Lacerlot

Complexion Guide: Episode 2, Gray Hair

Famed film costume designer, Edith Head, outlined a clothing color suggestion chart for the Golden-era Hollywood celebrities based on their complexions.

Silver Gray

Too young to remember the eccentric costume designer? The 2004 Pixar movie The Incredibles paid homage to Edith Head's characteristic bangs, glasses, and definitive opinions in the character Edna Mode: 

We're covering each of her complexion categories, and the clothing color recommendations for each, in a weekly series. See the inaugural post here, which features recommendations for those with white hair. This post moves one baby step farther away from the lightest end of the complexion spectrum. 

Edith Head

Continue reading to find out which colors Edith Head recommended for gray hair, fair skin, and light eyes: 

Joan Didion rocking gray locks

(Ms. Head found it self-evident that white and black suit all complexions, so those colors are always excluded from her recommendations.)

HAIR: Medium Gray or Silver

SKIN: Fair

EYES: Light blue or violet

Runway gray

EDITH HEAD'S FABRIC COLOR RECOMMENDATION: Silver Gray (see above), Soft Blue, and Ruby Red. 

Ruby Red Color References

Edith suggests two similar soft tones, soft blue and silver gray, to highlight the natural hair and eye colors. To add one explosive yet elegant color into the mix, she recommends ruby red. Wear soft tones by day and red at night.

Soft Blue Color References 

Next week: Edith Head's color recommendations for women with silver/gray hair, medium skin, and gray/green/hazel eyes.