David ZylaColor Your Style: How to Wear Your True Colors

You can tell a color analyst is good at their job if they themselves look good. Many times I have seen color analysts who look a hot mess, making me wonder: just how skillful are they at what they do? David Zyla is very fetching in his promotion photos, wearing a combination of tangerine and blue which I doubt anyone else in the world could wear but which look amazing on him.And his color analysis technique is amazing, too. Being somewhat obsessed with this topic, I seem to have taken dozens of personal color analysis (PCA) tests, always coming away feeling like it wasn't working. I believed in the process enough to know that I was not a warm season, but winter was too strong, and summer seemed too wishy-washy. As I consider myself a bold personality, I went with winter, but I never really felt satisfied with it.I actually came across David's book via Pinterest, when I was once again comparing winter and summer palettes to see which one really worked for me. In the process I read about something called "Zyla sunset summer/elegant bohemian," and I liked those terms so much, I decided to look up what this meant. A Google search soon brought me to this book.Well for the first time I feel happy and confident in my summer season! It is far better to know one is an "elegant bohemian" summer than some generic plain Jane summer (which is how summers are so often described by color analysts, many of whom are winters--could that be the reason?). It makes soooo much sense to me, since even back when I was a kid I would dress up in flowy scarves and flowy skirts. Even now I tend toward hippy skirts and iridescent scarves. But it makes it so much easier to know my "archetype."Even more importantly though is David's technique in identifying one's best colors. Since he has you use your actual skin tones, it makes perfect sense, and my best colors truly are the ones I have always tended to gravitate toward without really knowing why. Now I do.Seriously this may sound dumb but I am so happy about my analysis I could cry. I feel as though I have found my true self at last. David thank you so so so much! You truly have a gift.

Excellent, easy to learn and follow style book. Unique approach to finding your authentic style.

I was surprised to receive a small book, but the information is succinct and it's small enough for me to carry in my purse. I read it in one afternoon. The colors that my test results revealed are either soothing or vibrant - as he said they should be for different occasions. As you age, your skin, eyes and hair change color. The happy, bright colors I had been choosing to brighten my face were actually working against me. I always looked washed out and drab. I learned that I'm an earth mother type - a more mellow version of the hippie I used to be. Out with the hot pink, in with deep rose. Not only do I look better, but now I know why. After trying for months to downsize my closet without knowing how, I was able to extract the pieces that worked according to this plan, put them all together and see that they harmonized, and let get of all the rest. I can always carry a colorful clutch to bump up the fun factor.

the concept is interesting, if you can figure out YOUR colors. Some of the descriptions of what your true colors should be are not quite clear and the book lacks any illustrations for this. For example: your dramatic color - i.e. color of your veins. Do you take into consideration the fact that actual vein color obscured by the skin on top of it, lol? if yes, then it won't be that dramatic after all. Again, no photos to give an example. I tried a few color options to include all possibilities and remained confused about it. Same goes for the romantic color - my flushed cheeks' pink and pink on the tip of my pinched fingertip are two different things and they also change due to the air temperature. Or your essence color - what if I tan? will my essence color change then? Or what if color of my iris has actually 5 different shades in it and they also change depending on my mood, temperature and lighting conditions? Again, lacks examples and photos. I even watched some of his videos on youtube but we also all have different monitor resolution and screens that adjust brightness based on the light around it. So, I'd say the idea might be interesting, but it is a very questionable method and left me feeling as confused as the infamous "seasonal palette" method.

I love this book. It changed my entire outlook on what I wear, and what I feel best in. In the past, I've read a lot of books about personal style and color, but this one is by far the best to understand WHICH colors are best for you, and in WHAT situations. That is, the colors & styles you'll wear for a romantic night out aren't the same colors & styles you'll wear to a job interview or important meeting.Okay, that may not sound like "new" news... but Zyla takes these concepts to a level that never crossed my mind. And using his guidelines & suggestions, I feel SO much happier and more comfortable in my clothes. (I also weeded-out about half my closet... and that was AFTER I'd already applied the Konmari decluttering rules.)I do wish he had color swatches inside the book, or as part of the back cover. But, since he didn't, I went through magazines and cut out areas of color that seemed to match what I should be wearing. And then, I glued them to a 3x5 index card, so I can carry it in my purse when I'm shopping for clothes. Or household accessories (since the colors apply there, too).I've been a long-time fan of David Kibbe's book, "Metamorphosis" (and wish it was back in print), but Zyla's book is just as important... and perhaps more so.If you want to feel VASTLY better about yourself, your clothes, and the colors you surround yourself with... get this book and read it, right now.