Cool crisp air, cozy sweaters, shorter days, leaves changing colors and pumpkin lattes! Yes, the Fall season is here, and there’s nothing like it.

With the cold weather coming it’s easy to cover up and hide under mounds of clothing. For many, the color choice of clothing to hide under is Black. When you look at all the beautiful colors of the changing season, why not be more like nature, and show your true self? We hear from clients all the time that Fall/Winter is their favorite time of year, but not for the reasons you may think. Sure, who doesn’t love a pumpkin latte and a warm fire, but can you believe the main reason we hear that people like this season, is they get to wear dark clothes and layers to cover up. There is no doubt that for many of us, black or dark clothing is a comfort zone, especially when you may not feel as good about yourself as you should. We often hear, “when I’m not feeling great about my weight, I just throw on black leggings and an oversized sweater.” Oddly enough when we asked, “how does that make you feel?” The answer we get is, “it doesn’t make me feel better, but black is slimming.”

As Image Consultants, we like to challenge our clients to think out of the box. The reality - black is no more slimming than any other color. What’s slimming is how you wear the colors. You can look just as slim in bright orange, red, burgundy, green, and even a shocking hot pink. However, before you can even think about wearing any of the colors mentioned, you must first change your mind set. Below are a couple of tips to help you navigate color and your style this season.

‍1. No more hiding: At Michael Bruce Image Consulting we have a saying, “Your Style is a reflection and a statement to the world of who you are.” Like the changing of the season and all its beauty of vibrant, magnificent colors, decide that this season for you is going to be different. It’s time to show the world the amazing person that you are.

‍2. Color outside of the lines: We hear this all the time, “wearing color scares me” or better, “I wear colored tops with my black pants.” I’m sorry to say, that’s a step in the right direction, albeit a baby step, but wearing a bright colored top with black bottoms is not wearing color. We speak about tonal dressing and the slimming affect it has. If you think of two contrasting colors coming together it makes a horizon line. Often, that line is at a place that most people want to de-emphasize. If you dress more tonally, even if you are wearing HOT PINK or a bright green, the appearance is longer and leaner! Okay, so maybe you’re not ready for bright colors, then try wearing a tonal burgundy, or shades of grey. And, instead of finishing it with a black shoe, add a fun, colored shoe, or with grey wear a lighter colored bootie, like taupe.

Believe it or not, as Image Consultants we go through the same challenges with not feeling great about ourselves, which I think is why we relate so well to our clients’ challenges. Whether it’s because of aging, getting stuck in a rut with styling fatigue, or just life, we too must challenge ourselves to not hide and to think outside of the box. We hope these simple tips will help you have a great Fall/Winter season of Style!