✨Color Confidence: Black Isn't Always The Answer

I know it’s tempting. Black feels safe. It’s everywhere. We’re told it’s chic, slimming, serious. But here's the truth no one in the fashion industry is acknowledging: black drains most of us!

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Black Isn’t Always The Answer

By Tatyana Wilson, MA, EdS, SHRM-CP

First, a confession:
Black isn’t always the answer.

I know it’s tempting. Black feels safe. It’s everywhere. We’re told it’s chic, slimming, serious. But here's the truth no one in the fashion industry is shouting from the rooftops: black often drains the life out of people’s faces.

It hardens. It shadows. It fades your natural glow. This is especially true as our skin ages. Ah, when we were younger, we could get away with these things! But not so much as we age and our skin naturally transmits less of the light around us. We begin to fade a bit, looking monochromatic and grayed out.

Now imagine the opposite. Imagine looking in the mirror and seeing light bounce onto your cheeks. Your eyes sparkle. Your skin tone lifts. You look energized, capable, awake. We all want that.

When we wear our bright power colors, they lend more light to our faces, giving us a literal glow-up! What an amazing (not to mention free) way to score some confidence and luminosity.

Why This Matters (and Why It’s Not About Trends)

As with almost anything we teach at Light Loves Color, color isn’t just an aesthetic decision—it’s a strategic one. We humans are visual creatures. Our brains process color before form, before fabric, before a single word is spoken. So what you're wearing is communicating something—whether you mean to or not.

When we wear colors that fight our complexions, we may look tired, withdrawn, older.
When we wear our biologically enhancing colors, people lean in. They listen. It’s a way to command respect without saying a word.

And, of course, this has nothing to do with fashion trends.

You don’t need to wait for Paris to tell you which color to wear. You need to look at the mirror in natural light and ask:
Does this color love me back?

How to Start Finding Your Power Colors:

1. Stand by a window. Hold up different colored tops or scarves.
   Watch how your skin tone, eyes, and even posture respond. Does it brighten your features—or cast a shadow? Indirect natural light is best. Bulbs often have more yellow or white light than natural daylight.

   

   Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash

2. Look for high contrast (or soft focus) that flatters your natural traits.
   Cool-toned skin? Try magenta, royal blue, pink, bright white.
   Warm-toned skin? Think coral, turquoise, tomato red, ivory.

3. Be honest about the colors that drain you.
   Even if black “matches everything,” if it makes you look tired or older, it’s not your neutral. Navy, espresso brown, eggplant, deep emerald green, or even maroon might be far more effective for you.

Why Most People Default to Black

Because it’s everywhere. Because it’s safe. Because we’ve been conditioned to believe it's professional.

But I’m here to tell you: there is no color more professional than one that makes you look alive.

Your wardrobe should energize you, not mute you. It should tell the world you’re someone who is present, radiant, and ready.

You don't need to blend in to be taken seriously.
You need to show up like someone who knows who she is.

The problem with black, is if we’re not careful, it can start to wear us instead of the other way around.

So, you see, color is light. And you deserve to reflect that light—not dull it down.

You don’t need the entire rainbow to start. Just one great top, scarf, or blouse in your perfect shade can change how you feel and how you’re perceived.

So this week, try it. Pull out that blouse you always get compliments on. Look at it closely. What’s the undertone? What’s the saturation?

There’s a message in that glow. Listen to it.

Because when the colors love you back, the confidence isn’t forced—it’s just there. Effortless. Magnetic. Yours.

Here’s a bonus tip, though, for those days you just gotta wear the black: wear a bright lip color to trick the eye. It’s magical. Try it!

Until next time,
Tatyana
Light Loves Color

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✨ Glow Tips: Start Wearing Colors That Love You Back

This week, we’re trading “safe” neutrals for color that actually energizes. These quick shifts will help you feel more visible, confident, and authentically you.

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👚 1. Start With Your Most Complimented Piece
Think of the top or dress you always get compliments on. There could be a clue in that glow.

Glow Tip: Find the piece in your wardrobe that makes people say, “You look amazing.” What color is it? Make that color your starting point. Look for accessories or layers that echo that same hue.

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🎨 2. Retire One “Draining” Color This Week
There’s always one piece you wear even though it makes you feel a little... dull. Let it go.

Glow Tip: Choose one item that washes you out (like black, gray, or beige) and replace it with a power color that lights you up. Just one switch can change how the day feels.

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🌈 3. Anchor Your Outfit with One Bold Shade
You don’t need a full makeover—just one intentional color near your face to shift your whole energy.

Glow Tip: Pick a top, scarf, or blazer in your most energizing shade and wear it for your next big moment—a meeting, date, or even a Monday. Watch the ripple effect.

Until next time, dress well, my friend!

Tatyana Wilson, MA, EdS, SHRM-CP
Founder, Light Loves Color