What Swimwear Colors Complement Your Skin Tone
Still think looking great in a bathing suit is all about body type and being thin? Not so fast!
The secret to looking great in a swimsuit is finding swimwear that complements your skin tone and complexion.
From Hadley’s, here are the key factors in choosing complementary colors (your undertone), how to determine your unique undertone, and how to apply your newfound undertone knowledge to swimwear shopping.
Determining Your Undertone
Beneath every person’s skin is a distinctive undertone. Even if you become tanner or paler, that undertone stays the same.
A person’s undertone can either be warm, cool, or neutral (a mix of both). Someone with a warm undertone will look more flattering in a warm shade, and vice versa for those with cool undertones. It’s not always easy to tell what your undertone is, so there are a few tests you can use to find yours.
The Vein Test: Stand in natural light and look at the veins on your inner wrist. Are they blue or purple? Then you likely have a cool undertone. Veins on the green spectrum typically indicate a warm undertone.
The Phone Light Test: Having a hard time spotting your veins? Instead, try shining your phone’s flashlight on your wrist. Notice the color that reflects back at you. A golden or green light hints at a warm undertone, while a blue reflection points to cool.
If you’re still having a hard time nailing down your undertone, you may have a neutral undertone.
Choosing the Right Shade for Your Undertone
A general rule of thumb is that warmer shades look better on people with warm undertones, while cooler shades complement cool undertones. People with neutral undertones will find that most colors are flattering for their skin tones; however, they may want to avoid extremely cool or warm shades, as those can look a little overpowering.
Yet, undertones don’t need to be restrictive. If you have cool undertones, you don’t only have to stick to blues and purples. Every color has cool and warm shades within its spectrum. Let’s look at some examples for the most popular swimwear colors.
Red
Red isn’t off-limits for cool-toned folks. The Patriot Red side of our Whitney Reversible Swimsuit, for instance, would be considered a warm red, as there isn’t much blue in it. A maroon or burgundy swimsuit, which has a much higher quantity of blue, would be a cool red.
Blue
Our baby blue Bermuda Bloom swimsuits live within the cool undertone family. If you’re looking for a warm blue, you’d want to look more into turquoise shades.
Yellow
Swimsuits under the yellow umbrella are some of the easiest to identify in terms of undertone. Warm yellows like gold and mustard lean more into an orange color, while cool yellows like neon yellow or lemon-line veer toward green.
Pink
Warm pinks often have a more peachy look to them, like the Flamingo side of our Whitney Reversible one-piece. Cooler pinks live more in the mauve realm.
What About Multicolored Prints?
Many swimsuits are designed with two, three, or more colors from across the color wheel. However, in many cases, the designer wanted all the colors to “go” together, so they may all be cool or warm shades.
You can see this in our Bermuda Bloom custom print, which features blue, pink, green, and yellow. Despite having a variety of colors, the shades of our flowery print all fall within the cool umbrella.
If a swimsuit is a true mix of warm and cool tints, assess the piece by the most prominent color.
Find Your Perfect Swimsuit from Hadley’s Bungalow
While we all want a swimsuit that flatters our skin tone, the color is only one aspect of truly great swimwear. You also want a swimsuit that is comfortable to wear for hours on end, is adjustable in all the right places, and is made from high-quality fabric that’s going to last.
Check out our full collection of modest swimwear for women to find the most flattering match for your days by the water.
