Dark skin and warm colors

If you have dark skin and are wearing warm colors (yellow, pink, orange etc.) you should know that you are on the right path! For men with dark skin, “chalky” colors (which are what we as men call pastel colors) are the best along with bright, warm colors such as red or orange. They bring out your natural shine and make your skin glow.

Going very bright (such as really pale yellow) or very shiny is not recommended though, as these colors will make a contrast that we as advisers feel is a little too much. In this case, your clothes will stand out too much and your features won’t be visible.

Dark skin and cool colors

If you are a black/Indian/any-other-complexion-guy and want to wear colors situated on the cold side of the spectrum, you should be very careful. Of course, you can wear dark colors as well, but they will usually make you look duller and tone you down a lot.

This is why, when you are wearing browns, blues and dark greens, you should make sure that they make a contrast with your skin tone, even if the contrast is quite small.

Cool colors can sometimes make wonders if you wear them as accessories or in combinations with warm and bright colors: purple sunglasses go great with dark skin, and the same goes for wristbands, and especially for ties and bow ties, worn on brightly-colored shirts.

Black, white and other neutrals

Black and white, along with khaki, gray, beige and other colors are considered “neutrals” in fashion. They go with anything and can be mixed with any other color. Usually, we recommend that you choose neutrals for either the main pieces, and then use a lot of colors for the supporting pieces (for example: use a gray shirt, but wear a green tie and pale blue vest); or use bright colors and wear neutral accessories (for example: a yellow shirt can be toned down with a black vest).

The thing about black and white is that black people are not black as an absolute black, just as white people are not white like a sheet of paper; they are either more orange or pinker, for example. This is why each person should see how neutral colors look on them.

Remember that when it comes to accessorizing, gold and silver are both neutrals, so they go together well. This means that you can wear both a golden ring and silver one without feeling stressed about it.

The same does not apply to clothes, though. It’s hard to make gold and silver work on clothes, as they are very shiny and you don’t want to be mistaken for a lamp or something.

Mixing colors

So far, we discussed how each individual color acts on people with dark skin. This must not limit you, but it must make you more creative. You can make use of any color combination (should it be two colors, three, or more) as long as it looks great and flatters your skin.

You can wear very bright and pale colors and not feel self-conscious by mixing them with dark colors that will tone them out, you can add colorful patterns and textures whose colors and overall feel give you a great vibe.

People with dark skin can really take advantage of mixing warm colors with cool colors. In our opinion, it’s best to use the warm colors as the first, lowest layer, and use the darker on the upper layers. This will create more visual interest and will make you look really dapper. For example: wear a chalky cream shirt and a blue vest over that.

To draw a short conclusion, we can state that men (and women as well) who have a darker skin tone look best in colors situated on the warm side of the spectrum, combined with accessories and patterns in colors found on the cool side of the spectrum. Looking good means feeling good, which is why we encourage everyone to discover their own style and to make the best out of their natural features, should these mean skin color, size, weight, etc.

credit: attireclub.org