Free test

Style manual

Black again, to get through the room.

What to wear to what.

Work, an interview, a wedding, a photo: a page for the day, for any season. Keep your black, and put it where it works for you.

$24 Dressed on Purpose, one PDF for all 12 seasons

Tell me when it is out

Not out yet. The heads-up also joins The Palette Post.

No subscription. Works with any season. An instant download, so it is not refundable.

No colors yet? Take the free test

Cover of Dressed on Purpose, the manual: the title in dark plum letters with the words on purpose in berry script, on cream paper, a painted bouquet in berry, blush and lilac in the lower corner and a fan of nine gray paint chips from white to near black.
Dressed on Purpose, the cover

01 Before and with the guide

The same week, with a manual

Three moments of a week. Tap the one that sounds like you.

For the all-hands you reach for black again, to get through the room without a comment.

Dressed on Purpose, page 16, three problems and one step: page on looking washed out in photos, black that overwhelms, and makeup that disappears or looks heavy, each with a before and after drawn in gray steps.
Page 16

Black stays. Move it.

Keep black off your face: on the bottom halfPage 16

In the group photo you find yourself by the scarf. The rest of you matches the wall.

Dressed on Purpose, page 46, photos and headshots: situation page for photos and headshots, with outfit formulas by contrast level and skin notes.
Page 46

A photo chosen on purpose.

a photo that looks like you, with light and color chosen on purposePhotos and headshots, page 46

The invitation says garden party. The closet says black, gray, and one blue shirt.

Dressed on Purpose, page 43, wedding guest, day: situation page for a wedding guest by day, with outfit formulas by contrast level and skin notes.
Page 43

One page for the occasion.

be right for the occasion without competing with the brideWedding guest, day, page 43

02 Your day

Pick the day. Then your column.

Your column: page 6, ten minutes at a window.

Work
Work situation page: dress codes decoded for corporate, creative and retail, three outfit formulas drawn for low, mid and high contrast with the gap in steps, a checklist, skin notes and two short handwritten notes.
Page 38 · Work

Low columnA suit in a mid-deep tone, a top one step away, and one accent, such as a lip.

Mid columnBlazer and trousers in one value, a top in another, and a belt or a shoe that closes the outfit.

High columnA deep neutral suit over a light top, and one hatched accent in your color.

Interview
Dressed on Purpose, page 40, interview: situation page for an interview, with outfit formulas by contrast level, a checklist and skin notes.
Page 40 · Interview

Low columnAt Low, softer pairs tend to feel like you.

Mid columnA top two to four steps from your skin, lighter or deeper, keeps your face in focus, and a much wider gap pulls the eye away.

High columnAt High, you can keep your usual sharp look.

Wedding guest, day
Dressed on Purpose, page 43, wedding guest, day: situation page for a wedding guest by day, with outfit formulas by contrast level and skin notes.
Page 43 · Wedding guest, day

Low columnA soft color with drape: dusty rose, sage or grayish lavender. Satin finish.

Mid columnA dress or set in a friendly medium color.

High columnA sharp color of your season, or a deep with a light accent.

Photos and headshots
Dressed on Purpose, page 46, photos and headshots: situation page for photos and headshots, with outfit formulas by contrast level and skin notes.
Page 46 · Photos and headshots

Low columnA medium, friendly color against a wall in another tone.

Mid columnA blazer in a color of your season over a tee.

High columnA deep outfit with a light tee, against a medium wall.

The formulas are the pages' own words.

Tell me when it is out

03 Inside, page by page

Turn the real pages

Drag sideways, or tap a page to see it larger.

  • Cover of Dressed on Purpose, the manual: the title in dark plum letters with the words on purpose in berry script, on cream paper, a painted bouquet in berry, blush and lilac in the lower corner and a fan of nine gray paint chips from white to near black.
    Manual · coverThe cover
  • Contrast self-check page made to print: four numbered steps to take a gray strip to a window, a table of lips, brows, eyes and hair to compare with your cheek, and a strip of nine gray steps from white to near black to cut off the bottom.
    Page 6Contrast self-check
  • Page of five contrast levels from low to high, each with a gray strip, a small gap marker between the cheek and the features, what it reads as, how it echoes in outfits and one step to try.
    Page 8Five levels, drawn
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 9, what it means for your outfits: page on outfit contrast, how far apart your pieces sit, drawn in gray steps with one hatched piece for your color.
    Page 9What it means for outfits
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 10, neutrals and how to pair them: page on picking neutrals by how far apart they sit, with pairs drawn in gray steps.
    Page 10Neutrals, paired
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 11, prints, soft or sharp: page of the manual with drawings in gray steps and the formulas for each contrast level.
    Page 11Prints, by contrast
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 16, three problems and one step: page on looking washed out in photos, black that overwhelms, and makeup that disappears or looks heavy, each with a before and after drawn in gray steps.
    Page 16Three problems, one step
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 18, line check, to print: page made to print: five questions about edges to answer at a window.
    Page 18The line check
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 19, scale check, to print: page made to print: five questions about how far things read, to answer at a window.
    Page 19The scale check
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 20, your two results, to print: page made to print: a grid to copy your line and scale answers into.
    Page 20Your two results
  • The four-square page made to print: four squares to mark one item, one accessory, one place and one word, then a key of eight style words to add up, from Quiet Power to Dry Wit.
    Page 28The four-square
  • Style word page for Quiet Power: its five levers, three outfit formulas drawn in gray with a hatched piece for your color, makeup, hair as options, accessories, and how to move toward it from low, mid or high contrast.
    Page 29A style word
  • Work situation page: dress codes decoded for corporate, creative and retail, three outfit formulas drawn for low, mid and high contrast with the gap in steps, a checklist, skin notes and two short handwritten notes.
    Page 38Work
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 40, interview: situation page for an interview, with outfit formulas by contrast level, a checklist and skin notes.
    Page 40Interview
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 42, date: page of the manual with drawings in gray steps and the formulas for each contrast level.
    Page 42Date night
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 43, wedding guest, day: situation page for a wedding guest by day, with outfit formulas by contrast level and skin notes.
    Page 43Wedding guest, day
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 46, photos and headshots: situation page for photos and headshots, with outfit formulas by contrast level and skin notes.
    Page 46Photos and headshots
  • Travel capsule page: the same ten pieces drawn at low, mid and high contrast, with light neutrals, deeper neutrals and one hatched accent, and the gap in steps for each level.
    Page 48Travel capsule, drawn
  • Dressed on Purpose, page 49, capsule packing list, to print: page made to print: a packing list to fill in beside the gray strip.
    Page 49Packing list, to print
  • Your card page made to print: a baseline for season, contrast, line and scale with the cuts for each level, a row of eight style words to pick from, and one lever to change this week.
    Page 50Your card

04 What is inside

What is in the manual.

It works with any season: the steps are measured in grays, so they read the same from fair to deep.

  • Your contrastA check at a window that tells you how far apart your darks and lights can sit.
  • The dayWork, an interview, a date, a wedding, photos and travel, each with a low, mid and high way to dress for it.
  • Your wordsA style word from four squares: an item, an accessory, a place and a word.
  • To printA travel capsule, a packing list and a card to keep.

05 Before you buy

Is this for you?

For you

  • You know (or half know) your colors and still buy pieces that read wrong.
  • You want a formula you can repeat for work, a date or a wedding.
  • You want to start with what you own.

Not for you

  • You want someone to tell you your season from a photo. The free test comes first: about 6 minutes, no photo.
  • You already dress for your day with ease.
  • The problem is fit, tailoring or skin care.

06 Asked often

Questions that are hard to ask

I mostly wear black.

Black can work, in the right place. Page 16 gives it its own problem and a one step fix.

I don't know my style word.

Four squares start it: an item, an accessory, a place, a word. The letters point to a style word.

Does it work on deep, olive or tan skin?

Contrast is measured against your own cheek, so the steps are the same from fair to deep.

Can I return it?

It is an instant download, so it is not refundable and has no swap.

You know your colors. Now the closet.

One email when the manual is out, plus The Palette Post.

With any season's Complete Guide ($29) it is Guide + Manual, $45, against $53 bought separately.

Cover of Dressed on Purpose, the manual: the title in dark plum letters with the words on purpose in berry script, on cream paper, a painted bouquet in berry, blush and lilac in the lower corner and a fan of nine gray paint chips from white to near black.