The Best Fashion Colours To Make Salt & Pepper Hair Look Fabulous
Are you ready to take a step towards going natural and embracing your salt and pepper hair? I said good-bye to hair-dye over 2 years ago now. I have to admit I was really nervous about going gray cold turkey so I opted to transitioning to gray hair with lowlights. Basically that is the opposite of hi-lights and it helps hide the demarcation hair line while you are growing out old hair color.
Fully transitioned now, I love the way my hair feels and looks. It is so soft and no longer brittle from over-processing. Not to mention I have more money in my pocket! No need to run to the hair salon every 3 weeks to cover up my roots.
What to wear with salt & pepper hair?
However, one of the things that really bothered me after letting my hair go gray was that none of my old wardrobe seemed to look good on me anymore. So I reached out to Jill Kirsh, the colour guru, for some help and tips on the best colors to wear with grey hair. She is an expert at choosing colors that won't make you look pale and in fact she claims that the right fashion color choices make you look great, even without makeup. I am all in for that!
The difference between salt & pepper and grey hair
If you were born with brown or black hair like me, chances are that as you are transitioning to grey hair, you will probably notice that you have silver streaks of hair (natural hi-lites yay!) along with areas of your hair that are still close to your original colour. When you have that mix, you have salt & pepper hair. As time goes on, more and more of your hair will lose it's colour (melanin). Then your hair will be either completely gray or platinum white. Natural blondes will go to the gray stage much faster.
Why is that difference important to know
According to jill Kirsh, the fashion colours that look good on you will be slightly different depending on how you have transitioned. So if you believe that you have gray hair, check out this post for the best colours to wear for you.
What Colors Look Best With Salt and Pepper Hair?
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1. Don't wear camel, rust, avocado and ivory. Instead wear clear vibrant shades like royal blue, pure white, emerald and fuchsia.
2. Don't wear yellow gold. Wear silver, white gold & platinum.
3. Don't wear bronze, rimless or pastel eyeglass frames. Opt for black, pewter, navy or a deep royal purple.
4. Don't wear coral, citrine and turquoise. Your jewels are lapis, onyx and ruby colored stones. P.S. Definitely set the diamonds in white gold or platinum. Just sayin!
5. Don't accessorize with tan or earth tones. Your go-to basic handbag, boots, shoes & belts should be black, true red and navy.
***NOTE: These tips are for salt & pepper hair only. Check out this post for gray hair mistakes and solutions.***
Check out these other gray hair posts:
- 25 Gorgeous Grey Hairstyles for Short Hair to Inspire Your Next Cut
- Why Is Your Hair Turning Grey? 7 Things You Should Know
- How to Keep Hair Healthy During a Grey Hair Transition: A Complete Guide
- 10 Mistakes Women Make When Transitioning To Grey Hair
- The Real Reasons Hair Changes After 40 — and What Treatment Helps
Need some foolproof guidance on colour choices for your salt and pepper hair?
Jill Kirsh has designed a wallet size customized swatch book that’s filled with pieces of fabric of all your best shades for your salt and pepper hair. You use it as guide for shopping for everything from tees, shorts and nail color to party dresses, jewels and stilettos! In addition to these being all your best shades, every color in your swatch book coordinates with each other, so you can have a wardrobe that totally rocks. You can shop Target or Neiman’s, it doesn’t matter. It's all about the hue!
Jill's also has a line of products that are customized mineral based, fragrance free makeup kits filled with all your best shades for the eyes, cheeks and lips. All the lip products, blush and shadows are paraben free, all the products are cruelty free and are made in the USA and all these shades blend beautifully with each other and compliment the hues in your swatch book.
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with me Jill, and I look forward to featuring you again soon.
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Check out these gorgeous silver sisters!
I have silver hair in the front and salt and pepper at sides and back, very fair skin colour, what colours should I go for?
I've just given myself a buzz cut as I'm so sick of colouring my hair and not getting great results. (For some reason my greying hair responds oddly to dyes, and they do not turn out the same colour as the box.) I'm left with salt and pepper hair. I'm an autumn and my wardrobe is predominantly warm, and my skin, even though it has changed dramatically since my youth still apparently leans warm. Can I still get away with dropping the earthy tones for cooler Jewell tones even though my skin seems warm? This was such an insightful article. I'm so happy I found it.
I suggest you try. Experiment with different jewel shades. Take shelfies and see what works for you best.
@Elena Peters, Good idea. I think this is what I'll do. I'm a bit scared!
Be brave!
We should always remember that fashion 'rules' do not apply to everyone. For example the rule that says no tan/brown /camel, etc only applies to grey hair on light skin. On brown skin it's gorgeous! Just like the photo above. Work out what works for you !
I have lots of turquoise jewelry, and clothing, as it’s my favorite color, so I’m NOT going to stop wearing it! My hair is white, and I have brown eyes. I get lots of compliments on my turquoise, and when I wear royal blue. I have always hated earth tones, and never worn them. I do wear yellow because it’s a happy color, regardless of how I look in it! I prefer the soft yellows like butter and lemon.
@Linda, I have to agree with you on this. I tend to wear opposite of what she says I should be wearing, and I often get compliments on what I am wearing and my accessories. I have never noticed myself to look jaundiced and I would notice as I am a Registered Nurse
Hi I cut off all my blonde bleach, and am now dirty dishwater blonde and gray, what would be my best colors. I love all the gray sisters here, but even though I use purple shampoos and such, it highlights the gray but still not completely gray. So what are my best options. Thanks Ronda
I had my hair dark blond for years and then I shaved my head for chemo. When I grew in last year it is now a mix of silver white and dark brown streaks. I always wore coral or brownish lipsticks. I hate pink and won't wear it in clothing. Dark mauve is ok but not on my lips. What makeup colors can I wear now? Fortunately most of my clothing is blue % green. How do I get past the pink stuff?
You don’t have to wear pink. I would suggest sapphire and emerald colours for eyes (liner only if you don’t want to go full on) and stick with a nude or coral lipstick.
I love the support for those of us who have decided to go “natural”. I am 68 and my new hair coming in is more salt and pepper. I really don’t mind my two tone at the moment, and go in for a trim every 6 weeks or so. Thank you for the tips on transitioning, makeup, clothing and jewelry. Love it!
I let my then boyfriend (now husband) talk me into going "natural" 4 years ago. Fortunately, I got my dad's salt and pepper hair. I cut it into a short pixie and I get more compliments! Thanks for all of the wonderful tips!
This was a nice article, thank you! My stylist and I have a plan in place that involves highlights and lowlights when it's "time", so I'm glad you mentioned it. For those of us with mid to long hair, it's the best way to transition without wearing hats 24/7. Long hair is fine at any age if your hair is healthy and in good shape, but looks better with some shorter layers around the face to pull things "up", because gravity tends to pull everything else down/ ;) Love the pictures you included; makes me almost wish my skin tone was ready for the switch!
Although I do wonder why you said turquoise jewelry was a no? Turquoise varies, but is generally a cool-toned stone traditionally set in silver. As a life-long turquoise lover, I'm not giving it up! :)
And I totally agree that diamonds should be set in white gold! I've always thought that, as most white/colorless diamonds are cool-toned. I had to fight to get my wedding ring set in white gold/platinum when we got engaged; yellow gold was the trend then.
Your skin tone changes as you age, which is why some women look awful in gray/white/silver hair when it comes in too early, but later look stunning. Even though I'm a cool winter coloring (typical ivory/blue/ brunette), my "pandemic highlights" wash me out; my skin is not ready for the transition yet. My mom had warm spring coloring with reddish-blonde hair until her 70's, when we decided she could try letting the white grow in. Her skin had transitioned to a cool tone, so now her white hair and baby blue eyes are a stunning combo. She exchanged her old warm-toned clothing for cobalt, turquoise, black, white, silver, navy- all the cool winter colors I wear. She looks amazing (I do a lot of shopping for her, and luckily I have great taste. ;)) She regularly gets stopped by men her age who point out her beautiful white hair to their wives and tell them they should go white, too. :)
What if you have a tan? I live by the beach and typically have a tan most of the year.
I noticed most of the pics and suggestions are depicted with non tanned complexion.
So how is the colour of clothing and jewellery affected by having tanned skin? And, does grey hair look awful against tanned skin.
I think I look great with a tan. I imagine all the colour suggestions suit tanned skin as well but I will contact Jill for confirmation and get back to you.
@Tina, I live by the beach too. I’m 74 and started using sun screen on my face in my late 30’s after being a total sun worshipper. My face is almost wrinkle free but my arms and legs are wrinkled. I can always tell who let their skin tan when I see woman my age.
I was thinking of doing my hair silver balage and my natural black is that a good idea for helping me to turn gray
I think that is a great idea!
Wow! What a great article! It makes going gray hip and youthful! Love it!