I just have to say that I have very pale skin and I am naturally a strawberry blonde but have dyed my hair many different shades of red. I ALWAYS get tons of compliments when I wear pink, and how it looks good on me.

I really don't think redheads can't wear pink should be a rule - because it is often not true.

I disagree totally with telling redheads not to wear black. I'm naturally a strawberry blonde, but have used henna to darken my hair to copper and regular red, and I get tons of compliments whenever I wear black, no matter what shade I am. I'm very fair and freckled, too. I wear natural-looking makeup and peach tones on my lips usually. Perhaps if you have do not wear any makeup, then black might be too much for you, but that's true of anyone, really. Black is so neutral that any hair color/skin tone works with it.

Pinks work for me, too, as long as they are warm pinks and not blue-pinks.

Redheads should NOT wear black anywhere near their face. It really doesn't enhance their look. Also, black is very aging on redheads especially as they get older.
Try using the "season" that suits you. It will be either spring if you are light complexioned or autumn if you are darker complexioned. Using colours within your season makes your hair gorgeous, your skin beautiful and your eyes pop! It's not just some trend, it actually is scientifically based on the colour wheel. For example, would you put a hot pink pillow on a rust coloured couch by olive coloured walls? No, of course not. The same theory works with people and their own individual colouring. Once you try it, you'll never go back to your "bad" colours again!

Um, I respectfully disagree. You are right in that a hot pink throw pillow doesn't go with a rust colored couch by an olive colored wall, but you're talking about home furnishings here. What I'm talking about are people--natural redheads. We all come in (GASP!!) different red hues, eye colors, and skin undertones. The very 'wrong colors' you are talking about are the very colors that I absolutely SHINE in. Hot pink, purple, ESPECIALLY black shirts and coats. AND I'm a natural auburn with dark brown eyes and fair COOL skin.

If I should be wearing the 'right colors' then, I'm afraid those so called 'right colors' will make me look dull, flat, and just plain sick. Especially since I matched up a gold watch and a silver watch to my skin and found out that the silver watch does me more justice than the gold watch, which actually sunk me down. (And I tried those exact same shades you were talking about... NO compliments, in fact, people looked away because I looked so ghastly in the Autumn palette.)

I'm afraid being a redhead isn't nearly as cut and dry as people would like to think. Especially in makeup and clothes, where I shine in the Winter palette rather than the Autumn palette. (And like I said before, we redheads are as much different from each other as we are from the rest of the world's population.)

I hope I'm not being too harsh here. Just putting in my two cents here as a natural redhead that doesn't fit the description of the article.

To Samantha,
Um, I respectfully read your response but you are really off the mark on this one. The colour wheel works with anything you put it against. It's not just art, but actual scientific theory. Some colours are harmonious and or complimentary with certain colours while some aren't.
Seasons can also be put into subcategories such as "clear spring" which is a person who is a spring (warm) but with some winter (cold) characteristics. I didn't want to go into further details about this, but since you described your colouring I felt as though I should. Check out the book "Color Me Beautiful's Looking your Best". From what you say, you sound like a Deep Autumn, (autumn with some winter characteristics). Their colours are a bit different to reflect that specific colouring of a Deep Autumn. For instance, a Deep Autumn can wear black.
I really hope you try out the book. It will answer all your questions and straighten out your misconceptions about colour.

No, I am *not* mistaken. I never denied that the color wheel was relevant. I know it is relevant. I have done my research on the subject (even before writing my first reply), and I can tell you that there is a website called Color Me A Season that proves *my* point. (By the way, it precedes Color Me Beautiful by a whopping *five* years)

I *only* picked you out because of your comparison of redheads to furniture, which to me felt disrespectful. Like we as redheads are not even human, is what it felt like to me. Otherwise I was going to write a reply directly to the author. And I will leave it at that and call it good.

I don't know why you keep focusing on the furniture analogy. It is what it is. Just an analogy. I could have used all sorts of different examples to prove my point. I don't know why you are obsessing about the furniture. Anyone else can see that I am not saying redheads are not human. Perhaps you have issues that make you see things that aren't there.
I suggest you read up more on the colour theory. It applies to everything.

I'm a natural redhead with my natural color being closer to an auburn than copper, and when I let my hair be its natural color I'm able to wear any shade of pink I want, if I want to. Pink has a lot more to do with skin tone than hair color. I just dyed my hair a coppery red last night (A bit more intense than I expected, and I'm still not sure what to think) and I think you may be right about pink this time, but I think that light blues actually look worse with this color than pink does. I think its very subtle based on the exact shade you have and your skin tone.

Ummm....I don't care if this whole colour wheel is a science or not because I look wonderful in black. My mother, who is also a natural red head, looks amazing in black as well. It does not age either one of us!! I think you have to take other things into consideration before saying someone can't wear a certain color...ie eye color and skin tone. I have a very olive tone to my skin with bright green eyes and can pull of black any day of the week. In fact, it is the color that everyone will say looks the best on me!!

What a load of rubbish - pinks and purples look great on redheads. Black also looks fab with red hair - really makes it stand out. Only go for browns and oranges when you want to draw attention away from your hair - which for me is never! Redheads rule!

Okay, I agree that pink often doesn't look great on most redheads, but navy, purple and black?! Navy blue and black especially suit redheads because they are so dark they really bring out the hair colour brilliantly. In the winter I often wear these colours and get complemented as they bring out my hair and eye colour. If anything I would say the shades which you mentioned to wear suit me the least, and I'm not just talking about me but for other redheads too.

As a natural red-strawberry blond with grey eyes age 55 I can truly say that I get most compliments on my hair and complexion when I wear black. It makes my skin pale and translucent and my eyes and hair look really good. , It has occured to me that many colour specialists don't want redheads to be pale when in fact many of us look our best pale.

I often wear brown but it does make my freckles more prominent and my colouring less bright. Redheads include so many different skin/hair and eye variations that it con't be one rule for all.

First off!
I'ma naturall strawberry blonde girl,pale skin,and BLUE EYES somethimes grey eyes,you dont have to just have green or hazel.I get compliments alot on my eyes and hair,Pink looks hot on any girl with red hair.
Second of all!
You guys are right about the ivory skin and having freckles, Just about EVERY redhead has freckles and ivory skin tones.

Personally...I think black and purple are great choices for auburn hair and fair skin. I can understand how black would make the woman appear a little older. in the same token...my most recent ex had the rich auburn/fair skin/green eyes combo...and she looked absolutely stunning, if not down right sexy, in purple and black (purple more so than black). Granted, earthy tones looked great on her too, but never as good as when she wore purple. Being a guy, I know I probably don't have the best eye for color coordination, but I do know what I like...not to mention the complements never stopped from my friends.

In the end..personal taste is everything, but if you want a guys advice..there it is.

I'm a natural redhead and my friends ( who don't spare my feelings on anything) tell me I look great in black because it makes my hair stand out even more. And I got lots of compliments from people I know and don't know about how I look god in all shades of pinks and reds. Some can pull things off because of their facial features. So don't think that just because you're a red head doesn't mean that you can't wear these things.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. Your advice may work for 1/4 of the redhead population who actually *are* Autumns, but I (along with I'm sure most of the commenters here) am part of the 3/4 of the redhead population who do *not* fit that mold.

So let me get this straight. You'd tell us that 3/4 of redheads should avoid colors like black and purple and pink because we're supposed to be Autumns? Sorry, but I just can't do that. Not when I KNOW all the colors you suggested look absolutely WRONG on ME because I've TRIED them all. And instead, the colors that you're telling us to avoid are the colors that absolutely SHINE on ME. Cool, clear, bright colors. Even warm, clear, bright colors look great on me. NOT earthy, muted colors that totally dull me out.