Stores that carry "FIRE" season clothing

[Joby]

Have a great day and a great weekend! I bet you will begin looking at colors on people around you and noticing good and poor color combos all weekend! (You probably already have!!!) :p

 

Yes, I have been staring:eek: Especially at people that I think are Fire.

 

I took some pictures outside today on a white background of the 3 blue tops and the jacket. I'll post them next. Maybe it will give a better view of the colors???

 

Thanks for all of your time and help, I appreciate it!

[Joby]

Here are a couple of the blue shirts and 1 of the jacket.

 

The jacket has a pinkish beige look to it in this picture, I think, It doesn't look like that to my eye in real life.

[TerriSea]

Here are a couple of the blue shirts and 1 of the jacket.

 

The jacket has a pinkish beige look to it in this picture, I think, It doesn't look like that to my eye in real life.

 

 

Hi again!!

 

I am so glad you took these pics outside. When you included the Color Intervention charts, it made it easier to evaluate the blues. I cannot see any difference between the blues in the chart and the tops!!!

 

WINNER!

 

Now, I'm a bit confuzzled....do you think the jacket is Fire now that you look at it in outdoor light? It still looks cool and powdery to me, even against white background in sunlight.

[Princess422]

The jacket has a pinkish beige look to it in this picture, I think, It doesn't look like that to my eye in real life.

 

Now, I'm a bit confuzzled....do you think the jacket is Fire now that you look at it in outdoor light? It still looks cool and powdery to me, even against white background in sunlight.

 

If the jacket doesn't have that pinkish beige look IRL, maybe it is warm - I think it's hard to tell if we don't have an accurate picture. The fleecy lining on the collar and belt looks very warm, so maybe part of the reason the rest of it looks powdery and cool is because it's next to that... I have a beige corduroy skirt that might be the same color as the jacket is IRL, if it looks a bit warmer (and definitely not pinkish) - my skirt IS a warm shade, but when I was packing today (with Kim's posts fresh in my mind) I noticed that it looked somewhat cooler in comparison to my really-warm camel-colored corduroy pants. I guess what I'm saying is, there are degrees of coolness and warmness, but even a warm color will look cooler next to a warmer color. Perhaps enough to throw a photograph off.

 

And on the topic of packing... I leave early tomorrow morning, and probably won't be back on this thread until I return the following Saturday. Hopefully my color cards will be here by then so I will be shopping and probably have lots of questions! Don't have too much fun here without me! ;)

[Joby]

If the jacket doesn't have that pinkish beige look IRL, maybe it is warm - I think it's hard to tell if we don't have an accurate picture. The fleecy lining on the collar and belt looks very warm, so maybe part of the reason the rest of it looks powdery and cool is because it's next to that... I have a beige corduroy skirt that might be the same color as the jacket is IRL, if it looks a bit warmer (and definitely not pinkish) - my skirt IS a warm shade, but when I was packing today (with Kim's posts fresh in my mind) I noticed that it looked somewhat cooler in comparison to my really-warm camel-colored corduroy pants. I guess what I'm saying is, there are degrees of coolness and warmness, but even a warm color will look cooler next to a warmer color. Perhaps enough to throw a photograph off.

 

And on the topic of packing... I leave early tomorrow morning, and probably won't be back on this thread until I return the following Saturday. Hopefully my color cards will be here by then so I will be shopping and probably have lots of questions! Don't have too much fun here without me! ;)

 

Have a great cruise! Where are you going to?

 

We'll fill you in when you return, I promise :)

 

Kim

[Joby]

Hi again!!

 

I am so glad you took these pics outside. When you included the Color Intervention charts, it made it easier to evaluate the blues. I cannot see any difference between the blues in the chart and the tops!!!

 

WINNER!

 

Now, I'm a bit confuzzled....do you think the jacket is Fire now that you look at it in outdoor light? It still looks cool and powdery to me, even against white background in sunlight.

 

Hi Terri,

 

Do you see a difference in the short sleeved blur top? It's a different blue than the other two. Are you pretty confident that they are all Fire blues?

 

Oh, dear Lord, don't "confuzzle" me--that's all I need :) The jacket does have a funny shade to it, but as Princess said the fleecy stuff is really several shades darker than the suede like outer part of the jacket. Still, for $2, it beats my old dusty blue jacket. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a for sure Fire jacket on clearance :)

 

Do you think the yellow tops I pictured are "correct" Fires?

 

Any other comments on my new clothes. As I said, I still have receipts and don't want to have buyers remorse even if it was a super dooper deal :)

 

Where have you had good luck with pants? I could still use a couple more pairs.

 

Kim

[Anita Latte]

Wow ladies!!! Joby, you have been having so much fun shopping...I'm totally jealous, I have to say...I'm in the process of some major weightloss, and I lost a chunk and went shopping and I'm still not a size that I want to buy and so I have had NO FUN at ALL shopping!!:eek:

 

But you have!!

 

The funny thing about that first blue picture...with the Old Navy shirt on top and the two other new ones below... you can see the differences in the blues, and yes, one or the other looks "cooler" because they are more blue and some have more of that green color that makes it look warmer...so you wonder on this end of the internet, is one cooler than the other? And then you put the cards up and it's like, NOPE, they really do harmonize. When you look at the picture, they don't "fight" even if one looks cooler than the other...and I think that is the key to remember...

 

We all interpret color in relation to another color...so ALL color will look warmer or cooler than another color even if the cooler color is still WARM...and that's the cool thing about the control of the color cards. I think the blues are all a hit...however, I think that the final verdict will be decided when you look at pictures of yourself.

 

I know that I have bought some seriously cool looking purples and blues for my Mom, who is a fire, BUT they are actually warm and she looks awesome in them. So the pictures of yourself tell the true story.

 

On the jacket...on my monitor, the jacket itself is not lavender, more pink, but it is definitely reading cool, BUT the fur part is definitely reading a kind of tan color that is warm by comparison. I have to say thought that if that is working well enough with all your lovely FIRE colors to do as Terri says, cooperate with your fire colors, then the tan of this jacket is workable.

 

Great job Joby!:)

[Joby]

Wow ladies!!! Joby, you have been having so much fun shopping...I'm totally jealous, I have to say...I'm in the process of some major weightloss, and I lost a chunk and went shopping and I'm still not a size that I want to buy and so I have had NO FUN at ALL shopping!!:eek:

 

But you have!!

 

The funny thing about that first blue picture...with the Old Navy shirt on top and the two other new ones below... you can see the differences in the blues, and yes, one or the other looks "cooler" because they are more blue and some have more of that green color that makes it look warmer...so you wonder on this end of the internet, is one cooler than the other? And then you put the cards up and it's like, NOPE, they really do harmonize. When you look at the picture, they don't "fight" even if one looks cooler than the other...and I think that is the key to remember...

 

We all interpret color in relation to another color...so ALL color will look warmer or cooler than another color even if the cooler color is still WARM...and that's the cool thing about the control of the color cards. I think the blues are all a hit...however, I think that the final verdict will be decided when you look at pictures of yourself.

 

I know that I have bought some seriously cool looking purples and blues for my Mom, who is a fire, BUT they are actually warm and she looks awesome in them. So the pictures of yourself tell the true story.

 

On the jacket...on my monitor, the jacket itself is not lavender, more pink, but it is definitely reading cool, BUT the fur part is definitely reading a kind of tan color that is warm by comparison. I have to say thought that if that is working well enough with all your lovely FIRE colors to do as Terri says, cooperate with your fire colors, then the tan of this jacket is workable.

 

Great job Joby!:)

 

Congrats to YOU, Anita, for the weight loss:) Keep up the good work! When you do go shopping for keepers, maybe you'll post some pics of your new purchases.

 

As of now, it seems to be from the "teachers", that my new blue tops are Fire. I want to get to the point that I have a real feeling and eye for some of the more off beat colors in my palette like the blues, violets, and browns.

 

I "think" I have a better eye for the aquas, corals, and greens finally.

 

I would also like to get something in the clear gray or at least see something in real life so that I can get a feel for that color too.

 

Do you have an opinion on the yellow tops, Anita?

 

It's sunny out today, so if new pictures are needed I can do that :)

 

Thanks for your help too!

[TerriSea]

Anita,

Awesome job on losing weight! I, unfortunately, have been "finding" it as I go, proving that what comes around goes around.....:p Thanks for your opinion on colors, too. You really have a gift of clarity. :)

 

Kim,

Pants are sooooo hard! In order to have a great pair of pants, they have to fit just right, be cut as if for you alone, and also be a great and versatile color too!! I used to like Ann Taylor and Express or Banana Republic, but not so much lately. For denim I like Old Navy and Coldwater Creek. I also have some Tahari dress pants that I love for work, and also Talbots for dressy pants. Chico's and TravelSmith just do not work out for me, they are just cut wrong for my petite frame.

 

I have found skirts and dresses much easier to wear year-round. I wear pants one day or less during my workweek, and mostly jeans on weekends.

[Anita Latte]

Thanks ladies for encouragement on the weight loss. I have a long road to go, but I have a long time to get to my goal, so I'm trying to be patient and make long lasting changes. Easier said than done! LOL.

 

My opinion on the yellow tops...the solid tee looks beautifully sunny and warm. There is a range of yellow that looks great on both FIRE and EARTH and I think that particular yellow belongs in that category. From my end, I think that yellow would blend in with your brights and blend in with my muted colors. I would call it a borderline color based on what I can see.

 

The sheer blouse is a different yellow. More true to yellow and less toward orange-y. The sheer material is kind of acting like sweater knit for me. The texture makes perceiving the clear/muted more difficult. At least, this happens for me... In the group photo, it harmonizes really well with the other yellow, blue and brown, so I'm definitely thinking that it's a keeper. Harmony is the key. I think that blouse would be a great accent piece for a fire.

 

Pants for FIRE are seriously an issue. SERIOUSLY. Shopping with Mom can be an exercise in frustration...the tans can definitely be too "pink" and not "yellowy" enough to go with the warm brights...the khaki's can be the same way...finding the right milk chocolate brown is like impossible...the warm, clear gray is also impossible...if you can find cream colored instead of white, that's amazing...but then who wants such light colors for their bum all the time?

 

If you like solid tops, then finding complementary prints in skirts and dresses really does become easier.

 

Otherwise, you just have to deal with finding pants that are more EARTH like...and deciding that you LIKE the way that looks...finding the darker brown, the neutral greens (army, olive, etc.)...and put those with some of your complementary brights...FIRE really needs to learn how to bend the rules until you can get those key pieces...

 

If you take a look at these two posts by Curt

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=23736418&postcount=2624

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=23736427&postcount=2625

 

then you can see what his neutrals look like...Camel is definitely one of the colors this season. Curt has a camel suit that looks great with the fire colors. I know that you are a bargain shopper Joby, but I would recommend that you scope out some great camel colored pants and perhaps watch for a great sale or just bite the bullet...get something that is the best quality you can afford for longevity and consider it a part of your capsule wardrobe...

[Joby]

Anita,

Awesome job on losing weight! I, unfortunately, have been "finding" it as I go, proving that what comes around goes around.....:p Thanks for your opinion on colors, too. You really have a gift of clarity. :)

 

Kim,

Pants are sooooo hard! In order to have a great pair of pants, they have to fit just right, be cut as if for you alone, and also be a great and versatile color too!! I used to like Ann Taylor and Express or Banana Republic, but not so much lately. For denim I like Old Navy and Coldwater Creek. I also have some Tahari dress pants that I love for work, and also Talbots for dressy pants. Chico's and TravelSmith just do not work out for me, they are just cut wrong for my petite frame.

 

I have found skirts and dresses much easier to wear year-round. I wear pants one day or less during my workweek, and mostly jeans on weekends.

 

Amen, on your first two comments, Terri :)

 

Make that another amen on your pants comment too! I need to find some dressy'ish pants now that I work part time and also some casual pants in my new Fire palette.

 

I just can't seem to find the colors right off the bat let alone find any to try on or order. I don't know anything about TravelSmith, I'll take a look at that online.

 

Thanks again for your help and patient guidance on my new Fire colors.

 

Kim

[Joby]

Thanks ladies for encouragement on the weight loss. I have a long road to go, but I have a long time to get to my goal, so I'm trying to be patient and make long lasting changes. Easier said than done! LOL.

 

My opinion on the yellow tops...the solid tee looks beautifully sunny and warm. There is a range of yellow that looks great on both FIRE and EARTH and I think that particular yellow belongs in that category. From my end, I think that yellow would blend in with your brights and blend in with my muted colors. I would call it a borderline color based on what I can see.

 

The sheer blouse is a different yellow. More true to yellow and less toward orange-y. The sheer material is kind of acting like sweater knit for me. The texture makes perceiving the clear/muted more difficult. At least, this happens for me... In the group photo, it harmonizes really well with the other yellow, blue and brown, so I'm definitely thinking that it's a keeper. Harmony is the key. I think that blouse would be a great accent piece for a fire.

 

Pants for FIRE are seriously an issue. SERIOUSLY. Shopping with Mom can be an exercise in frustration...the tans can definitely be too "pink" and not "yellowy" enough to go with the warm brights...the khaki's can be the same way...finding the right milk chocolate brown is like impossible...the warm, clear gray is also impossible...if you can find cream colored instead of white, that's amazing...but then who wants such light colors for their bum all the time?

 

If you like solid tops, then finding complementary prints in skirts and dresses really does become easier.

 

Otherwise, you just have to deal with finding pants that are more EARTH like...and deciding that you LIKE the way that looks...finding the darker brown, the neutral greens (army, olive, etc.)...and put those with some of your complementary brights...FIRE really needs to learn how to bend the rules until you can get those key pieces...

 

If you take a look at these two posts by Curt

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=23736418&postcount=2624

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=23736427&postcount=2625

 

then you can see what his neutrals look like...Camel is definitely one of the colors this season. Curt has a camel suit that looks great with the fire colors. I know that you are a bargain shopper Joby, but I would recommend that you scope out some great camel colored pants and perhaps watch for a great sale or just bite the bullet...get something that is the best quality you can afford for longevity and consider it a part of your capsule wardrobe...

 

Anita, keep plugging away at your weight loss:)

 

I "see" your thoughts on the yellows and with that same thought is why I bought them. I just wasn't totally confident that I was making a good choice. I stayed soooo far away from yellow undertones when I thought I was a Summer/Air that I realloy don't know much about them. the same with browns.

 

I do think you have a valid point too on the investment in pants. Now if only I could find some that I like, fit and are close to the Fire colors, I would be in business.

 

I struggle terribly with browns too. The new fitted cardigan that I have posted a picture of seems to be the only real hit on browns that I've had. Everything I see seems to be too chocolate and not enough rustiness in it.

 

I'm also struggling with shoes. What color of dress shoes would be a good neutral (that isn't brown)?

 

It's really not too obvious that I'm a HUGE bagainista, is it? :eek: ;)

 

Thanks for your help and patient explanations too!

[Anita Latte]

I'm also struggling with shoes. What color of dress shoes would be a good neutral (that isn't brown)?

 

Brown will be your best neutral. Unlike black, there are many different shades of brown, so brown shoes, when you can find them, will actually give your shoe some variance that owning many black shoes would not.

 

Another DRESSY neutral will be to find gold. The key on the gold will be to find one that isn't too garish...looking at zappos at flats, there is a wide range of what they consider gold...some of them are beautiful.

 

Another option would be to go into the animal prints...leopard especially...something with the brown tones...

 

Another option would be to decide for yourself that the right color can be a neutral. I once was trying to decide between some super cute red shoes and some practical brown. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to wear the red shoes with as much as I could wear the brown. Well. I liked the red so much, and it was a dull, red leather, not shiny...and it just WENT with so much more than I thought it would.

 

I found that the key to wearing colored shoes as a neutral is to NOT match your shirt, unless your shirt is a print and your shoes highlight a color. It just looks funny to have shirt and shoes match. When you look at fashion magazines, colored shoes are an ACCENT... so for example, if you are wearing a coral colored shirt and a pair of neutral brown/tan pants, go for a yellow shoe and have yellow repeat somewhere else, like a coral/yellow scarf (worn as a scarf, belt or hair accent) or have other yellow accessories. It sounds odd at first...but flip through some fashion magazines to see what I mean...notice that colored shoes only match your outfit if they match your pants...

 

So, more likely for a summer outfit or a skirt outfit (because colored pants are hard to find...), if you find coral or turquoise colored shoes (very likely in sandals), and wear same or similar colored bottoms, you end up treating that color as a neutral and you can wear another fire colored shirt. I would probably go more for a print shirt, OR if you managed to find appropriate colored shoes/skirt, solid shirt, and a print jacket that could bring the whole look together...Do you see what I am trying to get at?

 

When you start palatte dressing...you have to open your mind to knew uses of color, especially treating some colors as neutrals that you might not normally think of as BEING neutral, BUT the way you put your outfit together, the color is treated as a neutral.

[Joby]

I'm also struggling with shoes. What color of dress shoes would be a good neutral (that isn't brown)?

 

Brown will be your best neutral. Unlike black, there are many different shades of brown, so brown shoes, when you can find them, will actually give your shoe some variance that owning many black shoes would not.

 

Another DRESSY neutral will be to find gold. The key on the gold will be to find one that isn't too garish...looking at zappos at flats, there is a wide range of what they consider gold...some of them are beautiful.

 

Another option would be to go into the animal prints...leopard especially...something with the brown tones...

 

Another option would be to decide for yourself that the right color can be a neutral. I once was trying to decide between some super cute red shoes and some practical brown. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to wear the red shoes with as much as I could wear the brown. Well. I liked the red so much, and it was a dull, red leather, not shiny...and it just WENT with so much more than I thought it would.

 

I found that the key to wearing colored shoes as a neutral is to NOT match your shirt, unless your shirt is a print and your shoes highlight a color. It just looks funny to have shirt and shoes match. When you look at fashion magazines, colored shoes are an ACCENT... so for example, if you are wearing a coral colored shirt and a pair of neutral brown/tan pants, go for a yellow shoe and have yellow repeat somewhere else, like a coral/yellow scarf (worn as a scarf, belt or hair accent) or have other yellow accessories. It sounds odd at first...but flip through some fashion magazines to see what I mean...notice that colored shoes only match your outfit if they match your pants...

 

So, more likely for a summer outfit or a skirt outfit (because colored pants are hard to find...), if you find coral or turquoise colored shoes (very likely in sandals), and wear same or similar colored bottoms, you end up treating that color as a neutral and you can wear another fire colored shirt. I would probably go more for a print shirt, OR if you managed to find appropriate colored shoes/skirt, solid shirt, and a print jacket that could bring the whole look together...Do you see what I am trying to get at?

 

When you start palatte dressing...you have to open your mind to knew uses of color, especially treating some colors as neutrals that you might not normally think of as BEING neutral, BUT the way you put your outfit together, the color is treated as a neutral.

 

You always bring up such good points and point out things that I should probably notice but haven't!

 

My "old" misdiagnosed Summer/Air palette had navy blue, pink, lavenders, etc. that were easy to find and easy to always have something of. I/m finding my new and most lovely Fire palette is a little harder to find.

 

I've looked on Zappos and find that gold mostly seems like it looks like what we call old lady flashy gold. Could you post an example of the gold that you're talking about when you have time?

 

Thanks again for your detailed and great response :)

[Anita Latte]

I don't know how trendy you like your shoes, or your tolerance for heels...so I tried to pick out 5 pictures that would represent a variety of shoes... Keeping in mind that these are to be dress shoes, as in work-related dress shoes, you don't want your gold shoe to look TOO dressy...these are not to be worn with a cocktail dress or formal...

 

 

There are many more gold shoes at Zappos...here is how I did the search, so you could see...

 

http://www.zappos.com/search/shoes/filter/productTypeFacet/%22Shoes%22/gender/%22Womens%22/categoryFacet/%22Shoes%22/colorFacet/%22Gold%22/page/1/sort/isNew/desc/productPopularity/asc/

 

There are many more that are more gold that are beautiful, BUT they could also be cocktail dress shoes, so I didn't select those. According to Instyle magazine (something I had fun checking out that month...) GOLD is one of the fall style trends:

 

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20409212_20409568_20823033,00.html

 

The one take away from the article is to have one shot of gold in your outfit. If you pick gold shoes, that's your shot of it, so you could definitely get something more gold-like for everyday this fall, according to the magazine...

[Joby]

Thanks, Anita, for the examples.

 

I did find these and liked them. They have a teeny bit of gold, does that count??? http://www.zappos.com/onex-zest-brown-leather-gold

 

The snakeskin shoes are pretty cool looking. I'm not sure I would have the nerve to wear them though. My family and co-workers would probably drop dead if they saw me in those :)

 

I'm not too much in the way of trendy--usually too cheap and need to wear the shoes for a decent amount of time and not look hideously dated :eek:

 

I do like and buy Clarks, Born, and Naturalizer. They all seem to fit my narrow high arched foot too.

 

As usual, you've given me things to ponder :)

[Princess422]

Hi ladies! I'm back from my cruise, and even though it was only one week, I feel like I've been gone forever! I'm sad that it's over, but my color cards were waiting for me here, so at least I had that little something to perk me up. And since I didn't spend nearly as much on my cruise as I had budgeted, I can start shopping right away! :D

 

Pants for FIRE are seriously an issue. SERIOUSLY. Shopping with Mom can be an exercise in frustration...the tans can definitely be too "pink" and not "yellowy" enough to go with the warm brights...the khaki's can be the same way...finding the right milk chocolate brown is like impossible...the warm, clear gray is also impossible...if you can find cream colored instead of white, that's amazing...but then who wants such light colors for their bum all the time?

 

If you like solid tops, then finding complementary prints in skirts and dresses really does become easier.

 

Otherwise, you just have to deal with finding pants that are more EARTH like...and deciding that you LIKE the way that looks...finding the darker brown, the neutral greens (army, olive, etc.)...and put those with some of your complementary brights...FIRE really needs to learn how to bend the rules until you can get those key pieces...

 

If you take a look at these two posts by Curt

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=23736418&postcount=2624

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=23736427&postcount=2625

 

then you can see what his neutrals look like...Camel is definitely one of the colors this season. Curt has a camel suit that looks great with the fire colors. I know that you are a bargain shopper Joby, but I would recommend that you scope out some great camel colored pants and perhaps watch for a great sale or just bite the bullet...get something that is the best quality you can afford for longevity and consider it a part of your capsule wardrobe...

 

I know this was for Joby, but thanks for the tips Anita - this also applies to my search for fire color suits, which has been fruitless so far! I have found plenty of autumn/earth navy and brown shades, absolutely nothing for fire, so I may very well have to just go with it and mix them with bright blouses, scarves, shoes, bags, etc.

 

What I am having trouble with is the browns, now that I have the color cards. The "medium golden brown" is very much what I had in mind as a fire color, so good (even though I can't seem to find it anywhere)... the "warm chocolate brown," however, appears almost black on the card, no matter what lighting I have, and I really thought that those very dark browns were earth shades, so I'm trying to figure out what makes this one a fire shade. If I can learn to distinguish it, I might be able to find suits in that color, but I don't really "get" it yet.

 

I'm also struggling with shoes. What color of dress shoes would be a good neutral (that isn't brown)?

 

Brown will be your best neutral. Unlike black, there are many different shades of brown, so brown shoes, when you can find them, will actually give your shoe some variance that owning many black shoes would not.

 

Another DRESSY neutral will be to find gold. The key on the gold will be to find one that isn't too garish...looking at zappos at flats, there is a wide range of what they consider gold...some of them are beautiful.

 

Another option would be to go into the animal prints...leopard especially...something with the brown tones...

 

Another option would be to decide for yourself that the right color can be a neutral. I once was trying to decide between some super cute red shoes and some practical brown. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to wear the red shoes with as much as I could wear the brown. Well. I liked the red so much, and it was a dull, red leather, not shiny...and it just WENT with so much more than I thought it would.

 

I found that the key to wearing colored shoes as a neutral is to NOT match your shirt, unless your shirt is a print and your shoes highlight a color. It just looks funny to have shirt and shoes match. When you look at fashion magazines, colored shoes are an ACCENT... so for example, if you are wearing a coral colored shirt and a pair of neutral brown/tan pants, go for a yellow shoe and have yellow repeat somewhere else, like a coral/yellow scarf (worn as a scarf, belt or hair accent) or have other yellow accessories. It sounds odd at first...but flip through some fashion magazines to see what I mean...notice that colored shoes only match your outfit if they match your pants...

 

Love these tips. I have long said that leopard print and red are my favorite neutrals! I mix them both with just about everything, and it works. I also love brightly colored shoes - I have sunny yellow peep-toes, yellow-green strappy sandals with a coral rosette, red patent platform pumps, etc, and I like to wear them as an accent color rather than matching them. I also love red and metallic gold for flats to wear with jeans and almost any top. And I just bought a pair of brown riding boots (which I wore almost every day on the cruise, because they're so comfortable, so I don't mind that I spent a little extra on them) - they are the perfect shade - lots of good brown shades for fire, I think, many very warm golden browns with names like "cognac."

 

Now that I have my color cards, I went through my closet earlier today comparing colors and trying to figure out what fits. Unfortunately, the breakdown goes something like this: about 40% cool colors (including black); 30% earth colors; 10% (at best) fire colors; and about 20% "I have no freakin' clue" colors... LOL. I guess I have a lot of shopping (and thinking) to do...

[Princess422]

I just re-read my post and thought it was funny that I've been doing so much better with shoes (and other accessories) over the years than with actual clothing! Oh well, at least that's a LITTLE less I have to buy.

[Joby]

Welcome back, Princess422. How was your cruise? What was your favorite thing about the cruise?

 

I did something this past week and wanted to pass it along. It may or may not help you but, I have found it helpful.

 

I put my printer on the highest quality level printing and printed out all of Curt's other (Ice, Air and Ice) colors cards from his website. I put them in with my Fire color palette book from Curt.

 

When I'm out shopping and I have a question on a color, I pull out my paper with Air, Earth and Ice colors and compare the clothing with my Fire book colors and the copied seasonal colors of the other seasons.

 

Does that make sense? It helps me to have something for "control" colors (as Anita, Pam and Terri call them) . I can compare and contrast different season's colors that way.

[Princess422]

That's an interesting tip, Joby - thanks! My dad has a really good printer so that just might work... or at least help a little. I'll definitely give it a try.

 

My favorite part of the cruise? Hmmm... the ports were all new to me - which is funny because I live in PA, and it was a NE & Canada cruise, so they weren't really far away... and I really loved most of them. So I guess that would be my favorite thing. Honestly, it was such a busy cruise - early & late port days, walking every day, all day - that I feel like I need a rest now, and I just got back from vacation! But it was definitely well worth it, I had a lot of fun.. if not a lot of sleep! Time to start looking at the Caribbean for February or March.

[Joby]

That's an interesting tip, Joby - thanks! My dad has a really good printer so that just might work... or at least help a little. I'll definitely give it a try.

 

My favorite part of the cruise? Hmmm... the ports were all new to me - which is funny because I live in PA, and it was a NE & Canada cruise, so they weren't really far away... and I really loved most of them. So I guess that would be my favorite thing. Honestly, it was such a busy cruise - early & late port days, walking every day, all day - that I feel like I need a rest now, and I just got back from vacation! But it was definitely well worth it, I had a lot of fun.. if not a lot of sleep! Time to start looking at the Caribbean for February or March.

 

Glad you had a great time on your cruise :) When we get back from vacations, we're usually tired out too. We usually have really active trips as we like to dive, hike, tour... but, we sure have a lot of fun!

[Anita Latte]

Isn't that funny about vacation sometimes? It can wear you out! Member123 (my Mom) is about to start a transatlantic cruise. My parents have been in Italy since the 19th and I think the cruise starts tomorrow or the day after.

 

We are doing the Caribbean out of Galveston for Spring Break in 2012. The cruise line has messed up the week and they jacked up the price for the week after what is traditionally our spring break.

 

The idea about printing out the other color charts is a good one. My Dad (an ICE) did that. He has that kind of personality...if it isn't HIS color, he wants to know WHOSE color it is. Then he feels more confident in his color choices. The analytical, logical, everything in its place brain. Joby, from what you have written, you are so similar...:)

[Joby]

Isn't that funny about vacation sometimes? It can wear you out! Member123 (my Mom) is about to start a transatlantic cruise. My parents have been in Italy since the 19th and I think the cruise starts tomorrow or the day after.

 

We are doing the Caribbean out of Galveston for Spring Break in 2012. The cruise line has messed up the week and they jacked up the price for the week after what is traditionally our spring break.

 

The idea about printing out the other color charts is a good one. My Dad (an ICE) did that. He has that kind of personality...if it isn't HIS color, he wants to know WHOSE color it is. Then he feels more confident in his color choices. The analytical, logical, everything in its place brain. Joby, from what you have written, you are so similar...:)

 

Ooohhh, it sounds like Pam is on a really cool trip! Hopefully, she'll tell us all about it when she returns :)

 

So, it sounds like you got a good deal on the cruise. Nothing like a good deal!

 

Yep, you've got me pegged, Anita. It's the science geek in me I think. I like to know everything about everything :)

 

I have to work full time this week (my supervisor is on vacation) but, when I get time I'll post a picture of some new (never worn) shoes I found. I got them at Goodwill along with a nice classic bright salmon colored dress ($2.50). The shoes are Ann Taylor and were originally $89 (which I find really hard to believe anyone would pay that much for this pair of shoes) and I got them for $4.

 

I think they're a little on the pink/beige side but, think they'll work for a neutral color.

[Princess422]

Oooh I want to do a transatlantic cruise.... I've actually seen some great deals on them - but definitely no deals in international airfare! I guess the problem is that the airfare is cheaper if you book way ahead of time, whereas the cruise is cheaper if you book last-minute. But then I'd like to do something in the Caribbean in March (give or take a month) - long winters here that I get really sick of, it was still snowing in early May last year - and RT from NYC to Florida, easy to find for under $200. And of course there are ALWAYS deals in the Caribbean, so that one shouldn't be hard to pull off. But as for the TA cruise, Anita, your mom is doing it the right way - I've heard reviews from others who went out of the states complain that they were so busy towards the end of the cruise, and then it's over, because the relaxing sea days are at the beginning - so I guess coming from Europe and having that time to relax at the end is much better. What cruise line are you taking to the Caribbean?

 

I am definitely going to print out all the cards. I think having a basis for comparison will be really helpful, especially for those items that I just can't seem to figure out. With blues and purples I am confused between warm and cool, and with browns I am confused between clear/fire and muted/earth. (Oranges, too, actually, after having seen the fire cards in person, as many of the shades really look like various shades of orange to me.) And I'm really confused about gray after looking at the other color cards. Obviously most grays and what I think of as "standard" gray is cool (like a mixing of black and white). But I have a suit that is a more yellowish gray, so I thought that was warm, but maybe kind of muted? But it doesn't look like earth has any grays (except for the gray green which to my eye looks sort of like a light olive). It does NOT look like the gray on my color card, and actually it looks warmer than that. Which leads into my other question, which is TAUPE!!! Ice has "grayish beige" which is the closest I have found to taupe, but some shades of taupe look more like a beigey-gray. Does that make any sense? And would that make a difference anyway? I think it would, because to me there is a thin but definite line between grayish (or cool) beige, and beigey (if it's a yellowish-beige) WARM gray. Am I analyzing this too much? And if I am, then perhaps Joby has wondered about the same thing? LOL

 

I'm just concerned about finding suits, I guess. Anita, I know you said a lot of fires have to live with earth-toned suits for a while and wear fire colors with them. BUT - I think there are fires who can pull off earth tones pretty well, and those who can't. And I think it's pretty clear from my test photos that I fall into the second category! I am certain that I look at least as bad in that muted gold sweater as I do in black. So I am concerned. I guess wearing a good fire color blouse is going to be key, right?

 

I have to start compiling my Christmas list ASAP. My parents still buy me tons of stuff for Christmas - I guess I will always be their "little girl" - and I am lucky, but my mother mostly buys me clothes and I don't want her buying me any of the wrong colors now! I usually have a fairly specific list but this time it will have to be VERY specific. And she starts shopping early so I have to get moving! This will not be easy.

[Anita Latte]

Oooh I want to do a transatlantic cruise.......But as for the TA cruise, Anita, your mom is doing it the right way - I've heard reviews from others who went out of the states complain that they were so busy towards the end of the cruise, and then it's over, because the relaxing sea days are at the beginning - so I guess coming from Europe and having that time to relax at the end is much better. What cruise line are you taking to the Caribbean?

 

This will be the second TA cruise that my parents have taken. Both have been from East to West. There is also something about the way the time changes that is supposed to be easier that way too, I think.

 

We are taking RC out of Galveston on Mar 11, 2012. My 40th bday is that month and after telling my parents that I wanted to do something that spring break in honor of the ocassion, Mom discovered the deal on the cruise. Pretty much everyone is banking on spring break being that week, as it's my understanding that the ship is hugely booked for being so far out. We booked a couple months ago even.

 

 

With blues and purples I am confused between warm and cool, and with browns I am confused between clear/fire and muted/earth. (Oranges, too, actually, after having seen the fire cards in person, as many of the shades really look like various shades of orange to me.) And I'm really confused about gray after looking at the other color cards. Obviously most grays and what I think of as "standard" gray is cool (like a mixing of black and white). But I have a suit that is a more yellowish gray, so I thought that was warm, but maybe kind of muted? But it doesn't look like earth has any grays (except for the gray green which to my eye looks sort of like a light olive). It does NOT look like the gray on my color card, and actually it looks warmer than that. Which leads into my other question, which is TAUPE!!! Ice has "grayish beige" which is the closest I have found to taupe, but some shades of taupe look more like a beigey-gray. Does that make any sense? And would that make a difference anyway? I think it would, because to me there is a thin but definite line between grayish (or cool) beige, and beigey (if it's a yellowish-beige) WARM gray. Am I analyzing this too much? And if I am, then perhaps Joby has wondered about the same thing? LOL

 

Color identification will really become better with practice. If you have time, I would pop into your local JoAnn's and check out the fabric section. You'll be able to see more variety in the fabric store than you will in the stores, especially if you spend any time in the quilting section, which will be totally color coordinated. You might be able to start training your eye as to how the spectrums of the color change as they go from cool to warm. I think looking at actual fabric will be more helpful than paint swatches.

 

Technically, there should be a version of every color in every palatte. Technically. When you start to think about certain colors though, you can start to understand that it just may be impossible to find the EXACT thing.

 

Brown, for instance. If you think about painting in art in elementary school, if you end up mixing all the tempura paints together, you get some sort of shade of brown, because BROWN is one of those colors that results when you mix 3+ shades together. By the very mixed nature of brown it is something of a muted color... However, in the fashion world, you will be able to find browns that will remind you more of highly polished wood than tree bark...and these are the browns you want to find.

 

It is my opinion, that brown will usually be something that you want to use for basic pieces and generally, you will want to have one of your pops of FIRE by your face, because it will indeed be a RARE brown shirt that will give you the coloring you need for your skin type.

 

By and large, gray will be an AIR color. Because, usually gray will read cool and muted. Again, back in the art room, gray is a TINT of black, just add white, right? IRL black is the absense of color. But in the APPLIED world (monitors and screens included), black is the combination of ALL colors way over saturated, and white is the absense of color. So it is with dyes, I believe. So black, like most colors, can have many different variations and can even appear to be warmer or cooler. Like some black actually DOES look really good with gold... So it is with gray...

 

And since we are talking about making muddled colors...gray and brown get to be weirdly related...which is why, when you do test pictures, you usually put a gray one against a brown one. Because most grays are cool, and most browns are warm, but not always. LOL.

 

So, yeah, there are grays/browns that could be named either because they are so close. When I think of TAUPE, it is that brown/gray color that has a purply/pinky (mauve) undertone to it. And this to me is AIR. Like you say, you want a gray that has a more yellow undertone to it, so it reads warm. If you can manage to find the rare one that isn't all muddled looking? (an earth color)...then you have found the illusive FIRE gray. Good luck with that...;)

 

I'm just concerned about finding suits, I guess. Anita, I know you said a lot of fires have to live with earth-toned suits for a while and wear fire colors with them. BUT - I think there are fires who can pull off earth tones pretty well, and those who can't. And I think it's pretty clear from my test photos that I fall into the second category! I am certain that I look at least as bad in that muted gold sweater as I do in black. So I am concerned. I guess wearing a good fire color blouse is going to be key, right?

 

Wearing the fire colored blouse IS going to be key. BIG TIME. I'm not sure what kind of suit you want...for fall/winter, I would definitely recommend getting a brown one...and just trying to find a brown that goes the best with whatever dress shirts you will be wearing...these pants are on the macy's website:

 

 

You can't see it, but they are plaid. The color of the shirt is one of the lines of the plaid in the pants. On my screen, this is a bright tomato red shirt and gold bracelets. There is another brown suit on the site shown with a yellow shirt...And the brown can stand up that particular shirt. It would seem to me that brown, even if it ended up being more of an earth brown would coordinate well enough with your FIRE colors. Be sure to wear your gold jewelry... This is why I was saying you may need to make something work for you as best you can until you can find the perfect FIRE suit.

 

I really think FIRE has the hardest time with the neutrals, because there really isn't a great FIRE neutral IMO. There is for the other 3 elements, but not so much for FIRE. It will take a bit of bending of the rules IMO to make certain traditional looks because it is so difficult to find the clear, bright warm navy, gray, brown for fire.

 

When I shop for my Mom, and I think this is what Terry ends up doing, is mixing prints and solids...then your entire outfit ends up being more of an overall FIRE look...

 

For your Mom and shopping...has she figured out her colors? If she does, then she might jump on the same color obsession train and then the whole shopping venture becomes more understandable...