Thread: What costume colors flatter fair skin?

I'm not sure if there's already been a thread about this, but here it goes.

I'm in the process of shopping around for my first "high end" (a.k.a. kind of expensive) costume, in anticipation of dancing on a more serious level. I've come across one or more tribal costumes with silver coins, but am afraid this might make my uber-pasty white skin looked washed out.

Any advice from pasty-white dancers on what colors to choose? I've seen fair skinned dancers with black hair look stunning in silver, but since I have brown hair, I thought it might clash with silver. Any thoughts on whether gold or silver is a better pick?

It sounds like we both have very similar coloring. (I'm fair with dark hair and light blue eyes, which makes me a "winter).

Personally, I find that neither straight-up silver nor straight-up gold are 100% flattering on me. I like silvers and golds as accents rather than a dominant color. Jewel tones always look especially striking on me. You might want to try red, royal or midnight blue, fuchsia, emerald green, royal purple, or a supersaturated bright turquoise. Oddly, white costumes with silver accents look gorgeous on me.

Though everybody's different, I find that pastels, oranges and yellows generally don't flatter fair complexions the way bolder colors do.

And stop calling yourself pasty, woman! You're fair and lovely. So embrace it!

If you're looking for a basic "neutral" bedlah, I'd suggest you go for gold. Judging by your profile pics, it looks like your hair has some warm-ish undertones...

I have extremely fair skin, dark hair and blue eyes. My hair is ashy and cool toned, so I look better in Silver, but I can wear Gold as well. It's all about finding the right shades. I look the best in Jewel tones rather than pastels.

Given your hair color, probably jewel tones with gold accents. But we pale folk don't really do well with gold *or* silver against the skin...if you decide to get a gold or silver coin set, try and make sure that the base of the set is something jewel toned to set it off from your skin a bit.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Though everybody's different, I find that pastels, oranges and yellows generally don't flatter fair complexions the way bolder colors do.

I agree. I'm fair and have brown hair and I like clear colours, not too dark (dark green, burgundy, and brown are no-gos for me, make me look dead), neither too aggressive, red, many shades of blue, purple and ivory rather than white. I think depending on the colour both silver and gold can look good, but not too much of it, best loved on embellishments is costume colour itself just for the light reflection, maybe some colour accents in another colour and a little bit of silver or gold (green, red and a bit of gold on a purple costume, turquoise, red, and silver or gold on a red costume, turquoise and gold on an animal print...). Pastel makes me look extremely pale, it's the worst of all for me. A certain yellow, not too warm, is actually not that bad. It's a very refreshing colour, and I'd do a yellow costume definitely with silver!

Jenna from Los Angeles is rather fair. Even though on the cover or her dvd "next level" she poses in a dark red dress, she wears in her big choreo a fabulous orange costume and it looks great on her (but her being a flawless beauty with the most beautiful skin is actually not eclipsed by the juicy orange, but then her complexion is fair but not whitish-pale, she'd probably tan quite well if she tried)

Oh man, I am the whitest whitie ever so I pick colors very carefully. Dark rich colors or bright vibrant colors seem to work best. Fuchsia, turquoise, royal blue and purple, emerald green, stuff like that. Its best to avoid pastels and silver and gold, they will wash you out.

Oh, duh, red is always a great choice for pale skin!

If your hair has any warm, reddish tones to it, green and turquoise will be stunning on you. Accents of gold can also add warmth. Other options are nude/gold, peach, tomato red, periwinkle.

If you are a cool type with pale skin and dark hair, jeweltones and icy pastels with a bit of silver will look gorgeous. Royal blue, emerald, crimson Ice blue, white etc.

But I guess if black does not work on you, you have warm undertones.

This is all very good advice, and I agree with the suggestions of jewel tones. I found green, black and red tend to look good on me. All of you ladies with black or dark brown hair have an advantage, I think, as nothing really clashes with that hair color. I do have a sort of warm brown hair color (it looks dark in this pic, but especially in summer it's golden brown), so I thought golds might be more flattering that silvers (I agree that it should be an accent though, not a base).

Well, I recently fell in love with a bedlah that has a lot of silver coins, and I'm debating whether to take a chance (and financial investment) in it. Any light-brown haired dancers out there who've succeeded with silver?

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Though everybody's different, I find that pastels, oranges and yellows generally don't flatter fair complexions the way bolder colors do.

Don't forget about avoiding fluorescent colors! (Why are those popular again?) They look terrible of fair skin since the colors reflect onto the skin. Who needs to look like they colored on themselves with highlighters?

I'll also agree with a lot of the other posters and recommend jewel tones.

I am pale and used to have dark hair. I am pretty much a solid winter.

When it comes to metallics, you want to think about what jewellery suits you. Gold looks blah on me, I'm silver through and through.

In all honesty choosing a costume is like choosing a garment. Look at it against your skin and determine whether you look good or whether you look like pus. Go with the former.

I categorically cannot wear anything peach, salmon, orange, anything seriously yellow. But I find certain off colours look nice on me.

it totally depends on the color of your skin - do you have pink undertones, or do you have yellow undertones? you can go to a makeup counter and ask them if you don't know or can't tell.

but, if you look better in green than purple, better in coral than pink, and better in gold jewelry than silver, then you're warm. if not, then cool. :)

I'm fish belly pale, with warm undertones. I look good in gold, awful in silver!! my best costume color ever is peacock or teal. other great colors are jeweltone blues, greens and reds/burgundies.

colors that are pretty flattering for anybody, warm or cool, dark or pale, are: teal, red, black and royal blue.

Originally Posted by lallakahina

This is all very good advice, and I agree with the suggestions of jewel tones. I found green, black and red tend to look good on me. All of you ladies with black or dark brown hair have an advantage, I think, as nothing really clashes with that hair color. I do have a sort of warm brown hair color (it looks dark in this pic, but especially in summer it's golden brown), so I thought golds might be more flattering that silvers (I agree that it should be an accent though, not a base).

Well, I recently fell in love with a bedlah that has a lot of silver coins, and I'm debating whether to take a chance (and financial investment) in it. Any light-brown haired dancers out there who've succeeded with silver?

I own a silvery grey costume with anthracite accents with silver embroidery and it looks very nice. It is rather linear embellishment and some fringe, it looks sort of white and not too hard.

I guess it's also the setting, the lights which decide what costume colour is flattering.
On red for pale skin f.e., yes and no.
This dancer here is a typical case, for me the red is too dark, it might look like good taste and sure a lot of people will say, great choice, butfor me it lacks liveliness, in her place I'd have certainly gone for a brighter red to add to make the whole thing look more juicy.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhwqAl3zy3w]YouTube - COCO - Bellydance Show Berlin Germany - Bauchtanz Bauchtänzerin[/ame]

I wear both black that has silver and black that has gold, and find skirts in colors I like to go with them. So I think either would work if the rest of the costume has flattering colors that you personally like. I wear both silver and gold jewelry, and look to my personal closet to indicate what colors I really like and wear alot. Good luck!!

I'm very fair skinned with dark hair, I found that bright colors like crimson, fushia, tuqoise and royal blue work best with that coloring.

that's a tough one. i have had red put into my hair, so it's not always as dark as it is naturally. i can't do an all silver costume, it always ends up looking more grey. i crave purple- my fav color but i also concur on the jewel tones suggested.
feel free to checkout my website gallery- lots of colors there!- so you can match colors with the pale skin tone.

Ooh, forgot to add: Artemisia of Belgium is very fair skinned but with red hair. She has some gorgeous costumes in green, burgundy and copper that would not work as well on my coloring, so be sure to count in the hair color as well!

Elisa, I have pink undertones. I presume that means I should stick to cool colors? But nevertheless red has seemed to work.

Nouria, that's a gorgeous costume (and dance!) Red always looks so lovely when one has fair skin and dark hair.

Latriamou-- Thanks! I'm going to check out your gallery!

I saw Michelle Joyce wears more golds than silvers, and it looks lovely with her hair color. So I'm thinking that golden tones in hair color (perhaps regardless of skin tone) make golds a better choice.

I do wear a lot of silver jewelry, but to wear a huge mass of silver coins against my hair color might be a different story!

i meant my website gallery, if i wasn't clear! lol it has more pics. in the red gold costumes, my hair has red in it.

Originally Posted by lallakahina

Nouria, that's a gorgeous costume (and dance!) Red always looks so lovely when one has fair skin and dark hair.

It's not me, it's Coco from Berlin. I think that the red is too dark there.

oi khalida, i thought we agreed on "artemisia of europe"

anyway, i think there is no "this colour works and this doesnt", you need to try it on... and things like changing your hair colour, make up, lipstick colour will change what colours work. i also feel i use different colours for stage work (they more risk there light wise) than when close up for parties with unpredictable lighting...
weather a colour works or not also depends on the beadwork, undertones, i just try out stuff, see what works,