Tag Archives: t-shirt color

Should Your Shirt Be Darker Than Your Pants?

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The question of color and how it works on clothing is one that has been debated for centuries and will continue to be debated for a few more. The answer usually has to do with the fashions of the time. There are some years, and some specific seasons within a year, when light-colored shirts will be more in style. In the spring and summer, a light shirt that is lighter than the color of the pants will probably look nice as a seasonally-appropriate color.

In many areas, a light shirt with darker pants may even be expected in the winter. The temperature of the local area often has a lot to do with the colors that people wear. In an area that has a warm climate all year, the colors of the clothing may not vary at all throughout the year. In areas like this, light-colored shirts may be in style all year in order to celebrate the warm weather. In a place where the winters and summers have dramatically different temperatures, the colors people wear are often light during hot times and dark during cold times.

Another factor in deciding which colors will be the best to wear is the effect that different colors have on the eye. The major effect that many people notice is that darker colors make them look slimmer. This is a well-known trick to the eye that leads many people to wear dark colors most of the time. A darker color on top can lead the eye to believe that you are slimmer on top than you are. If you have a problem area on top, a shirt that is darker than your pants will be an effective way to minimize that problem.

If, however, you are self-conscious about your legs and want to take attention away from them, this color scheme won’t work. Wearing a lighter color on top will draw the eye there instead of at the legs and will make the legs look slimmer.

It’s also important to consider the way you look in certain colors. There are many people who simply look better in darker colors than lighter colors. If you aren’t sure what your best colors are, try holding a few shirts up in front of you and looking in the mirror. Notice the way the color of the shirt changes the way your face looks. The right colors can enhance your best features. The wrong colors may even make you look unhealthy and sallow.

If you simply want to wear the season’s most fashionable colors, take a cue from celebrities. Notice what they wear and chances are that the colors they have on are what’s in style. Also look through magazines to get an idea about what colors are in at the moment. Usually there is a specific color family that is most in style at any given moment. Whether that color is light or dark, wearing it will instantly make you a fashionable person who is part of the trend.

How to Keep Your T-Shirt Color Bright

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The colors of a new t-shirt are always brightest when the t-shirt is newest. Over a long period of time and many washes, the colors will begin to fade. However, there are a number of ways to keep the colors bright and to keep fading to a minimum.

One of the fading factors is UV light. Direct sunlight will eventually fade the colors of t-shirts. For this reason, dry a t-shirt indoors to preserve the bright colors. It’s also a good idea not to stay in bright sunlight while you are wearing the t-shirt. This can fade the shirt just as quickly as hanging it in the sun can do. Also consider where you store your t-shirts. If there is direct sunlight shining into your closet, that can fade your t-shirts as well as anything else being stored there.

A t-shirt with a bright color should only be washed with other clothes that have the same or a similar color. Washing the shirt with very different colors can mute the colors of all of the items as the dyes are mixed together. If the t-shirt has color like nothing else in your wardrobe, wash it by itself.

When washing the t-shirt, use a color-safe detergent. These may be color-safe bleaches or just detergent that is made for keeping colors from fading. The washing itself should be done in cold water to prevent too much of the dye from being lifted out of the material. Hot water will take it out far too quickly and will cause a faded look after a few washings. Use short washing cycles if the t-shirt isn’t terribly dirty as well to reduce the time that the t-shirt will be wet.

Because there is usually a little bit of dye that is lifted from clothing when it is washed, there are specific products that can capture that dye and prevent clothes from being dulled by the dye from other garments. One of these is dye grabber sheets. These are placed into the washing machine when the clothes are loaded. The sheet will absorb the dyes and leave the clothing looking far less faded.

Another way to ensure brighter colors is to use a common household ingredient to the wash. Many people regularly use vinegar in the wash to keep dyes from being lifted out of fabric and colors looking bright. To use vinegar in the wash, get a supply of white vinegar. This is an inexpensive type of vinegar available at any grocery store. Measure one cup of the vinegar and pour it into the washer along with the detergent. You don’t have to use less detergent than usual when you do this. The result will be t-shirts that keep their bright colors longer. The detergent generally takes care of any vinegar odor, and using a dryer sheet can also be helpful.

When drying, use a tumble dry mode instead of a heat dry mode. This will keep some fading from occurring and keep the colors looking brighter.