skin (Latin American) so this thread is a godsend, most of my closet is filled with dark colors and Browns , i sometimes mix black t shirts with khakis and black shoes or stuff like that . Im definitely saving this page and subscribing , thanks for the info
hey, hi i need to attend my best friends wedding , im indian and look a little heavy..i decided to wear a saree and i chose the colours like purple in down part with pink border , the upper part of the saree to be in orange with pink and purple border.and with a blouse with halter neck in orange and purple …. i dont knw weather this would suit my complexion which is wheatish. and i want to some tips for draping it
and i would also like to add the this saree is with base golden ….
Dear ridzi,
Thank you for the questions. It is hard to give you a complete answer without actually seeing you or the clothes.
However, our main concern from what you are describing is that you might overdo it – golden base, purple, pink borders, orange…
Indian clothes are usually colorful, but unless the colors are well balanced, they might look a little all over the place. Our advice is to keep it very simple and maybe skip one of the strongest colors, such as the pink.
If you want to wear a saree that features both orange, purple and pink, you can go for something that is very balanced, as we said. Here is an example: http://www.madhushreesarees.com/images/sarees.jpg
If you want to use certain colors for the borders and details, we would go for a more muted color as the main color of the saree. Here is an example: http://forepixels.com/beads2/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Indian-Classic-Bridal-Saree.jpg.
Remember that if you decide on wearing strong colors, you shouldn’t cut yourself visually. If the upper part is orange and the lower part is purple, you might end up looking like a color swatch. Also, having a purple border in the upper part and a block of purple in the lower part might make you look like a chess board, which is not a good look if you are a bit heavy. Make sure that the colors flow throughout the whole piece.
Our advice would be to use purple as the main color, add a golden or orange border and some golden details here and there. You don’t need different borders for the different parts of the saree.
Notice how in the examples we offered, the three colors are well-proportioned on the proportions of the outfit.
What do you wish to know about the draping?
Let us know if you have any other questions!
Yours sincerely,
F&F
After searching/reading multiple articles on the web about clothing color choices (and in particular for darker skinned men), I found yours to be the most useful one. It’s very clear and the pictures demonstrating the effects of color contrast are great. I also appreciate the thoughtfulness and attention you pay to your commenters. Thank you very much!
Dear Joe,
We are glad you enjoyed the article!
It is our pleasure to offer quality content to our readers!
F&F
Iam from south India…dark (brown) average 5.6feet tall…chosen black suit(normal shine)… Wat will be preferable inner shirt n tie….and also for grey suit plz suggest me casual pant color n inner shirt or may be tshirt
Thank you so much, but i am still confused.. As i am an Indian male and having dark skin color complexion , its not very dark but in between the whitish and dark. And i am planing to wear a linen blazer with a shirt and chino for a summer wedding.. please advise me color combination. also suggest me that which type of shirt should i wear solid color or anything else..??
Thanks and warm regards,
Mayank.
Dear Mayank,
Thank you for the question.
While it is hard to give advice based on a description and without having a visual, we can give you some ideas:
From what we understand your complexion to be, you might look well in one of the following combinations:
Beige – red – dark beige
Beige – purple – blue
Medium blue – cream – dark blue.
You can mix these up as you wish. For example you can wear a medium blue blazer as a statement piece, a beige shirt and a dark blue pair of pants.
Another idea would be to wear a light, cream jacket with a dark blue shirt and beige or black (black goes with anything) pants.
To learn more about color coordination, follow this link: http://attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/
In regards to your shirt, wearing a solid color shirt is a safe bet and a good way to go.
Here are some tips on putting together a good blazer – shirt combination: http://attireclub.org/2016/01/05/wearing-blazer-shirt-guide/
You can even mix patterns. For tips on mixing patterns, check out:
The complete guide to mixing patterns and prints: http://attireclub.org/2014/05/23/mixing-patterns-prints/.
Let us know if you have any further questions!
Have a great time at the event!
F&F
Hi..i am helping my friend in his wedding n casual shopping. He always wear black n gray. Now really need some change! He is dark asia skin tone, 30yrs.5.7ft, 70kg, flat body.
Its hard to match colour in his skin tone..can you suggest me some colour combination for his casual look? especially t-shirt with jeans. And what colour blazer, shirt n tie would you suggest for wedding??
I would really appreciate your suggestion. Excited to hear back from you. Thank you so much 🙂
Dear Supriya,
Thank you for the question.
1) Casual looks
For casual looks, your friend can go for khaki or ivory, which he can wear with red, deep blue or even a pastel pink. Burgundy also might work well.
2) Jeans and t-shirt
When it comes to wearing a jeans and t-shirt combination, we definitely recommend going for a dark wash jean, as they are dressier. The t-shirt should have a nice print, such as a floral print, as these can style up a simple pair of jeans easily. Solid color t-shirts in the colors we mentioned above (red, deep blue (sapphire), pastel pink, burgundy) or prints in these colors might also work well. Abstract prints in these colors (along with any neutrals, meaning ivory, khaki, tan, black, white), also go great.
Read more on wearing a jeans and t-shirt combination elegantly here: http://attireclub.org/2015/01/18/jeans-t-shirt-combination-done-right/.
3) Wedding outfit
On a special occasion, your friend could go for a navy suit with a white shirt – that would look really well. The tie can be black, but a striped tie (black and blue stripes) could work as well. If you are going for a colorful tie, your friend can opt for a light peach tie. A burgundy tie could be a great option too. We would go for a navy suit, a white shirt and a burgundy tie.
Read more about wearing a shirt and blazer here: http://attireclub.org/2016/01/05/wearing-blazer-shirt-guide/
Read more about matching your shirt and tie: http://attireclub.org/2015/09/29/match-shirt-and-tie/.
Of course, without a picture, we can’t really tell what would work well and what would not, so we advise your friend to try out different styles, check out our articles and see what works best for him!
Let us know if you have any other questions!
F&F
Good morning l m Zimbabwean and will be going to work in the coming weeks and l m going for shopping what color of formal clothes should l buy. l m 32-34 skin tone on the von Luschan scale, 1,75 metres tall and and 60 kgs.
Hello,
It’s quite hard to give color-related information without a visual, however we can give you some pointers.
The best formal clothes for the traits should be dark blue or a medium gray. In case you can’t find these, you can always go for the classic black.
F&F
hi, I’m i filipino lady with fair skin, please help me how to select a right color for my skin to brighten my skin tone, because in our country we want a brighter skin or whiter skin so, from this we want a right color for our skin. Thank you and more power.
Dear nieves,
Thank you for the question.
If you want to appear more luminous, even though you are already quite fair as you say, you can wear clothing that will make your skin tone pop up. For example, if you are rather fair, you can wear deep jewel tones such as sapphire blue or ruby red. This kind of shades will contrast with your skin and will make it pop. Wearing deep neutrals such as gray, beige, khaki or black can work, but only if they have white undertones, not black ones. Basically, you want to go for grays and beige that have a brighter feel to them. Note that this is not the same as them being a light shade.
Also, it’s probably indicated to not go for a lot of shine and sparkle. If you wear clothing that reflects light, the clothes will look very bright and you might disappear into the background.
Let us know if you have any further questions!
Yours sincerely,
F&F
Comment…wow awesome help…. I’ve been trying to pair colors with my dark skin… now I know where to look
We’re glad you found the guide useful!
Thanks for this article. I believe it helps me lot for buying my wedding Suit.
Glad to hear that!
Thanks a lot.as i was always confused.but after reading this i m changed n got enough info what to wear n what not to wear thanksssssss
Hai ..your article helped alot but i would love to know more , this is for my friend who is getting married this december..she is short ,healthy and dark in complexion . She is confused with what colour to combinate with green for her wedding eve function (indian function called mehandi night)so she have to wear green …your way of explaining is quite simple and educative ..so it would be very helpful if you could help us
Thanks in advance
Dear Ameera,
Thank you for the question. If your friend has a rather dark skin tone and wants to wear green with another color, she can opt for sapphire blue, purple or beige. Note that the shades are very important too. For example, a light green can work greatly with sapphire blue. Generally, deep, jewel tones go very well Indian complexions. Sometimes, a mix of a deep color with a color in a lighter shade can work well.
Let us know if you have any further questions!
Yours sincerely,
F&F
Oh thanks alot sir i am sure she ill look stunning with your piece of advise thanks alot .
This is an eye opener, thank you for such a detailed and easy to understand article.