House of Colour

Getting dressed in the morning should be fun and easy to start our day off strong! But once we put on an outfit, something often feels off, so we try again. Four outfits later, we finally figure out what to wear for the day (and now we are late!). Alternatively, we might have that favorite piece of clothing. We wear it one day and think, “I’ll see different people tomorrow, so I’ll wear it again!” We feel confident two days in a row! But we only wear a few things from our closet.

Why do some outfits boost our confidence while others make us feel miserable?

Color theory.

Artist Johannes Itten studied color theory in the early 1900s and determined that color perception is based on surrounding color. He divided color into four groups and called them “seasons.” Seasons are divided by color temperature (warm or cool) and clarity (bright or muted). Winter is cool and bright. Summer is cool and muted. Spring is warm and bright. Autumn is warm and muted.

The company House of Colour has taken his theory and applied it to style and fashion. What we choose to surround our skin tone with significantly impacts how others perceive us. If someone belongs to the Winter season (with blue undertones in their skin’s pigmentation) and wears Winter colors, their face brightens and their eyes sparkle. However, if that person opts for Spring colors, their under-eye circles may darken, their skin can look sallow, and their eyes appear dull. Similarly, if this individual requires the bright clarity of Winter colors but wears muted Summer shades, they can end up looking washed out and tired.

So, when olive-green jackets are in style, and you just cannot find one that looks good on you, it may be because you are not meant to wear Autumn colors!

Kimberly Clay is an Expertly Trained Stylist and Color Analyst with House of Colour. She has helped hundreds of women and men in the Abilene area find their season of color through the scientific draping process that has been around for forty years. On her website, Kim explains, “During this transformational appointment you will see for yourself the colours that make you look
brighter, fresher and healthier.”

As she drapes clients with different colors, she demonstrates how these warm and cool tones change the perception of the person’s skin. Do their eyes brighten or darken? Do their wrinkles appear smooth, or are they more pronounced? Is the client’s natural, God-given beauty enhanced by warm tones or cool tones?

After determining a tone, Kim drapes again to see if her client needs high-contrast, bright colors or if muted, blended colors will make their beauty shine. She also identifies their “Wow” colors— their best colors within their
season. Kim then discusses jewelry. Silver earrings look high-end on Winters and Summers, while gold appears expensive and classy on Autumns and Springs! Finally, we move to makeup. Kim eliminates the guesswork by finding makeup shades that perfectly harmonize with her client’s skin tone and color palette.

“Color and style are trivial, but how it makes you feel is not.” Kim continues, “It affects our wellbeing. It affects how we show up for people. It affects how people perceive us. Do I want to be perceived as trustworthy, joyful and welcoming? If my clothes are not giving that impression, I won’t give that impression.”

“Knowing your colors pushes against consumerism,” she teaches. “You are now not buying things to buy things. Having a few pieces that work and honor you gives you a lot more to wear than having lots of clothes you are trying to make work. You become a better steward of resources you’ve been given.”

Addie Helm, owner of Addie’s Boutique, had a customer walk in with one of the House of Colour color fans – a cheat sheet of the basic colors of her season with an overview of the other seasons in the back. Addie asked this customer, Fran, what she was holding, and she told her all about Kim and House of Colour. Addie was intrigued. Fran had also told Kim about how she loves to shop at Addie’s. “Maybe one day she will stop by,” Addie thought.

One day, a woman stopped by who did not act like her other customers. She seemed to be analyzing the clothing thoughtfully. When she was about to leave, Kim finally introduced herself to Addie. This began a beautiful partnership with Addie’s Boutique and House of Colour.

Addie invited her regulars to a brunch at the Women’s Club where Kim spoke about and demonstrated the color theory behind House of Colour. She brought a friend along to show how the draping process works. The regulars were hooked. Addie explains how she was able to share her special clients with Kim: “I knew that Kim would tend to their hearts. She would love them and speak positivity over them to show them the beauty in themselves.”

Kim now goes into Addie’s Boutique a couple of times a month to tag the clothes with their corresponding seasons. Some colors span across more than one season, so often the tags have more than one season on them. Addie also keeps each season’s color fan in the store for easy referencing. She does a Facebook Live show every morning at 9:40 to talk to her customers and show them her new items. Kim sometimes pops on to say hi and share some tips about makeup and styling.

“[House of Colour] has changed some of the language women use about themselves,” Addie says. When she is helping a customer make a decision, she will say, “When people look at you, are they going to see you? Or are they going to see the shirt?” Instead of hiding behind clothes, the work Kim is doing at House of Colour encourages women (and men!) to elevate their natural beauty by choosing clothes in their season. The result is confidence, affirmation and being able to get dressed in the morning a little more quickly.

By Laura Daulton

Photos Courtesy of Kimberly Clay and Addie Helm

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