with
Gilly Montgomery

There is such freedom when we are seen and accepted for who we truly are. There is a relaxation, a deep letting go - peace comes with this recognition.

Sounds easy doesn't it? But who exactly are we? A simple question but so profound that it shakes our very core, our existence, our being. In fact to me this discovering is the journey, the meandering path that we have chosen in experiencing our humanness.

There are so many ways these days to delve deeper into ourselves: to heal, to create goals, to let go of our less acceptable emotions, to speak out more courageously. The reasons are many and various. But what of our perfection, our wholeness, the bigger picture: do we remember to let it hold us as we journey through our challenges? Do we give gratitude and enjoy the simple, mundane pleasures in life and allow ourselves the luxury of laughing at our warts, our weaknesses!

For me it's a dance, a balancing act of searching on the one hand, and on the other, dealing with the issues that arise with simple self-acceptance and self love.

Last year I followed my passion for colour in a big way. This was the next natural step for me. I had my 'colours done' around six years ago which completely changed my life and many around me. I enthused endlessly and encouraged others to follow suit and share the journey. I discovered that the colours that really support me are very vibrant, highly contrasting and extremely visible! For someone who had been wearing mellow, earthy colours it was quite shocking and very exciting. I could no longer hide. These colours have totally supported me in coming out in a big way with new found joy and self-confidence.

So I was greatly inspired by myself and I followed this into training as a Colour and Image consultant with House of Colour! This has brought many challenges with it, especially the image or style aspect which addresses the archetype.

One of the things I really love about it is the different levels at which this process can be embraced. For instance, those who want to acquire the knowledge to dress more self-confidently, save money and learn the nuts and bolts of personal dressing can do so. They can come and do a colour class with two or three other people and return in a month or two for the style day and just take it on a very practical level. However, whether they realise it or not it is life changing and taking them to a new place in themselves.

With change comes new openings, both exciting and challenging and issues inevitably arise. So the other way I enjoy working with the Colour and Image is to do five day residential courses.. These courses include the colour analysis, style analysis, make up and practical aspects of individual dressing. This is supported by rebirthing, dance, art, and deep sharing spaces according to the group needs.

This is the gift for me, the colour and image being an essential cog in the wheel that encompasses all my work and has opened up endless opportunities.

The Art and Science of looking and feeling good

A short history

In the creative environment of the Bauhaus Art and Design school in Germany between the wars, Johannes Itten, a Swiss artist did a great deal of research on the use of colour by the students. He observed how the students tended to use different colour pallets and concluded that this reflected their own skin tone. He produced a colour wheel which has been widely referred to in the world of colour.

This colour wheel is divided into four sections. Firstly it is divided into two, the blue-based colours and the yellow-based colours and these are divided again into the clear, bright colours and the soft, muted colours. It follows that all the colours in the universe can be divided in this way including our individual skin tones. In this colour analysis system these four divisions are know as the seasons: so that autumn includes all the yellow-based, muted colours; spring includes all the yellow-based, clear colours; winter includes all the blue-based clear colours and summer the blue-based, muted colours.

When Hitler came to power, the Bauhaus resettled in Chicago and more significantly, in Los Angeles, at the same time as colour was coming into the movies in Hollywood just down the road. Robert Dorr, who was an artist and knew of Itten's theories on the blue and yellow based colours began to observe the effect of the colours worn by the stars on the screen.

One day an actress would look wonderful in a colour and the next day she may look 5-10 years older, tired and as though she had been 'out on the tiles' just by wearing different colours!

He consulted his medical friends to see if there was any scientific basis to this theory. It was confirmed that the fatty layer under the skin is either yellow or blue based giving us the base to our skin tone - the hue. This is the underlying tone not to be confused with the surface tone which can be either sallow, tanned, tired, unwell and so on. It is not just a case of looking at someone's skin to ascertain if they are blue or yellow.

The film and TV industries are well aware of the effect that colour can have. For instance, in soaps, dressing the 'victim', the deserted wife with three screaming kids in the wrong colours really adds to the effect and she hardly needs to act!
Sicilian 'Mafiosi types' often look good in dark blue suits with white shirts, so dressing them in browns and camels makes them look more sinister. Conversely, put a yellow -based man into blue and white and he turns into the perfect dodgy second hand car dealer.

The image or style part is to do with our body architecture; whether we are straight and angular, curvaceous and soft or anything in between. The balance of yin and yang in the personality is the gem that brings the whole lot together. This relates to myth, archetype or fairy tale characters and allows us to celebrate our differences in a wonderfully non-judgemental way. We need all the characters in the pantomime with the interactions and relationships to make up a rich and varied life.

There are six main styles and often two are combined to create a clothing personality.

	Dramatic Powerful, dynamic, challenging, mysterious, inspiring with straight, angular body types. E.g. Ice Queen, Cat Woman, Snow White's Stepmother		Classic Elegant, sophisticated, reliable, need to get it right, responsible with straight but not such angular body types e.g. King/Queen, Duke/Duchess, Head Girl/Boy
	Natural Friendly, open, sporty, impulsive, laid back, wild and free with a more soft curved body. E.g. Cowboys/girls		Gamine Fun, cheeky, mischievous, boyish, quirky, with neat and petite body types. E.g. French street urchin, Peter Pan, elves and pixies
	Ingenue Pretty, youthful, dainty, attention to detail, elegant, chatty with delicate, neat body types. E.g. The princess, Sleeping Beauty, Edwardian, Victorian.		Romantic Voluptuous, glamorous, glitzy, sexy, majestic with curvaceous, soft body types. E.g. Earth mother, abundant goddess.