A no-frills guide to dressing according to your skin tone

Fashion is an art of dressing, and if you'd like to get to know your skin tone and the best colours that'll complement it, we're here to help. Before we delve into the shades that work for you, first, you need to determine the complexion of your skin. Those who are warm-toned will have a yellow or peach undertone, and those who are cool-toned will have rosy or blue undertone.

Some of the easiest ways to check?

1. Vein colour - Blue or purple veins mean that you're cool-toned, and green if you're warm.
2. The jewellery test - Try on both gold and silver jewellery and see which particular shade pops against your skin.
3. Tanning - Do you tan easily? Warmer skin tones are most likely to get tanned easily, while those who are cool-toned only turn rosy.

Generally, warmer colours flatter those who are warm-toned, and for cool tones, it's the opposite.

That said, not everyone belongs to either a cool or warm undertone category. If you can relate to everything that was mentioned, you're neutral-toned, which means you can rock all colours—congrats!

(Left: Dilraba Dilmurat; Right: Fan Bingbing)

Colours to wear: Richer hues that give your skin a nice contrast, including darker neutrals (khaki, camel, and dark grey), navy, burgundy, and more.

Colours to avoid: Soft pastels that will wash you out, such as light pink, off-white, lilac and more. That said, if you don't necessarily have to steer clear from these shades. Don darker colours as the base before adding pops of light hues into the mix.

Colours to wear: Good news! Your skin tone suits a wide spectrum of hues, but the shades that complement your skin better are those that are brighter than the midpoint. For example, pick lavender over purple, crimson red over oxblood, and camel over taupe.

Colours to avoid: Those that are too similar to your skin tone to avoid blending in, such as mustard, ash grey, and olive green.

Colours to wear: While darker skin can pull off almost any colour, balance is key. Instead of piling them on, opt for one or two bold hues and keep the rest of your look in soft, complementing shades for a polished finish.

Colours to avoid: Avoid colours that are too close to your skin tone. Brown, black, navy, and dark green are some of the trickier hues, but mixing and matching them with lighter shades can help elevate any look.