A colour guide for looking your best on camera
The colours you wear in a photoshoot affect your entire image — they interact with your skin tone, lighting, and background. Choosing the right colours isn't about trends, it's about understanding what works with your natural colouring.
Vein test: Look at veins on your wrist in natural daylight.
Green/olive → warm undertone. Blue/purple → cool undertone. Mix → neutral.
Jewellery test: Gold looks better → warm. Silver → cool. Both → neutral.
White paper test: Hold white paper next to face. Yellow/peachy = warm. Pink/rosy = cool. No strong pull = neutral.
Your skin has golden, peachy, or yellow‑olive hues. Gold jewellery looks natural.
Best colours: Rust, olive, cream, tan, dusty rose, sage, camel, warm brown, burnt orange.
Avoid: Neon, bright white, cool pastels, stark blacks.
Your skin has pink, red, or blue-ish hues. Silver jewellery looks natural.
Best colours: Navy, charcoal, burgundy, forest green, soft blue, lavender, slate grey, plum, mauve.
Avoid: Warm yellows, oranges, earthy browns.
Balanced mix of warm and cool. Both gold and silver look good. Most versatile.
Best colours: Navy, olive, charcoal, cream, teal, taupe, sage, soft plum, forest green.
Failsafe: Navy and olive work on virtually everyone.
Why patterns don't work: Thin stripes and small checks create a moiré effect (wavy distortion) on camera sensors.
Colour reflection: Bright colours reflect onto your skin (colour spill) — difficult to correct in editing. Muted tones prevent this.
Outdoor / Golden Hour: Olive, rust, cream, tan, dusty rose, sage. Avoid neon and bright white.
Studio / Indoor: Navy, charcoal, burgundy, forest green, cream, soft pastels. Avoid all‑black.
Lifestyle / Personal Branding: Colours you actually wear, brand‑aligned tones, layered outfits.
Quick Reference Card
Warm: olive, rust, cream, dusty rose, camel, burnt orange
Cool: navy, charcoal, burgundy, forest green, soft blue, lavender
Neutral: navy, olive, charcoal, teal, taupe, sage
Always works: navy, olive, charcoal, cream, forest green
Always avoid: neon, bright white, all‑black, busy patterns, large logos
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