The Season Naming Systems

22 Responses to “The Season Naming Systems”

1. Rosalie Weiss on May 21st, 2009 11:26 am

   I have been trying to follow all your info about the seasons and must say I am fascinated. I noticed that you have changed your season for yourself out of autumn. I just looked at your current email essay to us and see that there are 4 different systems. This I did not know and am only familiar with two.

   I think I am a warm autumn like you thought you were but now at some point I guess I am going to have either you or the woman you have been following do an analysis.

   Do I understand correctly that you are becoming a color analysis coordinator and giving up the veterinary work? I honestly need you for that, also-maybe you will do a greener kibble email.

   I owe you still a long personal email but I do read all you send and keep 90%of them!

   Rosalie
2. Christine Scaman on May 25th, 2009 4:04 pm

   Hi, Rosalie,

   I hope you’re keeping well. There are a number of Season naming systems, several more than those I’ve described. I think you would enjoy being color analyzed because you have an open mind. You can’t go into it with the notion that “I know what suits me better than anyone else does”, in which case the money is best spent elsewhere. Do you know how to find a Sci\Art- trained analyst near you? The company originates in Florida, I believe. Follow the Appointments link on the left side of this page :

   http://www.coloranalysis.com/category_s/90.htm

   Regarding leaving the veterinary world – I guess we are all made up of many parts. I’ve been a vet for 20 years. I don’t want to be 70 and look back and think that I denied a whole other part of myself just to be a vet for 40 years. Life has made me want things that I didn’t want back when I made the first choice. However, I will make the transition gradually. You know, A Greener Kibble might be an idea worth pursuing! That world generates a story each day, might be useful when I run out of gas on the other topics.
3. Taji on May 27th, 2009 12:20 pm

   Christine—i forgot how to do a general post on your blog. My topic is Turmeric. I’ve always used some and after the foods for preventing cancer books that you talked about—i’ve used more. In replacing my bottle a while ago, I bought a cheaper import brand, i bought another import bottle, and then i bought Mcormick—regular grocery store brand. They all smell metallic to me—–maybe it always smelled this way but i don’t think so. have you heard anything on contamination? i did a little search this am and didn’t see anything yet. i’m not sure i now anyone here to ask—although i do live close to ” Little India”—i could go get some there.
4. Christine Scaman on May 27th, 2009 1:10 pm

   Oh, Taji, I haven’t a clue. I buy my herbs and spices in small quantities at the Bulk Barn and they always seem fresh. I wonder the same thing though, about contamination, it seems it could happen so easily.
   I think Little India would be a fine place to ask. Also, google “Indian cooking” or “Indian cooking blogs”, might be helpful . I recall Cooking With Korma as being good. Finally comes to mind, since turmeric is a mainstream supplement these days, that Dr. Andrew Weil’s site might be a good contact/resource.
5. Fil on January 25th, 2010 12:43 am

   I was trying to find the Sci\ART book earlier today and came across the sad news of Kathryn Kalisz’s (the founder of the company) death earlier this month in the Florida shooting that killed several people. We have heard so much about her work through Christine, for which I am truly grateful. Truly sad and senseless.
6. Christine Scaman on January 26th, 2010 6:58 pm

   It’s true, Fil,

   As indescribably horrible as this loss has been, for the family, it must be unbearable. In the shootings, Deb, the office manager, and Captain Reed of the Florida police were also shot and killed. Kathryn is survived by her 3 daughters, one of whom was shot and lost a pregnancy, but is expected to live. I think of this terrible tragedy every day. Hopefully enough of Kathryn lives on in her family, her writing and teaching, and in her analysts to continue her journey.
7. Kathy W. on February 15th, 2010 6:54 pm

   I just recently discovered the Sci/Art system using a web search (which also brought me here!) and I am shocked and saddened to hear about the death of the company founder. Do you know if the company is still in operation? The website is still up but I’m wondering if they are filling orders. Their products (books/swatches) don’t seem to be available anywhere else.

   Any news is appreciated. Sorry for your loss and the loss to the greater community.
8. Christine Scaman on February 17th, 2010 7:14 pm

   Hi, Kathy,

   The company is certainly still in operation, very much so. While the women who were shot (Google “Kalisz shootings Brooksville Florida” to read what happened) are still recovering, one of Kathryn’s daughters has taken the reins and is filling orders for the analysts. The company will take some restructuring, but I know that there are many plans. The online shop for buying swatch books should be operating again, but I do not know when. On the website, under Personal Colour Analysis, there should be a directory of analysts in the US (I’m assuming that’s where you are). You might be able to arrange a purchase through them.
9. Kathy W. on February 21st, 2010 8:17 pm

   Hi Christine,
   Thank you for the update on Sci/Art. I am in the US (San Francisco area) but there doesn’t appear to be an analyst near me, the only one listed on the Sci/Art site has a personal website that says she is no longer doing individual color consultations, she is only training people who want to become consultants. I think I will try the 800 number for Sci/Art and see about purchasing a book that way. I have an art degree and was an interior designer for several years so anything based on Munsell and scientific principles of color sounds very intriguing!

   I’m undecided if I need to have a draping done to confirm my Clear Spring suspicions. One of the systems that typed me years ago was Color 1, they match individual color swatches to you to create custom packets (a process that took hours!) and the Color 1 associate gave me many of the colors in the Clear Spring palette way back then – lots of blues, purples and reds. I don’t look good in muted earth tones so I’m pretty sure I’m not a Warm Spring or an Autumn that was incorrectly typed as Spring, and I think I’m too dark eyed for Light Spring. I’ve been reading about your transition from Autumn to Winter though, maybe a pair of “fresh eyes” is what I need.
10. Christine Scaman on February 24th, 2010 6:05 pm

    It’s amazing to me that there are so many PCA systems. I hear of new ones all the time. The one reason I can think of to have a new analysis is that you think you need one, or that you have uncertainty about the the last one. That’s a GOOD reason! If 2 systems come out with the same answer, you would surely have your answer.
    Your answer made me wonder how my own clients would describe their PCA result. Would they have a clear understanding of why we made certain decisions? I hope so.
11. Kathy W. on February 24th, 2010 8:36 pm

    Hi Christine,

    You are probably right, since I was typed by more than one system and given similar results I likely don’t need another draping, even though this was done back in th 80′s. CMB gave me Spring (this was before they expanded to 12 seasons) and Color 1 doesn’t use seasonal names since they did individual custom swatch packets, but they told me I was warm not cool and gave me many of what I now recognize are the Clear Spring colors. I also had a woman that had started her own business based on CMB concepts type me as Spring.

    I’m sure you know by now that the reason I went to multiple people is that I intially wasn’ t that excited about “my” colors, when I first went for color analysis I really thought I was a Summer or possibly Winter because my favorite colors to wear were blues and purples and of course being the 80s I also had a closet full of black, grey and pink. Spring was not what I expected (nor were browns/beiges and yellows very fashionable at the time)! I think if I’d been given Clear Spring right away (with my favorite blues and purples) I would have fallen in love with the pallette, and once I had what I know now to be Clear Spring colors from Color 1′s pallette I finally learned to embrace Spring. I still loved black and whatever the hot fashion colors were though.

    Now that I’m older I’ve really noticed that the “wrong” colors accuentuate skin spots and undereye circles/fine lines, and I realize I need to get on and stick with a “right” colors program.

    I’m wondering if you have any theory on why Color Me Beautiful abandoned the 12 season system and is now back to just four seasons? A real step backward in my opinion.

    Thanks for the feedback and for all you do here, really like this site!

    Kathy W.
12. Christine Scaman on February 28th, 2010 8:18 pm

    Kathy,

    I wondered the same thing about CMB – and don’t know the answer. I haven’t read all the books, so I don’t know if they explain this decision in one of the more recent books.
13. Fil on March 8th, 2010 12:20 pm

    If I’m not mistaken, there has always been a difference between the UK-based CMB company, which has adopted the 12-seasonal type system in the early 90′s, if not earlier, and the US-based company, which I believe has always stuck with the 4-season system. The 12-seasonal palette books are published by CMB-UK, and the 4-season books by CMB-US.
14. Kathy W. on March 11th, 2010 7:18 pm

    Interesting – I had noticed that some of the CMB books that use the 12 season system also used the UK spelling “colour” but didn’t know there was a separate UK CMB company. Thanks Fil!

    I was recently able to find some of the older 12 season CMB swatch packets (made for distribution in the USA, the spelling is “color” on everything) on eBay, the CMB consultant who sold them to me told me that CMB discontinued them “several” years ago because it was “too confusing” and they weren’t getting enough extra profit for the time/expense of carrying 12 unique product lines instead of four.

    I believe CMB operates like Mary Kay and many other direct cosmetic/ image consultant companies, one of the ways that consultants make money is to recruit and train other people to become consultants. I bet what really happened is the consultants were having to spend a lot more time with both their clients and their trainees using the 12 Season system and that it was easier for the consultants to type and train people with only four options. Just a guess. Too bad though!

    I think that one of the reasons CMB and color analysis in general aren’t more popular these days (besides the passing of the “fad” phase) is that many women weren’t happy with being stuck in one of the four seasons, and don’t realise that they would really shine in one of the 12. Look how many of Christine’s readers have been dissatisfied with their initial color analysis experience.

    I’m so happy we have this site and companies like Sci/Art and Pretty Your World as resources!
15. Fil on March 11th, 2010 8:14 pm

    Kathy,

    Aumente Style in Ohio (Pat Henshaw who co-authored Color me Confident is a partner) uses the CMB-Europe 12-palette system.

    Clear Spring is so pretty. I used to want to be one…
16. Kathy W. on March 12th, 2010 5:55 pm

    Thanks Fil, I will google them. I’m looking for a CMB Cool Winter swatch book for my Mom – she only has the 4 season Winter swatches.
17. Tora on April 11th, 2010 4:31 am

    Kathy,

    I live in Napa and I drove 3 1/2 hours down to Fresno this week to see Cynthia Wynkoop, one of the four CA analysts listed on SciArt. She was very nice and it really is amazing to do it in person and see the changes in your face. For a few hundred dollars (courtesy of my tax refund!), 7 hours of driving, and indian food on the way back, it was totally worth it because I know doing it now while I’m still a student and still have weight to lose is better than waiting until I need professional and smaller clothing.

    If you really want to have a SciArt pro analyze you, make a day of it, bring someone along if they’re game for it (I knew my mother would think it not worth the time and money so I took my ipod instead :p), and find something else to do that’s worth the trip. Indian food is scarce in wine country so I made sure to google some restaurants for the drive back

    Of course, you sound pretty sure having been draped before so I agree with Christine, if you think you still need it, do it. I was 95% sure my season was summer and from Lora’s informative site I leaned towards Soft but the analysis showed I look better in yellow than in orange and neutrals rather than pure cool so I’m a Light Summer. Which I secretly hoped I was because I totally love the colors more than Soft Summer.

    Ok, I’ll shut up now. Just wanted to tell you there is someone vaaaguely close to SF Bay Area!

    Oh and Christine, I love your blogs. They’ve been very helpful and I will be checking back often for all your tips, light summer-related or not ^_^
18. Christine Scaman on April 11th, 2010 6:17 am

    Thanks, Tora.

    Amazing how obvious and logical it is when it’s demonstrated in an organized way, ay? Cynthia did a wonderful job because I see that you have an understanding of why the result is what it is, and also of what the wrong colours actually look like- because that’s 91% of what’s out there and it’s important to have a general sense of what it looks like so you can walk past it.

    Just get there and make a day of it is the right advice. The second analysis always goes faster. And it is a wonderful lesson in how we cannot be objective about our own faces, at least not that quickly, while a good friend can. When those final drapes are going by, the analyst and the friend can effortlessly and automatically flip your hair to the right colour – it’s like their eyes just supply the colour automatically – while the client sits there, perched and clinging to the wall of her own resistance. Such a funny thing, because that was me too.
19. Kathy W. on April 11th, 2010 12:36 pm

    Hi Tora,

    Thank you so much for the info and description of your SciArt analysis. Glad to know that there is someone somewhat close!

    I think we are in a very similar place – because I was draped before I’m 95% (or 99%) sure I’m a Spring in the SciArt system, I just don’t know for sure which one. Clear seems like the strongest candidate based on my research and using my old Color 1 swatches (which were matched individually to me) as a guide, but it would sure be fun to find out for sure. And if I wound up in Summer or Autumn instead I’d be shocked ha ha ha.

    Now I’m really thinking about doing this. If I can get my Mom to come along that would really be fun.
20. Kathy W. on April 11th, 2010 12:39 pm

    Oops in SciArt that would have me leaning toward “Bright” Spring, not “Clear”. I get the CMB names stuck in my head!

    Bright is actually a much better descriptive term than Clear, I have a heck of a time picturing what “clear” skin is – no acne?
21. Lauren on June 23rd, 2010 4:20 pm

    Hi,

    I’ve been reading your blog (this one and the new one) for some time now. I really enjoy how much thought you put into the way color works, being a nerd myself who likes to figure things out. I’m wondering…. I was typed as a Warm Spring on the CMB system, and I see there’s no correlate for that in the system you’re now using. How do you place springs w/strong autumn tendencies? (I, for example, look very best in bright pumpkin orange, and other mid-tones that are warm and clear. Very light colors with a few exceptions wash me out, and all dark colors make me look like a zombie.) Would they become True Springs? I realize it probably varies depending on the person and what you see in the draping session, but is there any general pattern?
22. Christine Scaman on June 24th, 2010 3:53 pm

    Hi, Lauren,

    From one analytical nerd to another
    The Sci\ART system does not have an Autumn Spring blend. If you’re Autumn, your colors are warmed by amber brown (Spring is daffodil yellow), very muted (Spring is juicy clear), and darkish (Spring is pretty light). There is no crossover, because they are entirely not the same. You may not be a pure Season at all, but a mix of 2.
    If you visit Lora at http://www.prettymyworld.com, you’ll find a boatload of info using the CMB system, with tons of photos, articles, and examples. Also, Lora will work from a photo.

Got something to say? I hope so.