Accuracy Matters To This True Autumn

In recent weeks there has been much debate about colour accuracy in relation to Personal Colour pallets or ‘fans’ as they are so affectionately known.  This post is an attempt to explain (visually) exactly why accuracy in the unregulated PCA industry matters so much.

Cheryl recently sent me two photos.  In each she wears a shirt that she carefully matched to a  colour sample chosen from two different  True/Warm Autumn fans. I think you will agree that Cheryl appears vibrant and healthy in the first image;  reluctant smile and all!  The glorious ‘mustard’ Cheryl wears is indeed a True Autumn colour.  Rich, vibrant and full of sunshine, it’s  warm harmonises perfectly with Cheryl’s natural golden glow. Cheryl succeed in her choice because the colour sample comes from the  right area of colour space.

True/Warm Autumn ‘Mustard’ 12 Tone pallet notation ta 6.2

warm, medium chroma, medium value = true/warm autumn

In the second image we see the same smiling woman, beautiful in her own skin yet somehow visually lacking vitality. So what’s causing the difference you may ask?  It all comes down to colour accuracy. The second colour choice, although a beautiful colour in itself, is not as good because the temperature of the hue is not warm but neutral.  In addition the colour is too low in chroma  (dusty) for Cheryl to wear successfully. This colour does not belong in a True/Warm Autumn pallet, it is more accurately  placed in a Soft Autumn tonal group.

neutral/warm, low chroma, medium value = soft autumn

Does accuracy matter?  Well as they say a picture speaks a thousand words. You be the judge.