Marching into 2025 with Colour!

Marching into 2025 with Colour!

The stores have been invaded by military colours: khakis, olives, moss greens. Retreat from them if you are not an Autumn! If you have a yearning for green it might be that the cooler pines and bluey bottle greens will be better friends.

The Brown Revolution: Shades of Chocolate, Camel, and Cream

Brown and its relatives are now easy to find, from delicious darkest chocolate through camels, beiges and coffees, fading to delicate vanillas and creams. They work well for warm based skin tones but I would advise anyone who knows or suspects they might have cool skin tones to avoid them. Don’t be seduced by the fashion press’s insistence that ‘Khaki is a great neutral’ or ‘Brown is the new black’ For some they are, but if not seek out the elegant cool Greys, from Charcoal fading to silver, which are well represented this season and will work perfectly as a neutral for you.

Navy: The Universal Classic for Every Season

Navy, a colour felt by many to be easy to wear, is present in various iterations. Each colour season has its own. As is true of the other neutrals, a pop of almost any colour will work with it. If you are not a Winter (the one colour season which rocks black) then a little navy dress makes an elegant alternative to Chanel’s darling, the ‘little black dress.’ As an Autumn and thus a non- black wearer, I love Marine navy in a velvet or lace for evening elegance accessorised with gold coloured jewellery.

Pastels for All

There are pastel colours for all skin tones: cool blues, lavenders and pinks, warm, soft, citrus greens, or the Pantone Colour of 2024 Peach Fuzz. Pastels look particularly fantastic with a tan. If you don’t have the urge to wear them head to toe, then a shirt, blouse, scarf, floaty chiffon skirt, or just a peek in a camisole might give a pretty contrast.

To my joy, yellow – one of the most feared colours for UK buyers, and most loved by me - is out there. An awareness of your skin tones is crucial to ensuring you get the one that is flattering for you.

The Red Myth: Why Everyone Can Wear Red

Myths persist around who can wear red! Many believe they can’t but everyone can! Clients are often shocked to hear that we all can wear true/middle/poppy (call it London bus if that helps) red.  It’s logical because it sits bang in the middle of the colour wheel with an equal amount of red and blue mixed in it, so whatever your colour season it will flatter your skin tones. The warm seasons – Spring and Autumn, can also go for flame, geranium, brick, tomato, orange type reds and the cool seasons- Winter and Summer, for carmine, cherry, raspberry, wine or burgundy. There will continue to be lots of Red in store, so do try it. I encourage all my clients to get some red in the wardrobe – a most energising and cheering colour. And to perfect the look by adding their best red lipstick!    

You will already have some on-trend colours in your wardrobe. Just get them out and perhaps add a pop of a new colour with them. Maybe replace that neutral- coloured winter coat with a brightly coloured one. A sure way to make friends and influence people, because someone will always speak to you, or that’s what I’ve found when wearing my grass green, buttercup yellow or scarlet ones. When I want to be alone, I choose a dark neutral. Not the ubiquitous black of course, but the dark olive green of my Autumn palette.

Have fun with Colour in 2025!

Fiona Ingham

House of Colour Number 1 Star Consultant

Primrose Hill

London

Instagram @houseofcolourfionaingham