Reading time: 7 minutes
Laurence Bossion's Diary, Chapter 15
Here’s Laurence Bossion’s guide to colors, so you can confidently rock colorful hats. How do you take hair color and skin tone into account when choosing a shade? We’ll explain everything! Here’s how to pick THE perfect color—the one that will instantly make you look your best—from our fall-winter collection. And to treat yourself, we’ll suggest one look per color, so you can pull off a flawless look from head to toe!
GRENAT — A full-bodied red
Garnet isn’t really red. It isn’t exactly burgundy, either. It’s a color that has matured, gained depth, and retained a certain distinction. It looks particularly good on fair complexions—ivory or slightly rosy skin—which it brightens without being too harsh. On olive or dark skin, it takes on a different character—richer, almost velvety. Brunettes and those with dark brown hair naturally look their best in it, but ash-blondes would be wrong to pass it up. In Paris, this hat will be worn with a fawn-colored cape, matching velvet pants, and patent leather ankle boots. An vintage bag, a lipstick shade of light raspberry. No need to overdo it. Garnet already provides much of the elegance.
CHOCOLATE — Brown Has Its Reasons
For a long time, chocolate brown was reserved for shoes, bags, and belts. As if brown were meant to stay in its place, somewhere below the face. That’s pretty unfair. Because chocolate brown is a wonderful color for warm complexions—golden, olive, and tanned skin—and even the fairest skin tones when they have a peachy or honey-like undertone. Chestnut, brown, and golden-blonde hair—and especially red hair—pair beautifully with it. You just have to avoid matching everything. For a Parisian look, wide-leg ecru pants, an ivory shirt left slightly open, a chocolate-colored coat to play with the “total look,” and brown leather loafers will do the trick perfectly. A cognac-colored bag, sunglasses—even in October. Chocolate brown has this little advantage over black: it’s sophisticated without being austere.
YELLOW — You've got to take a chance
Yellow can be intimidating. People find it too flashy, too cheerful, too much of this, not enough of that. Yet sometimes all it takes is a yellow hat to lift an outfit out of its gloom. It’s a color that looks particularly good on olive, golden, and dark skin tones. Those with fair complexions can also wear it, as long as they choose the right shade of yellow: lemon for certain cool undertones, and golden or mustard for warmer ones. Black and brown hair provide a stunning contrast. Blondes, on the other hand, can opt for a softer, more harmonious look. To style it Parisian-style, there’s no need to overcomplicate things: a navy blue pea coat, a striped shirt, raw denim jeans, and black loafers. A small scarf around the neck—why not? Yellow will do the rest. And it will do it very well.
CAMEL — A Certain Idea of Chic
Camel is a bourgeois color. Or so they say. For a long time, it was the color of elegant coats, cashmere sweaters, and immaculate wardrobes. But it knows how to thrive elsewhere, too. Camel complements warm skin tones, golden complexions, peachy hues, and slightly tanned faces. It pairs well with light brown hair, Venetian blondes, and brunettes with warm highlights. It can even look stunning with white hair, provided you choose a camel shade that’s rich enough. To wear it in Paris, opt for a chocolate-brown coat, an ecru turtleneck, pleated pants, and brown ankle boots. Add a thin belt, tortoiseshell glasses, and a large leather bag. Nothing extraordinary, really. But it’s often with very ordinary items—chosen with care—that you end up looking truly stylish.
FALSE GRAY (STORM) — Gray isn't always gray
Some grays are just gray. And then there’s this one, which has something of a stormy sky about it—an indefinable, shifting color that isn’t so easy to pin down. Stormy gray, when it leans toward cooler shades, looks particularly good on ivory skin, rosy complexions, and darker skin tones, highlighting their contrasts. It’s gorgeous with black hair, very light blond hair, and especially with white or silver hair. Brunettes can also make it work. For a Parisian woman, pair it with a long midnight-blue coat, a slightly masculine white shirt, black pants, and slim ankle boots. Hands in her pockets, just like George Sand. The kind of outfit that doesn’t try to be fashionable—perhaps it never even tried to be—and for that very reason never really goes out of style.
