Another hard-to-find, but really fascinating book. The author guides one step by step in a process of identifying favorite color palettes. The book has a definite Japanese feel, and once in a while you’ll run into a word used in a way you wouldn’t have expected (I would guess because it’s been translated), but overall it’s an eye-opening new way to think about colors. I’ll post more from Colorist, because it is out of print and rather expensive to purchase. But if you really like to be challenged in your ways of looking at the world, I recommend this book highly.
Below is the 2nd exercise in the book. You could of course get all deconstructionist about this and start debating what he means when he says “like”, but I prefer to listen to my aesthetic instincts and get on with the exercise. (I re-typed these lists, so there will be typos…)
Just taking the time and thought to choose preferred terms is a useful self-examination. Those of us who labored in advertising know that every product and service has to choose what qualities it will embody – you have to focus your efforts and your personal message. Knowing what we’re trying to be, in terms of image and style, is a good start to the shopping and getting dressed part of the project.
I have this book. It's just wonderful. I like where he posits that people tend to match their city environments. Do Londoners really punch up their outfits with more red than other folks? :) I thought of his ideas when I read a small book by a French mother and daughter who owned a jewelry shop in Paris. They said the skies were often grey and the buildings often grey and they wore a lot of grey.
This looks very cool. I wish that there was an online format or program for this exercise!
I love this! I just picked 25, and it's a wonderfully nuanced description of what I want my life to look at.
You know, doing this exercise again just revealed something to me. I encounter far more people while walking than I do inside at a gathering. Therefore, the initial run through was all about how I wanted to be perceived by strangers, whether at a distance or brushing shoulders. It explains why I love coats above all else and have acquired so many. Something to rethink!
I have a book called "Style Statement – Live by Your Own Design" by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte. This exercise reminded me of that book. It has all these exercises in it to help you determine your style statement so you can then live and design your life around it. It's a great book!
-Sarah
Very cool. Thank you for sharing this book and exercise! I think that this will be helpful to me in filling in the most appropriate items to address my wardrobe gaps, now that I have a more refined criteria for their selection.