Things You'll Need:
- Computer with color printer
- Pantone Shopping Color Guide or color wheel printout
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Step 1
Find the undertones of your wardrobe colors. Pick a favorite garment and hold a piece of white paper underneath it in the sun. If the clothing tone looks yellowish or ruddy after looking at the white paper, it's a warm tone. If a bluish effect comes out, then the garment is cool. Do this for all garments except for neutrals: white, black, gray and khaki.
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Step 2
Separate clothing by color temperature. The cool shades mix best with like colors, as do the warmer shades.
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Step 3
Next, look at the neutrals in sunlight to find their true tones. Sometimes, these are also cool or warm. Black can also be deceiving because the color may actually be navy or a very deep green. Sunlight is the most reliable test for these tricky shades.
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Step 4
Coordinate colors by thinking of the color wheel. To do this while shopping, bring along a Pantone Shopping Color Guide, or use a printout of a color guide. Shoot for analogous (adjacent on the color wheel) shades or complimentary (opposite) colors.
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Step 5
Remember that one shade can come in light and dark variations. These coordinate well together, but can seem monochromatic if unbroken by a neutral.
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Step 6
When coordinating patterns, pick only one color in the pattern that you'd like to emphasize and seek to match that shade. Wearing more than one pattern can sometimes work, but may be risky. If you try to combine patterns, one should be larger than the other, and all colors must be analogous or complimentary.
