Nicole Kidman

The first look was Nicole Kidman – she looks really good in red, but seeing that she’s Nicole Kidman (literal goddess), I felt like she deserved to be dressed like one. Literally always dress Nicole Kidman like she’s a Greek god. Now, although she and I are both pale with blonde hair and blue eyes, Nicole Kidman has amazing bone structure and incredible legs. A lot of her dresses are elegant, but I think looks that are more structured looks are flattering on her.

Before: Vintage Versace at the 2020 Golden Globes
After: Simon Miller Beep Beep Circle Fringe Maxi Dress in either silver or gold.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon is absolutely gorgeous and can pull off a lot of different colors — even hot pink. This shade, however, was a bit of a miss with the black. It completely takes away from her natural beauty. I swapped this Lanvin look from the 2015 Critics Choice Awards with this John Paul Ataker gown. This is one of the biggest before and afters I’ve done — the result is immediate proof of how impactful color theory is. Her natural makeup and loose wavy hair make her look absolutely angelic when she’s in a softer color.

Before: Pink and Black Lanvin Dress from the 2015 Critics Choice Awards
After: John Paul Ataker Mermaid Gown

Kirsten Dunst

I don’t think this dress looks bad on Kirsten Dunst — but I do think the color is just a smidge too warm for her skin tone. People always want to put blue-eyed women in blue/periwinkle dresses, but the wrong shade can definitely wash you out, especially if your face tends to flush. I changed the dress to a jewel tone and changed the style of the dress as well. I think the second dress makes Kirsten’s skin glow. It’s the light green flower that really brings it all together.

Before: Kirsten Dunst in Schiaparelli Fall 2015 Couture at Cannes
After: Erdem Satin Embroidered Sequined Midi Dress

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams looks good in everything – but that’s the problem sometimes. She wears so many beautiful dresses that are more about the dress than her — which is why for this one, I wanted to pick something fun and bright to match the pink lipstick and flowing hair. I actually really like the dress she’s wearing, but everything feels very beige – the second is brighter and draws more attention to Rachel instead of the other way around.

Before: Rachel McAdams in Atelier Versace at the Dr. Strange premiere
After: Sabina Dress – Bright Blue/Green

Of course, I understand that people don’t only wear dresses for the color, especially for big events. This is only to experiment with color and show the difference between wearing something and having something wear you. I also noticed the same was true for the choices in hairstyle and makeup. The before selections I chose, more so, were because I liked their hair/makeup and thought it was really flattering. Then, there were some looks that really didn’t do any of these stunning women any favors, not because the dresses were off, but because the hair/makeup wasn’t a great match for them.

Take Rachel McAdams, for example. Even though she’s wearing the champagne color I thought was too beige on the right, she looks fantastic. The look to the left is so harsh — although she’s wearing grey, a color that in theory, should be more flattering on her. The dark lipstick and eyebrows are too heavy.

Nicole Kidman, in the left photo, should look fantastic in that shade of white. But the too-pink lips, bronze hair, and even the half/up, half down, and hair pieces hiding her face take away from her perfect skin and impeccable bone structure. The red on the right doesn’t look bad, but it’s her sleek hair, cooler blonde, and dramatic makeup that puts her over the top (in a good way.)

Kirsten Dunst, while looking adorable in pink, has a too-short haircut that makes her face look rounder, and bangs that don’t flatter her. The makeup is actually fine, but if she had a messy updo, this look on the left would have been fantastic.

Finally, on the left, Reese is in another too-harsh look and makeup style. The Basic Instinct look and dress with sharp edges don’t fit her very soft features.

None of it is bad, of course – they’re all beautiful. But when you compare the pictures side by side, you can see the value in choosing hair color, makeup, and hairstyles that flatter you.

What Flatters Me?

Again, it is so easy to look at other people and make judgments. How can you tell for yourself? Here are a few ways I’m working to zero in on my color palette and better looks:

1. Know your face shape doppelgangers. In this post, I’ve talked about sharing skin tone, eye color, and hair color with some of these actresses. But notably, I don’t have the same bone structure or face shape. While I have light eyes like Nicole Kidman and softer features like Rachel McAdams, they have more oval faces. They’re also much taller than I am. Meanwhile, my face is more heart-shaped like Reese and Kirsten’s, meaning hairstyles that work for them may flatter me.
   
2. Don’t force yourself out of your comfort zone. In the past, I’ve resisted color theory because I really didn’t want to wear certain things. I don’t like long-sleeved button-downs, and I hate wearing brightly colored tops. I can’t imagine, personally, wearing the pink and black dress Reese wore above. Not because it’s ugly, but because I feel so self-conscious in those bright shades of pink. I’d be miserable. However, I could do a shade of nail polish in that pink – and I have! It looked great.
   
3. Study your body type and best clothing styles. Sleeveless tops look awful on me – they always have. I’ve completely given up on them. Crop tops, for some reason, work really well. I love how satin and velvet look and feel on me, but can’t stand certain cotton blends. Knowing what I feel comfortable in and what looks good on me really helps inform decisions about clothing.
   
4. Redefine minimalism. I’ve always assumed that minimalism = black. So I’ve bought a lot of black clothes. And I’m not going to say that black looks bad, it’s really easy to throw on and go. But again, it doesn’t really do a lot for me. As I’m working on my minimalism, I’m trying to be more strategic about black.
   
5. Plan your purge/swaps. For the love of God, do not make the same mistakes I have. I invested in a lot of minimal clothing – white and black t-shirts, pants, etc., that fit the idea of minimalism, but don’t look good on me, don’t fit together style-wise, and ultimately, sit in my apartment.
   
6. Trial and error costs money. Try before you buy! You can sit behind a computer and make assumptions about what colors look good, but until you get out to the store and try stuff on, you’re not going to know for sure. Fitting rooms are a nightmare, and the most humbling place on Earth, but can be great in helping you figure out what colors really work (and which ones don’t).
   
7. Invest wisely. There are certain things that are going to cost a lot – makeup, skincare, etc. are absolutely at the top of the list. I’ve finally got a good foundation and moisturizer down, but still struggling to find the right eyeshadow and lipstick. I’ve found ordering online is often disappointing, so actually going out into Sephora and Ulta and doing tutorials with products you can try is key.
   
8. Get inspiration from color and fit, not people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched a movie or TV show, loved what the character was wearing, and tried to duplicate it on my own – only to find that I didn’t instantly turn into Sarah Jessica Parker overnight. You can waste a lot of money and frustration this way. Try to make color and fit your compass and feel free to get ideas (like how I did above), but be cautious not to try to copy a style. You might be disappointed if it’s not as flattering in real life.
   
9. Take a good look at what you have. Your current clothes can tell you a lot. Try everything on and take notes. You can find a lot of colors you actually love and look good, but maybe you just don’t like the top or it doesn’t fit right.
   
10. Remember – it’s a process. Clothing is supposed to be fun. I’m at a point in my life where my art and relationship with myself are really important, so my fashion sense is driven by feeling good and expressing myself. I’m still going to rot in my Christopher from The Soprano’s t-shirt at home. You don’t have to go overboard all at once.

Getting Started with Color Theory and Minimalism

I’m just getting started with color theory and minimalism myself, so this is all an experiment. If you want to do a similar exercise, here’s an example template/image you can refer to. I made mine in Canva, which made it incredibly helpful to find color swatches, cut-out backgrounds, etc. Remember to try to find more than one celebrity to use in your examples!