Which Colour?


Colors are very important, for normal clothing and for dance costumes alike. You have your favorite colors in which you feel comfortable – but they are not always the best choice for a dance costume.

You can read some interesting information concerning colors in general and for clothing in Farben und Leben (Colors and Life).


In color-type consultations, you can identify which colors are most suitable for you (spring, summer, fall and winter, you'll have heard about that). Basically, there are warm color types, who should wear gold, yellow, apricot and all warmer colors, and the cool color type, who should prefer silver, blue, pink and all cool colors.

These basic categories seem quite useful to me, but you don't have to cling to them. If can choose between gold and silver, I take the most suitable color for that occasion. In my experience, turquoise, violet and blue suits everybody and can be combined with gold or silber (maybe a hint for group costumes).
Sometimes, a carefully and intentionally chosen color from the "wrong" family makes a nice, fresh (example: bilious green with violet and silver).
A skilled application of combination colors can dampen a pink that is too strong for a summer type (silver, white or transparent) or enhance a green that is too pale for a fall type (gold and bronce).
Sometimes, your dance is forcing you into a certain color direction, as the costume for a (phantasy) fire dance should contain red, orange, yellow and/or pink, and there simply is not silver Pharaonic costume.

How do I find my color type? Many of you have got such a color type consultation or simply know whether gold or silver suits them better. (Interestingly, the favorite color anyway in most cases). I place a piece of golden cloth around the neck of the woman, alternating with a silver one (if possible at daylight) and watch, how the appearance of the face changes. Apricot/orange and pink are useful for testing as well. Mostly, the face looks much clearer and more radiant with the 'correct' color, but sick and „doughy" with the „wrong" one. Also the opinion of those watching tends to one direction (however, sometimes with a wrong guess, if ones own color is not suitable for the test person).

And if one does not want to follow that suggestion? Also fine. A happy "fall" in a silver costume is always better than in a disliked color as bronce, for example.

On Djamila's homepage, you find a very good chapter on costume colors and their stage-effects. Simply check!


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