How to Guide Customers on Eyewear Color 

Understanding the color wheel and color theory can help you better cater to your customers’ styles and eyewear needs.

More than 30 years ago, I transitioned into the optical industry after a career as a makeup artist, where I learned about the color wheel and color theory. Over the past two and half years, I’ve been working with Tom Davies, a bespoke London eyewear brand, enabling customers to customize any part of a Tom Davies frame. My interactions with customers often involve color discussions, and I offer insights into using the color wheel and color theory to help them choose the perfect eyewear colors. We explore the importance of this choice, as it can be daunting for many, who typically try to match their eyewear to their outfits.

First, we must demonstrate a sincere interest in aiding them to find the ideal eyeglasses. It should be an enjoyable experience. We already use lifestyle questions to identify ways to ensure comfortable vision and optimal clarity. Offering color as a solution, akin to various lens options, is an obvious decision. Our customers seek fashion when they visit us, and while we recognize eyewear as a medical device, our approach should cater to both style and functionality. Assisting customers in realizing that their eyewear style reflects their personality is key.

Consider this optical dispensary scenario: a customer is browsing frames. We let them roam unsupervised, forfeiting the chance to offer expertise or suggest colors. I’ve observed opticians warmly welcoming customers, discussing promotions, only to conclude with, “Feel free to look around and let me know if you have any questions.” This approach reduces them to mere order takers, stripping away their professional and skilled optician identity.

Instead, be observant. Take cues from their accessories — handbags, shoes, jewelry, and clothing colors. Do they wear color in their eyewear now? Are you assisting them on the weekend, during their lunch hour, or is it after work? Their style will likely differ on weekends compared to the workweek.

Introducing color becomes straightforward when you apply basic concepts from color theory and the color wheel. Observing a color wheel, we notice the right side consists of warm colors while the left side is cool colors.

A traditional color wheel features warm colors on the right side and cool colors on the left side. Photo Credit: Jill Kielas

The first step is to evaluate your customers’ skin tone, eye color, and hair color to ascertain whether they have warm or cool tones. Individuals with cool tones will exhibit pink, reddish, or bluish hues in their skin, whereas those with warm undertones will display golden or peachy hues. It’s crucial not to pigeonhole groups of people into a single category, as there is a spectrum of skin colors within every race, varying from light to dark.

These are some examples of cool skin tones:

Selecting a frame color can be a logical decision or an emotional one. Emotions often play a significant role in purchases. A logical color choice might be adventurous, yet it remains sensible. It harmonizes with the individual’s skin tone, hair, and eye color.

For example, this blonde lady with warm skin undertones and golden hair found this pale yellow frame to be a natural fit. Conversely, this redhead with pink skin tones and blue eyes found this deep red frame to complement her features.

Using descriptive language to help customers understand color can be very beneficial. It not only aids them in discovering their personal style but also makes the selection process enjoyable and less intimidating. It demystifies the process of choosing suitable colors. Here, logical thought and emotions intertwine. Customers have likely considered what they desire for their next pair. Do they seek a softer, more feminine look? Or, having been promoted, do they wish to exude more authority?

For a man, you might suggest, “This blue color complements your eye color, signifying confidence, strength, and stability.” For a woman, “This coral shade adds a perfect balance of color to your face, enhancing the natural color of your lips and adding a playful brightness to your complexion.” Engaging customers in this manner about color could make them more receptive to exploring new options.

Offering our customers neutral color options should still follow color theory and the color wheel. Neutrals include shades of black, gray, navy, brown, tan, khaki, and white.

Photo Credit: Jill Kielas

Neutrals can enhance hair color, accentuate the eyes, or add a subtle sparkle. However, neutrals can also be striking. They have the ability to make bold and expressive statements, even in their subtlety.

Delving into color theory, using the customer’s skin tone is a primary guide in choosing colors, but understand that hair and eye color also play a role. Complementary, analogous, and triadic color schemes can aid in selecting the best colors for your customers.

Complementary colors, situated on opposite ends of the color wheel, harmonize well. For instance, individuals with golden skin tones may find shades of plum and purple flattering, while those with green eyes could look striking in various reds.

Analogous colors are often preferred by our customers. These are colors that sit side by side on the color wheel. Many customers frequently wear a particular color in their wardrobe, which justifies adding that color to their glasses. Another example of using analogous colors would be someone with blue eyes who may feel comfortable choosing blue eyeglasses.

Triadic color theory involves colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel, often resulting in a vibrant yet harmonious look. Orange, teal, and purple, or yellow, blue, and blue-reds are all triadic color examples.

She would look good in all three colors of this frame, but which one truly matches her goals and fashion sense?

Color harmony is a crucial part of the styling process. It involves evaluating the skin’s lightness and darkness, the color saturation of the frame, and the individual’s personality. The finish of the frame is also important; a glossy finish reflects light differently from a matte finish, as does the transparency of the frame’s finish.

Both of these ladies belong to the cool color family. Their complementary colors are shades of yellow, green, and amber, which are opposite to their skin tones. Their analogous colors are shades of pink, blue-reds, and plums and match their cool skin tones. Their triadic colors would include shades of orange, peach, navy, and khaki.

These two ladies fall into the warm color family. Their complementary colors are shades of plum, purple, and raspberry, which are opposite to their skin tones. Their analogous colors are shades of gold, amber, rust, orange and brown, which match their warm skin tones. Their triadic colors would include shades of blue, red, and teal.

Photo Credit: Jill Kielas

This photo provides an excellent overview of the fundamental principles of color theory. It demonstrates that everyone can wear a variety of colors, and the choice ultimately depends on how it aligns with their skin tone on the color wheel, intensity of the tone, the frame finish, and of course their individual style and personality.

Author
  • Jill Kielas, ABOC

    Jill Kielas is a luxury independent eyewear representative for The House of Tom Davies that is based in London. Jill has a solid history of helping independent eye care professionals grow their businesses and delight their clients with premium eyewear brands. Her extensive background spans 30 years within optometry and ophthalmology in both family practices and boutique settings. As a certified optician, ABO speaker, experienced leader, and cosmetologist, Jill possesses a unique combination of skills and knowledge that swiftly propelled her to become an expert in the optical industry.

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