Choosing the right silhouette based on your body shape enhances your figure. In addition to this, finding the perfect color to match your skin tone compliments the silhouette, enhances the figure, and lifts your complexion.
When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840, she wore a white wedding gown that was both modern and eye-catching..
Queen Victoria was a pioneer in the world of bridal fashion and white dress symbolized luxury and wealth.For over a century, this trend has been followed by brides as the ideal color to wear for their wedding.
As a bride, It is quite easy to get overwhelmed and confused when there are an array of different shades of white that range from stark white, off-white, ivory, champagne, and more that qualify as white wedding gowns. In some cases, you may also encounter different designers using different names for the same color. For example, the color champagne is also called nude , beige or honey by some of the designers or brands.Let us discuss 4 common shades of white that are popular among the brides.
Stark White
This is a bright hue with no mixes or shades of any other color. It’s a shade with an almost a blue undertone, and it does not complement every skin tone. From my personal experience as a designer, this is the least popular color as compared to the other shades of white.
Off White
Off-white, on the other hand, has a slight tint of cream, which gives it a warmer effect. It is lighter than ivory and darker than pure white with a softer appearance. This is also called soft white. Most of our gowns are designed using this shade of white as this is the most popular color among our brides and a safe choice for most of them irrespective of their skin tone.
Ivory
Ivory wedding dresses have a luxurious look and have become increasingly more popular too. Ivory has a bit darker shade of cream color than off-white. Many brides today prefer off-white or ivory colors as opposed to the traditional choice of white wedding gowns.
Champagne
These colors are beautiful when complimented with a beautiful lace. The dark shade of champagne brings out the luxury of the overlay laces and creates an aesthetic look to the overall design of the gown. If you are a bride who do not wish to follow the traditional path of wearing a white wedding gown, this would be a great choice for you.
Deciding the wedding dress color
The right shade of white can complement and enhance your best features, makes you look younger and healthier. The first and foremost thing when deciding whether to wear a white vs. ivory wedding dress, skin tone should be your number one consideration.
In general, the darker your skin tone, the darker the shade of white you can wear. It is quite easy to understand the shades once you are sure of your skin undertone.
Your Skin Undertone
An undertone is the hue seen from underneath the surface of your skin. There are three types of undertones – warm, cool and neutral.
- Warm undertones range from peach to yellow and golden hues
- Cool undertones include pink and bluish hues.
- Neutral people have no dominant undertone and there is no major difference between their undertone and actual skintone.
These undertones determine how colors look on you. They determine whether a color flatters your face or washes it out.
Knowing which undertones you have will help you pick colors that make you look awesome and avoid those that make you look ill.
The Undertone Test
There are several ways you can determine your undertone. Here are the top 4 ways that will help you understand your undertone and will help you take the right decision in selecting the right color that flatters your skin tone.
Vein Color Test
This is one of the easiest ways to understand your undertone. Look closely at the veins in the underside of your wrist and examine the color . You may notice that the color of your vein are either green/olive green , blue or bluish purple. If you notice that the veins are green/olive green, you fall under the category of warm undertone. On the other hand if you notice your veins are blue or bluish purple, then you have a cool undertone.In some cases you may not understand the color of your vein precisely, and in those cases most likely you have a neutral undertone.
White Fabric test
Another way to understand your skintone is to place a true white paper or fabric next to your face.It is important to keep your face off from makeup and make sure that the test is done in a place with natural day light to get accurate results. .If you notice your face turns rosy, pink with the true white fabric /paper then you have cool undertone. On the other hand if your face looks yellowish next to the truewhite , you have a warm undertone . On the otherhand if you do not notice any change, you probably have a neutral undertone.
Jewelry Test
This test is mostly done using Gold and silver jewelry. Wear a Gold jewlry and watch how the skin tone of your face responds to the color of gold getting reflected on your skin. If you are warm tone, you will notice that your skintone looks glamorous, rich and gorgeous. If you have a cool tone, silver will look very sophisticated and amazing on you. If you look good in both gold and silver jewellery then you may have neutral undertone.
Sun Exposure Test
The way your skin reacts to heat is another way to find out your skin undertone. If you burn easily when in sun, then it indicates you have a cool undertone. If you tan easily then you are likely warm-toned. On the other hand if you tan slowly and not burn then most likely you are neutral.
Basics of selecting the right shade has been discussed in this post . If you would like to schedule a 1-1 consultation with us feel free to contact us at support@reishas.com .