House of Colour Color and Style Analysis have helped me crack the code on getting dressed. This is a pretty bold statement to make, but it’s true!
I have been interested in style for a long time. I read books and magazine articles. I followed blogs and influencers. Still, I struggled to build an outfit and pack for a trip. Job interviews and special occasions, such as weddings, sent me on panicked shopping trips. I hired stylists to help me, mainly with dressing for work (I had a 30-year corporate career in Silicon Valley prior to purchasing my HOC franchise). Even with all of that information, I still was not confident in my style.
In 2021, I was looking for a way to stop wearing so much black because I was realizing that it was not very flattering on me. Every time I went shopping I would swear to myself I wouldn't buy black. And I would come home with ... black. I knew I needed an intervention and some advice on colors that were better than black for me to wear.
I looked into color analysis and found House of Colour. I traveled from my home in Santa Rosa, CA to the House of Colour in Ballard, WA as there were no HOC stylists in Northern California (I later ended up being the first House of Colour franchisee in Northern California). I did both color and style analysis in that appointment.
With my new seasonal Summer color palette fan in hand, I cleaned out my closet after Color Analysis and found out I had just a handful of things in my season. That was a light bulb moment! I realized that having all four seasons in my closet was a big reason why I had trouble putting together an outfit and packing for a trip.
Style Analysis was yet another revelation. The body architecture part was so helpful and clarified why some cuts of clothing just don’t work for me, so I can pass them by without a thought. I learned my Clothing Personality which tracked with my prior style work and built upon it. Understanding about scale for patterns and jewelry, texture, points of interest, types of prints that work best for me, and more, has been so helpful for me in selecting clothes and getting dressed.
I don’t dread getting dressed anymore. Picking out clothes to wear daily and for special occasions is not the huge process it used to be. I feel confident cutting tags off new purchases, even the expensive ones! It's like I pushed a great big “easy button” in my closet.
My husband and I love to travel and do so at every opportunity. Packing for vacations and travel is 1000% easier for me now as I don’t panic shop before trips. I typically wear everything I bring (I read that the average person wears about half of the clothing they bring on a trip). Most importantly, I am prepared for all the activities on whatever trip I am taking. This is such a change for me. I have a distinct memory of packing at least five pairs of shoes on a trip to Italy, yet finding myself shopping for sneakers on day two because none of the shoes I brought were right for the walking we were doing.
I enjoy guiding my clients through the Color and Style Analysis process and teaching them tools that will in turn help them crack the code on getting dressed. Many of my clients are in some sort of transition (retirement, divorce, loss of spouse, hitting a big birthday, having a baby, recovering from a major health issue, kids getting married, going through menopause, getting a big new job – or preparing to do so, and so on). They find that knowing their best colors and style profile allows them to spend less time stressing about how they look and more time doing what they love.
Sallie Morris, Franchise Owner of House of Colour Northeast Santa Rosa, CA