Q. I love wearing black because it makes me look thinner, however, I’ve noticed that it also tends to make me look older. Can you suggest ways of wearing the colour without looking without appearing pale and washed out?
A. The fashion police say that if you want to look slim – black is the answer and almost all of us rely on black basics, such as a little black dress or a top, to pull our winter look together.
Yet the colour has a disturbing side-effect - it makes you look older. Black clothing can in fact emphasize dark lines under the chin, shadows around the eyes and wrinkles.
While black gives a slimmer silhouette by making the shadows from curves less visible, wearing it next to the face brings out the worst in your features. Wrinkles and sunken areas appear deeper and more definite, meaning the effect is more obvious in older women.
Dark scarves, hats, polo neck jumpers and high-collared coats are apparently particularly bad at emphasising ageing features. However the effect can be tempered by a splash of colour around the neck with a scarf, chunky jewellery or a low neckline.
The majority of women will not look young and healthy with black against their faces. It can make women feel drained, self conscious and introverted. Only one in five people are thought to have the correct skin tone to wear black. Celebrity cook Nigella Lawson and actress Joan Collins are among the few who wear it well - but they are in the minority.
If you are going to wear a black top, have a low neckline to reflect your normal skin tone against the face. Wear a colourful scarf - golds with warm skin tones, silver for cool tones. If buying a LBD, go for one with some colour on the upper half.
Adding a splash or red lipstick or a peachy blush can help bring colour back into the face, and will help to counteract the draining effect of wearing black next to the face.
