When it comes to choosing the perfect cashmere accessory such as a printed pashmina shawl, one of the most important questions will be which colour might suit you best. Although there are no rules and we should wear whatever colours make us happy, it can be interesting to explore the techniques that expert stylists use to pick out colours. 

If you are buying the garment as a gift, you will naturally want to buy something that is flattering to the recipient so that they will genuinely appreciate and enjoy wearing it. Here are some tips to find the perfect cashmere colour. 

Establish skin tone

Professional stylists start by analysing skin tone to understand if it is warm or cool toned. 

The personal stylist Elaine Davies explained to Woman and Home: "Look at the underside of your arm in natural daylight, if you have a pink or rosy undertone and blue-tinted veins you have a cool skin tone. If you have a golden or apricot undertone and green-tinted veins you have a warm skin tone."

Some people may find that they fall into neither of these categories, in which case they have a neutral skin tone. People with pink or rosy undertones have cool colouring, and tend to suit clothing colours with blue undertones, such as greens, purples, and blues of any shade.  

Warm skin tones with a yellow or brown undertone tend to look good in earthy tones, such as amber, warm reds, coral, gold, and green. 

Consider hair and eye colour

People with cool skin tones tend to have ashy blonde or light brown hair and light blue, green, or grey eyes. They suit soft pastel colours and all tones of grey and blue. Orange and yellow tones are less flattering, and white can make them look too washed out. 

People with warm skin tones tend to have red, brown or black hair and brown or deep blue or green eyes. They look great in scarlet, fuchsia pink, deep purples and black, grey or white. However soft pastel colours tend to be less flattering.

Some people combine warm skin tone with light blonde or brown hair, and they look great in bright jewel colours, but find pastels less flattering. People with a warm skin tone and red or auburn hair can look stunning in autumnal shades of dark green and earthy oranges, browns and reds.

Personal preferences

Regardless of your natural colouring, your personal preferences also come into play. For example, some people are drawn to bold vibrant colours because they feel that this reflects their personality best and helps them to express themselves. Some people prefer to wear more muted colours and feel most comfortable in neutral shades.

Mix and match

Of course, there is no need to limit yourself to one colour, and cashmere accessories give you the perfect opportunity to add accent colours and combine different palettes.