Okay, I’ll admit it. I wasn’t sold on the whole “color” thing. I mean, I get that some colors look great on some people and atrocious on other people. I remember hearing about some sort of “seasonal coloring” (i.e., you’re a summer, you’re a fall) when I was a kid. But I always figured, “Hey, I know what I look best in. I know what makes me feel good when I wear it,” and that meant I was filled with resistance when Jill Kirsh wanted to “do my colors.” I didn’t want to be told I was wearing the wrong colors (Don’t you dare tell me I can’t wear black tops, blue jeans, and silver jewelry!) and I really didn’t want to be told that I needed to toss out my favorite Body Shop lipgloss or mascara. Well, skeptics, I’m coming to you from the other side of the Kool-aid today. Spending an afternoon with Jill was a blast of “color coolness.” And I totally get how actors can use “their colors” to help cast them into the right roles.
Color Coolness
I was thrilled to be asked to write something for POV because there is so much I want to share with actors about what I do. I am an actor. I am also a color stylist. Because of my background as an actor, I have taken what I know as a color stylist heavily into the industry and have worked with hundreds of performers over the years — from the celebs that walk the red carpet to the guy and the gal who just arrived in LA to start their adventure!
The truth is every actor needs to know the shades of color that will pull the focus to their eyes in a headshot and will make them pop on camera. Knowing “your colors” should be part of Acting 101 (or at least Marketing Yourself 101). The thing that’s so cool about working with actors (in contrast to working with my clients who just want to know how to look great all the time) is that actors can use color as a tool to extend a character — to look older, ditsy, nerdy, dying, and down on their luck. It’s a way to causatively look bad versus spending hundreds of dollars on new headshots and not being happy with the results — thinking that you look washed out and dull and that your background pulls the focus away from your face and you just don’t know why it all isn’t working. Everything in a color headshot grabs attention and the attention should be on your face and in your eyes. You get the idea.
I’ve worked with many photographers here in LA and one for one they’ve said that when an actor brings wardrobe to the shoot in shades of color that work for them, their job as a photographer is so much easier. They don’t need to spend extra time trying to compensate with lighting and more makeup to fix something that just isn’t working. Without getting into a dissertation on headshots, I’ve found that so many actors truly minimize themselves in their shots by not using colors that work for them in wardrobe, makeup, and for their background. Knowing your colors gives you the edge to maximizing the potential of being a really happy camper when you see your proofs (and we all so love that feeling)!
Okay, I want to give you some tips. First off, everyone can wear most every color — it just depends on finding the right shade of the color that works for you. If you’re a redhead or have golden browns tresses (think Julia Roberts, Amy Adams) pale grey is just about one of your worst colors and teal blue, brick red, and forest green are some of your best. However, if your hair is ash blonde or grey (Helen Mirren) pale grey can be a great neutral to incorporate into your wardrobe along with dusty rose, lavender, and taupe. If you have dark brown or black hair (Salma Hayak) cobalt blue and fuchsia are fantastic but camel and olive green, not so much. If you’re a warm blonde (Kate Hudson), turquoise and peachy tones are fabulous, but leave the mint green and burgundy for someone else.
It’s not about the shade that is “in” this month or the color that your first date in junior high said you should wear because it was their favorite color! It’s all about discovering what works with your individual coloring.
The color of one’s hair plays a huge part in all of this. Your hair (be it natural or “enhanced”) is what frames your face, frames the picture, and you need to know how to work it. I have clients that spend lots of money on highlights, lowlights, etc., but if the colors they’re wearing and the makeup shades they’ve chosen are wrong for them, their hair can look brassy and everything looks fragmented. It’s like their hair doesn’t work with their shirt that doesn’t work with the eye shadow and the lipstick walked into the room before they arrived! There are just too many distractions.
When an actor (or anyone for that matter) walks into a room, they want to be present. The ideal scene is what one is wearing brings out their makeup, brings out their hair (or for the guys, the shirt and tie they’ve chosen to wear to read for that legal drama pulls the focus up into their eyes). If you can see it in terms of arrows pointing in a direction, all the arrows should be pointing up.
When you’ve got it all “in sync” the message you’re communicating just rides on that wave. The viewer doesn’t have to get thru something to get you. The cool thing here is that if you’re making a character choice to causatively create a distraction, you’ll know exactly how to do it. If you’re working on your reel and are doing low-budget or no-budget projects (no money for wardrobe, hair, makeup) knowing your colors is a huge asset. You’re your own stylist and knowing how to pull it altogether is invaluable.
There’s just so much to share with actors about what I do and how incorporating this concept into your life can impact your career. That’s one of the reasons I just launched the website jillkirshcolor.com, to be able to reach actors from all over the world. Having your colors and makeup done in a one-on-one session or discovering your best shades of color online is fun, empowering, and provides actors with a go-to technique that enables them to present the exact image they want to communicate all the time.
Still not sold? Okay, here’s what I did. A couple of days after I met with Jill, I was killing time one day waiting for Keith to pick me up and take me to a meeting. I popped into a shop on the 3rd Street Promenade and saw a shirt in one of “my colors.” It was on sale for seven bucks, so I figured, “What the hell.” I bought it and changed into it on the way to our meeting. First person I see upon arrival says, “Wow, Bon! You look amazing!” Note: I haven’t done anything since seeing this person a week before, like get a haircut, do up my makeup dramatically, or anything. The next person arrives for our meeting. “Bonnie, hey, you look so fantastic. Have you lost more weight?” (Yes, I’ve lost weight, but I hadn’t since this particular person last saw me.) I had to admit it. This seven-dollar shirt was making me look younger, thinner, prettier, something. Crazy! But like I said above, I’ve swallowed the Kool-aid. Jill tells me I don’t have to give up my black tops, but that I should keep silver jewelry away from my face (since I don’t wear earrings, that should be easy) and try to toss a scarf in one of “my colors” around my neck to make my eyes really pop. I’m on it! Thanks, Jill, for the color coolness and the POV.
About Jill Kirsh
Named the “Best Color Consultant” by Los Angeles Magazine’s Best of LA issue, Jill Kirsh has also been featured in The Los Angeles Times, Movieline, LA Weekly, Entertainment Today, Judy Kerr’s Acting Is Everything, and Back Stage West. The success of The Color Company has propelled Jill into local and national arenas with featured television appearances on ABC7 News, Your LA on KNBC, QVC, The Other Half on NBC, KTLA Morning News, KCAL’s All About You, Smart Solutions on HGTV, Life Moments on NBC, Soap Talk on SoapNet, and Starting Over on NBC. In addition, radio audiences have heard her on The Peter Tilden Show on KABC. She has been the featured guest consultant in leading retail outlets and has contributed her services to benefit Dress 4 Success and The Fulfillment Fund. For more information about Jill, please visit jillkirshcolor.com.
This contribution originally ran at Bonnie Gillespie’s online column on August 1, 2009.
Interesting! And I seriously loved this : “actors can use color as a tool to extend a character — to look older, ditsy, nerdy, dying, and down on their luck.”
Also fascinating to see how people respond to colors I’m wearing. Gonna play a bit.
Laura, I’ll tell you, I was FLOORED at the response when I bought that $7 shirt in one of “my colors” — it was instant! Very powerful!
This is so great!
I’ve been contemplating changing my “style” for a few years now. With GIGFTNT I’ve decided to pull the trigger and completely overhaul my entire “look”. After reading this, and spending the night diving deep into this POV and Jill’s website, I’ve also decided to change my hair from the auburn red color I’ve had for the last three years, to go darker brown so my new wardrobe colors will look stunning.
Thank You!!!
Ooooooooooh, I am so excited and I cannot WAIT to see pics!!!!!!!!!
I’m feeling a transformation happening within me and I think knowing my colours is going to be a part of my outer reflection of my inner transformation!
Oooooh, yay, Andromeda! I think I just saw that Jill is running “Black Friday” sales if you haven’t yet connected with her! Or someone local, of course. 🙂 Excited to see what you do!
I’m in the process of KonMari-ing my closet, I can’t wait to buy new clothes in my colors!
Make sure that you have a solid grasp of your branding before you get your new wardrobe… Everything you buy should help you sell yourself; everything you get needs to be on-brand.
That way, like parochial school uniforms, you never have to ask the question, “Is this outfit on-brand for me?” If everything you own is on-brand, you have less to think about when you’re getting dressed.
This is great and so on point!! I LOVE blue and pink so easy for me. Good to know which colors I should stay away from however. Thanks Bonnie!! <3
Or when to USE those colors if you need to play a role in which you’re in need of a transition to tragedy. Right on!
LOVER OF ALL THINGS FASHION, MY LIFE IS CHANGED.
Woo hoo! 🙂 So glad you checked this out.
I’ve had a lot of experimentation with this ever since I’ve dyed my hair purple. My style has changed since certain colors can really clash with the vibrancy of my hair. It’s also allowed my personal style to be louder & do things that would look “too clashing” with “normal”-colored hair but looks intentionally wild with bolder hair. Patterns are especially fun (but those have to stay out of the audition room unfortunately).
The funnest color that has popped out for me is mustard yellow. It looks GREAT with the purple hair & my closet is slowly filling up with mustard-colored clothing haha.
Omgosh, I LOVE makeup! And I’ve had my colors done before, but I’ve concentrated them on wardrobe and never really paid much attention to them when it comes to makeup. I’m sooo gonna love that makeup kit! lol Thanks for sharing this!!!
Totally! It’s so valuable to think about how you POP in a close-up, especially with all the self-taping going on. Control what you can about how you’re vibing up the screen! 🙂
Ooh. I hadn’t consciously thought of this as a tool to make a character land as sick/older/down on their luck… very cunning… I like it!
Isn’t it great?