Tue 3 Aug 2010
The Power of Color
Posted by Sandy Dumont under Image of Celebrities, Image of Political Figures, Image Tips Esteem eZine, Power Dressing
[4] Comments
A lot has been said about the image of Hillary Clinton, and there are some recommendations I’d make if I were to meet with her. Color makes the difference. Hillary is a Summer in terms of a color category, so she looks best in bright cool colors, often called jewel tones. She doesn’t look her best grey-toned Winter colors or Autumn colors like brown and orange. Brown is a matronly color for most women, and it’s not a power color. Brown is Mother Earth, so it suggests baking cookies instead of changing the world. In addition, most women think that they should wear warm makeup in peach and tawny colors, including brown-toned lipstick, when they wear brown. These colors are highly unflattering and not the least bit feminine.
Hillary’s best color, by far, is True Red – not burgundy, and definitely not orange-red. In the brown suit and orange-toned makeup, she looks harsh. In the beautiful red jacket, her makeup looks natural and is very flattering. Orange and red-orange wash Hillary out, as it does most fair-skinned people, and it also magnifies imperfections. Look at the photo below of Hillary in the bright orange suit and you’ll notice that when the background is blue, her advisors put her in orange. Now that’s a nice concept for decorating, but it’s a big price to pay when you WEAR orange, because if it weren’t for the blue background, Hillary would blend into her suit and look orange all over. It’s far better for Hillary to wear blue rather than having it as a background. For one thing, it makes the face the focal point, not the background.
It’s an asset for a politician to look attractive, and Autumn colors like the moss green suit above make Hillary look weary and tired. They dull her complexion and her hair, and they make “marionette” lines pop out; but far worse, they dull her persona.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has adopted the pantsuit as part of her brand. Were we to meet, I would show her how to wear a skirted suit successfully – just as Evita Person did. She had the same “sturdy” legs as Ms. Clinton. But when you do it right, all they remember is the impact you make with your overall feminine but powerful look. Next step for Hillary: brand yourself with YOUR colors, all the beautiful jewel tones and their derivatives, plus black, white and navy blue.
What a great post! You’re absolutely right about Secretary Clinton’s best colors. I often think that the variety of color in her wardrobe is fun and adventurous, but perhaps not in the best interest of her image.
I’m not so sure about the skirt suits though. I don’t think she sticks primarily to pants out of concern for “sturdy” legs, although admittedly I’ve never read her opinion one way or the other on the subject. My impression is that her concern is more one of comfort, and of being able to remove the how-to-sit question from her mind, which got Elena Kagan into trouble!
Christina,
Thanks so much for your comments. Your website is great. “Hollywood on the Potomac.” as Janet Donovan calls DC, definitely needs help in the image department!
Color is absolutely the cornerstone of image consulting, and it can make you look dynamic instead of dull, younger instead of older, and happy instead of sad! I’d sure love to work with Secretary Clinton for a few months and share my 30 years experience with her.
I don’t understand how you could possibly tell what colors are appropriate for Hillary Clinton given the fact that she is wearing make-up and has her hair dyed, both altering her natural coloring. Furthermore, it is absolutely impossible to tell through photographs, with all the difference in conditions, including HIllary’s mood and energy level at the time of the portrait, which color looks best on her.
Hi Kiri,
Good question. The answer is that when you have more than 30 years experience seeing people with or without makeup in various colors, you see sometimes what others do not see. Most people notice that a person looks tired one day and beaming the next day. They don’t know why. It is usually color. With or without makeup, the wrong colors can make you look sad, tired or dreary. The wrong colors can also cause you to look like you have powdered your face heavily, even without makeup. Mood and energy level rarely affect what happens to the skin in the wrong colors. Colors can definitely affect our moods, however. Hence, the origin of the term “Blue Monday.” It is surely not originating from a bright blue summer sky; it originates from a sunless, grey-blue winter sky; and that is also the origin of sun deprivation disorder. The best lighting and makeup cannot undo the harm that a bad color inflicts upon the face – or persona!