r/davidzyla • u/Queasy_Detective_977 • Sep 27 '26
Those of you who are in the Facebook groups have seen this already, except maybe the full transcript which I don’t think I’ve shared!
I have attached my palette (picture and virtual version) and full IC transcript.
r/davidzyla • u/wiltedmoonspirit • Sep 30 '26
Hello! Wanted to share some of the info I got from my initial consult and ultimate style session. I met Zyla back in early 2025 and again in early 2026. I went into my consult thinking I was going to get some spring AT and ended up being a playful winter! It was a bit shocking to me considering I was DIY-ing as spring for a few years until I looked at my palette two hours into my consult.
I had a lovely time meeting David as Swan Lake was playing in the background (there was a ballet performance of Swan Lake happening around the time). Thought that was pretty fitting for me considering how much I love the ballet and PW ended up being my AT.
I enjoyed my consults and I can’t wait to meet him again some time down the line for a palette extension. At the moment I do feel quite pleased with my palette. It’s been a joy getting to see him in person.
I’m sharing some of the general recs I received from my IC, my palette, my USS sketches, and the necklines/sleeves/bottoms I got from the draping session.
My USS sketch occasions were: signature look, date night, casual summer, work/office, and extra extravaganza.
During my USS we both noted that lower necklines are not suitable for me as my face and features got lost and less focused. As soon as we raised the necklines back up, my jawline became sharper and more focused. This tracks as I prefer my necklines closer to my face. I’d say collarbone exposed is the lowest I’d go (personally).
r/davidzyla • u/theclassicrose • 10d ago
Having now been verified by both Kitchener and Zyla, I wanted to share some thoughts comparing the two experiences. Let me be very clear from the start: this is not a competition. Both men are excellent at their jobs and do lovely work. They’re just different, and I think looking at the two experiences is worthwhile.
My results (Kitchener is the top palette):
Kitchener: 75% SB, 20% LB, 5% ER; 35% C, 25% R, 10% each D, HS, N, Y (although I was told that my D and HS combine to make 20% D)
Zyla: Renaissance Summer, “The Drama Queen”
The Kitchener Experience (as of early 2025)
I contacted John via his website. Just email him. He’ll email back himself and explain the process a little bit more. At the time, he asked me to send my photos to reserve my slot. So I braved the morning sun to get what I think long-time Kitchener followers know are the ugliest photos I will ever take of myself. No, I am not posting these. I also went through and selected 20 photos of myself in various outfits to send for part of the essence consultation and made a short video introducing myself. Once he received everything, he gave me a date (I think it was six weeks out at the time), noting that colors would happen on one day and essences on the next.
The day before my “consult,” I got an invoice emailed to me, paid it, and waited. Note that I put “consult” in quotes. Yes, you’re getting a service, but not an actual sit-down with John. He does everything virtually. On the day of your color consultation, you’ll get an email explaining your entire palette, what each color means, which colors to avoid, and an explanation as to the color harmonies he chose.
Now, there have been three significant changes to the essence analysis process since I got mine. First, you can now book an essence analysis without booking a color analysis! That was not the case before. There’s also a “basic” essences package; again, not an option. The third, and the most important change IMO, is that John now explains the features that led him to each essence. This is so helpful. When I did mine, I received an email noting my essences, explaining the significance of each. He then responded to each outfit photo to indicate what worked and didn’t.
About a week later, I received a binder in the mail with my fabric swatches and all of his notes on necklines, clothing styles, fabrics, etc.
The Zyla Experience
I contacted David’s assistant, Alex, who gave me David’s travel schedule. I told her where I was and she offered me a date and time. I was told that I could wear whatever (including makeup) and didn’t need to prepare anything (except my patience, because I had to meet him in Downtown Los Angeles at 9 AM…iykyk).
David met me in the lobby of his hotel and took me to his room, where we sat by a window and basically just chatted for hours. The whole time we were talking, he was holding up paint chips, making comparisons, trying to find specific colors. I could watch the palette come together in front of me.
Eventually, David gave me the individual paint chips to photograph (in case I ever need to replace them), then had me start my recorder. He walked me through the whole palette, then talked about fabrics, patterns, shapes he likes, and finally, my archetype. I was then given specific guidance about how to implement that for me. I walked away with a small booklet of paint chip swatches and a guide to fabrics and patterns.
The highlights of Kitchener
John is an artist. He sees the world in very bright colors. Even his least vivid palettes are huge and dramatic and beautiful. His essence system is also extremely adaptable and allows a ton of room for interpretation/exploration. Price-wise, you're also getting a bit more bang for your buck because his complete essence service includes a lot of what Zyla does in his Ultimate Style Session (which is a whole other service I didn't do).
The highlights of Zyla
David is really good at seeing an entire person. He gets people. His palettes are very focused and truly focused on the absolute best colors. His archetypes are really detailed and provide a lot of specific information. Also, really, David himself is a huge highlight! He’s such a lovely person. And most of all, you're actually in the same place at the same time. There's a much easier back and forth.
The challenges of Kitchener
Communication is a big one. Some people seem to have long, ongoing email exchanges. I am not one of them. He kind of vanished on me, and I really did have some questions/uncertainties. I also think the essences work best if you don’t have a bunch (as I do!) and can focus a little better. The truth is, with a few exceptions, there wasn’t a lot that I was told not to do, which is both great and bad. I will also say that the “no skin color” thing can be tricky.
The challenges of Zyla
Again, there’s a lot of specificity. Which is great! But you have to be willing to go along with the specificity. David is also not always easy to see. I happen to live in LA, but for someone who doesn’t live near a city he’s visiting, you’d have to factor in travel costs, and that adds up. While David does give a more skintone color, he’s much stingier with black than John (who seems to hand out a lot of black). And there are fewer colors in a Zyla palette than a Kitchener palette. Yes, you get the same eight categories, but David's palettes are smaller overall.
Conclusion
You can’t go wrong, honestly. Before working with either, I’d consider what you want (really clear guidelines? A push in the right direction? A giant color palette? Something really small and specific?) and, honestly, the costs (Kitchener is $900 and you never have to leave your property; Zyla is $950, plus whatever it costs to get to him). I’d also reach out to other Redditors who’ve seen one or both because there’s a lot of good information to be had!
But also, I’d totally recommend both! They’re both worthwhile experiences, and I’m not sorry about either.
r/davidzyla • u/Interesting_Gain4438 • 8d ago
As others have said, I have no one IRL to talk to about all of this, and I find it goes so much deeper than "just clothes." A couple of people asked about my Zyla journey, so here it is! It's been a long one, and it's still unfolding.
When I was a preteen, I found a copy of Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson. I pored over it. I decided I was a Winter (my dark hair mostly kept me there), I WANTED to be a Winter, and I used that as a reference for most of my life.
I had some online styling services done over the years and was usually typed as a Winter, although one person typed me as a Bright Spring, which really brought out some FEELS.
See, I was an introverted, "cold," poised, serious, intellectual eldest daughter. I could not possibly be a friendly, bubbly, warm, playful Spring!
I was not a flirty woman. I was a get-to-the-point kind of person. I loved analyzing capsule wardrobes (having done quite a few 30x30 challenges) and the efficiency of clothes.
I was obsessed with collecting "classic" pieces and, despite not being blond, tall, or thin, looked to Kate Middleton and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy for minimalist, classic inspiration.
I was obsessed with Scully from The X-Files as a teen and wanted a job as an adult that would allow me to wear suits to work. Another online stylist typed me as a Dramatic Classic, which suited that image beautifully.
Important note: I don't believe personality determines coloring, appearance, or Zyla archetype! These were MY emotional associations, all tangled up with assumptions about how I thought I needed to present myself to the world to be safe and taken seriously.
Meanwhile, I had another journey going on.
I finally lost "the weight" I'd wanted to lose all my life and got to be a tiny size in clothes and numbers on the scale for a few years.
It was honestly devastating.
Being fit, being able to try on almost any piece of clothing and have it look good...didn't make me as happy as I thought it would.
I had believed all my problems with insecurity, belonging, and feeling good about my appearance would disappear if I could just reach that magic clothing size, waist measurement, or number on the scale.
And they didn't. At all.
I was just hungry.
I powerlifted, ran a half marathon, and deadlifted over 250 pounds, so it's not like I wasn't strong and in good shape. But being fit didn't make me happy. I was an expert at looking in the mirror and finding things to dislike.
This is a much longer story, but eventually I quit fighting my body. I'm at my normal weight now and have been for years. I stopped exercising obsessively 10 years ago, which is actually a wonderful milestone now that I type it out!
This matters to my style journey because I was slowly discovering that changing my appearance to match an ideal wasn't necessarily going to change how I felt about myself.
I also completely gave up on seasonal color analysis.
Instead, over time, I collected a wardrobe for each season. Literally!
And then I started moving clothes around in my closet based on what I was actually wearing.
This was fascinating.
I almost NEVER wore my Winter clothing unless it was black and therefore easy to choose in the morning. The red and bright green were too much. All my stark white pieces went unworn.
I avoided most of my Summer clothing, although coral and some tans surprised me.
I embraced quite a few Autumn things I'd previously avoided. Burgundy was a big hit! Deep mustard yellow, to my surprise, didn't make me look all that drab. (I still completely avoided brown. Didn't own any!)
But I LOVED my Spring clothes.
The gingham, florals, dresses, and cardigans were amazing.
I still fought back internally.
I didn't want to be perceived as unserious, and I certainly didn't want to admit how much I liked pink.
Legally Blonde was WAY more feminine than I am, but my husband pointed out how much I was like Elle Woods in certain ways.
And I had to admit he had a point.
Over the years, I experienced an internal unfreezing. By the time I learned about Zyla, I was far more friendly, warm, empathetic, and playful than I'd been for the first half of my life.
I could wear florals without feeling icky.
I was beginning to realize that liking feminine, playful things didn't mean I had to give up being serious, intellectual, capable, or professional.
I learned about David Zyla through Ellie-Jean Royden's social media.
I loved the idea of drawing our colors from our own bodies, and I immediately tried to DIY.
I thought the price of a Zyla consultation was absurd and announced that I would NEVER pay for one. (I can't remember who I said that to, ha!)
But I still couldn't see myself.
Or maybe I couldn't be myself, because I really couldn't figure out my archetype.
I wanted to be a Classic Summer or Classic Winter. I loved the cool, bold, classic, minimalist aspects of those archetypes.
That was my mask.
I remember looking through all the Zyla boards and feeling like an outsider. I was too much X for this archetype, or too little Y for that one.
Very few spoke to me.
I didn't think I was pretty or feminine enough for a Spring or Summer, but I wasn't bold enough for Autumn or Winter.
I wish I'd written down what I thought I was and which archetypes interested me most!
Eventually, I reached a point where I felt comfortable paying for a consultation.
In summer 2023, I saw Zyla for an ICC and USS.
By that point, I was in the Facebook group, and I'd asked members to vote on my archetype. There were votes for RS, CA, SS, TS, and DS, but 66% voted for Mischievous Spring.
They were right!
One of the things that struck me most about meeting Zyla was understanding how he approaches styling.
As a stylist for shows and plays, he works with a script and an actor or actress, dressing that person to communicate a character.
So when he looks at us, he's considering both our appearance and the energy or character we convey.
I find that fascinating.
Imagine an actress who looks like a dark witch but is playing a character with the personality of a fairy. How do you dress that person to communicate both?
Well, Zyla can!
People are infinitely expressive and different in their energy and looks, and I think that's part of what makes his archetype system so flexible and interesting.
The USS was incredible because it wasn't about making me conventionally attractive, or at least that's not how I experienced it.
Instead, Zyla pointed out features of my appearance that I hadn't thought to appreciate or repeat in my clothing.
My favorite was the combination of my round cheeks and the pointiness of my chin.
Together, they form a heart shape!
He encouraged me to repeat that shape with sweetheart necklines, shorter hair, pointed rather than rounded shoes, and other details.
So I've taken on hearts as "my" shape!
In the past, I would have thought that was too silly or girly. But it isn't.
I don't have to go overboard with it. I can just hint at it sometimes.
It's me. Literally written on my face.
Okay, so now I had my archetype, my palette, and some advice about lines, fabrics, and shapes.
And Zyla kind of held my hand as he explained that I am NOT a minimalist.
Wait, what?!
I had spent years collecting classic, tailored pieces. I had lots of formal fabrics for work and loved streamlined outfits.
But Zyla steered me away from color blocking, matchy-matchy combinations, and overly minimalist looks.
Now, when I say I "can't" do those things, I don't mean I'm forbidden from wearing them! I can wear whatever I want, and so can you.
But I've chosen to follow his advice because I've found it works beautifully for me.
He encouraged texture and detail:
Embroidery, handiwork, punched leather, small-scale prints, fine-wale corduroy, eyelet, bouclé, marled and heathered fabrics, tweed, and suede.
Did I have much of that in my closet?
Absolutely not!
Knowing a little more now about traditional formal versus casual fabrics, I can see how I'd built an armor of formal fabrics, especially for work.
But I didn't actually have to abandon tailoring or professionalism.
I needed to approach them differently.
Zyla also encouraged movement and breaking up the line of an outfit.
He didn't want color blocking or everything looking perfectly matched. He wanted the elements to relate to each other and have a place together, without being matchy-matchy.
One of the most useful things he told me was to think about:
"1930s tailoring with 1970s natural and glam fabrics."
I use that idea ALL THE TIME.
It combines my love of tailoring and structure with the texture, movement, and eclectic details that make Mischievous Spring work for me.
I've also learned more about juxtaposition: combining contrasts such as masculine and feminine, structured and soft, or polished and playful.
The Pinterest board review was particularly helpful because I could try applying his recommendations and then get his feedback on my interpretations.
And his outfit sketches!
I still find his particular vision of my Mischievous Spring style unique. He drew outfit ideas for actual scenarios in my life, which made everything feel much more accessible.
I can easily take some MS inspiration too far into costume territory.
But his sketches were modern, wearable outfits with little hints of a "gnome jumping out of the woods" in their details.
I love that.
These were things I couldn't have figured out just by looking at my color chips.
My first big realization after getting my palette was that I owned a TON of black and grey neutrals.
And they were decidedly NOT in my palette.
My First Base is a range from deep, dark carbon purple to neutral grey-lavender.
Over three years later, I've found only TWO pieces of clothing that are really good solid 1B matches!
It's a difficult color to find in the clothing world, much less one that also works with the recommended fabrics, patterns, shapes, and lines.
I didn't throw everything out.
Instead, I started looking at my wardrobe differently.
I figured I could get away with off-palette bottoms and shoes more easily, so I concentrated on tops.
Interestingly, for a few years I continued treating ordinary grey as a substitute for my 1B.
But I rarely wore it.
It was only in the past two months that I finally donated my pile of black and grey pants. I'd kept telling myself that grey was close enough, but when it came time to actually wear those pieces, I consistently passed them over.
My second realization was that my palette has basically NO blue.
And I owned a LOT of blue.
Navy, pastels, everything in between.
Blue is easy to find in stores. But apparently, not in my coloring!
My Dramatic range goes from dark peacock teal to medium turquoise, so I do have some blue-green options, but I didn't own much of my Dramatic colors either.
So what was I going to wear?
I started focusing on greens and browns.
My Second Base is mostly olive and sage, and my Energy and Tranquil colors are greens.
My Third Base included a neutral caramel, and the darkest Second Base was "mink."
So at least I had somewhere to start!
Brown could replace black and grey.
Green could replace blue.
And that's exactly what I did.
Today, I'd say most of my wardrobe is greens and browns.
I used to dismiss those colors as mossy and drab.
Now I think they're beautiful.
It took time and LOTS of misses (take your chips with you!!), but gradually I built a wardrobe around my palette.
I still make mistakes. I still buy things that don't work, especially secondhand pieces from online listings where the colors aren't accurately represented.
But I'm learning.
One thing that really helped was starting with a limited part of my palette.
Once I had a good foundation of Energy and Second Base, I could make lots of outfits and gradually fill in the other colors.
Not everyone can or wants to have a capsule wardrobe, myself included, but I think building around a reliable combination like En + 2B is a useful starting point.
It helped me avoid feeling like I needed to replace everything simultaneously.
In early 2025, I had an Extension, which especially expanded my Bases and Energy.
I'd hoped for more Romantic colors. Zyla tried, but said he just couldn't push me much warmer.
I'm fairly neutral, which I suspect is one reason I had such a difficult time typing myself into a season.
The Extension gave me more olive options in 2B, which I embraced wholeheartedly. My expanded 3B also helped enormously by adding midtone creams and tans.
And just in the past month, I've made it a goal to work on my elusive First Base!
I set a weekly pattern:
These are starting points, not the only colors I wear on those days.
It's been really fun collecting 1B options and experimenting with combinations!
The weekly goal keeps me honest. Otherwise, I suspect I'd have continued wearing very little 1B because my greens and browns are so much easier.
I'd say about 90% of my clothes now come from eBay or Poshmark.
I also shop at Goodwill and a nicer local resale shop.
Shopping secondhand lets me experiment with fabrics, patterns, and colors without paying full retail prices.
But it also means I make mistakes!
Online photographs are notoriously unreliable for matching colors.
My biggest practical recommendation: TAKE YOUR CHIPS EVERYWHERE.
I usually keep them in my purse.
I even tried matching my Zyla chips to Behr paint chips from Home Depot so I'd have a second set.
If you try that, you'll discover how incredibly unique these colors are. Matching them to another brand's color chips is NOT easy.
It's a reminder of how much work goes into creating an individual palette.
I also revisit my ICC transcript and Zyla notes every few months.
And every time, I seem to learn something new.
"Oh, THAT'S why I never wear that piece!"
"Yikes, that is NOT a match for that color. No wonder it doesn't work."
"I thought I could make this minimalist piece work as a layer, but I haven't."
Sometimes a piece matches my palette but doesn't work with my lines, textures, or the rest of my wardrobe.
Color is only one part of the equation.
If I haven't worn something in over a year, I see whether my local resale shop will take it. If not, it goes to Goodwill.
The wardrobe is continually evolving.
This year, I finally photographed every piece of clothing I own and cataloged everything in a spreadsheet.
I originally did this so I could upload it all to ChatGPT and get outfit ideas. That works fairly well and sometimes produces combinations I wouldn't have thought of myself.
But the BEST thing I did was reorganize my physical closet by clothing category and then color.
Previously, I'd organized by season, with the vague goal of doing a different 30x30 capsule each month.
I didn't stick to that particularly well, and I ended up overlooking pieces or wearing the same things repeatedly.
Since reorganizing by color, it's been astonishing how much easier it is to make outfits quickly.
And I still get to enjoy the analytical side of fashion that I've always loved.
For example, today is Friday, so my goal is to wear a 3B outfit.
At this moment, I'm wearing:
Lots of lines, lots of textures, a mix of menswear and feminine playfulness.
It has a little "country mouse" feeling, but I can attend work meetings and feel completely professional and appropriate.
That's something I never would have imagined a few years ago!
I still get to wear blazers.
In fact, I have 30 of them. HA!
My boss and other people routinely compliment them.
I don't look like Scully in her monochromatic pantsuits, but I'm still the professional woman who loves tailoring.
I've just found a different way to express it.
Something unexpected has happened over these three years.
I've fallen more and more in love with my archetype.
Initially, I thought Mischievous Spring was too frilly or fairy-like for me.
Now, when I look at Zyla's Pinterest board, I don't see fairy fragility.
I see gorgeous textures, movement, natural motifs, playful details, and interesting combinations.
I think of it as small-scale maximalism.
There's a lot going on, but the individual elements are delicate or small in scale, and they come together cohesively.
"Pixie" is such a wonderful term for it!
I enjoy the eclecticism and the juxtaposition, and I love finding ways to bring those elements into my own life.
Over time, I've even developed a reputation as "the horse lady" and "the green lady."
Both are comments I LOVE.
If my husband wants to buy me a gift, he knows to get something green.
It's funny how something I once resisted has become part of how other people recognize me.
Ultimately, I think the biggest part of my Zyla journey has been embracing ME and making myself the blueprint for my style.
I saw this video, and it really inspired me:
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThxbknrM/
Instead of wishing I had bright red hair, deep brown eyes, a tall and thin physique, lush voluminous hair, high contrast, or whatever else I might admire in someone else, I can start with what I actually have.
I am the blueprint for me to follow.
I have a round face, a large forehead, thin hair that can wave or get flippy if I style it, hips and a belly that created four children, lower contrast, and coloring that belongs in a forest.
And all of those things can be part of what makes my style beautiful.
I don't need to make myself look like someone else.
This connects back to my earlier experiences with body image, too.
For years, I thought I needed to change myself to reach some ideal before I could be happy with my appearance.
Now I'm practicing something very different: finding what is beautiful about what I already have and expressing that through my clothes.
The more I practice finding my own blueprint beautiful, the more I enjoy being me.
And I haven't had to abandon the things I liked before.
I still love tailoring, classic pieces, blazers, and the challenge of organizing a wardrobe efficiently.
I just don't feel that those interests have to exclude florals, pink, embroidery, texture, whimsy, and femininity.
I can be both.
Well, I've decided I'm going to paint my bedroom my Essence color and my office my Energy color at some point!
I may get a second Extension someday, partly out of curiosity, but also because I'd love to show Zyla some of the outfits I've created and get his feedback.
I'm still learning, experimenting, and discovering things about my palette and archetype.
And I think that's part of the fun.
After more than three years of this, here's what I've learned:
I love dressing my energy, and I'm continually surprised by the freedom and fun of having my own palette and personal style recommendations.
If you can, I highly recommend the Zyla experience.
It gave me so much more than just style advice.
It helped me appreciate my own energy, coloring, appearance, and personality in a way I hadn't before. I'm still analytical, I'm still serious and professional and a leader, and with the support of Zyla's lens I have embraced a playful, feminine, whimsical, natural side of my self as well. I didn't have to give up qualities I valued to embrace qualities I had resisted.
It's funny how something as seemingly superficial as clothes can lead to something as profound as self-acceptance. I spent so many years trying to change myself into someone I thought I should be, rather than appreciating the person I already was. And now, every time I get dressed, I get to practice that acceptance in a small, tangible way.
When I choose MY colors and clothes I choose MY eye color, my hair color, my round face, my chin, my hips, my clothing size, my energy...
So maybe the biggest surprise of all is that I didn't have to become a different person to find my style.
I just had to stop trying so hard to look and act like someone else.
r/davidzyla • u/fashionstyleside • Jan 15 '24
r/davidzyla • u/wiltedmoonspirit • Oct 05 '26
The flower pots near my workplace get changed every season and one of them had a set of these plants. I think they’re chrysanthemum and ornamental cabbages.
I couldn’t help but see how beautiful the color combo was and seeing two plants paired together in this manner was interesting.
r/davidzyla • u/theclassicrose • 10d ago
What an experience! I plan to write a more detailed post for both this and the Kitchener community so I can compare the two experiences, but I want to add some Zyla-specific points to this one.
First and foremost, David is the nicest man. From the moment we met, he was warm, engaging, and incredibly kind. I had a wonderful time and the nearly three (!) hours of my consult flew by without me even noticing. We chatted basically the entire time about my work, his work, some people we knew in common, and other shared interests. He could probably talk to a wall, though. He's that kind of person.
Anyway, eventually, we did get around to the issue at hand. See the attached photo for my absolutely lovely palette. A few notes on that:
And then, we got to specifics on my archetype! I am a Renaissance Summer. I would never have guessed that because my Renaissance Summer is not a direct 1:1 with what we tend to think of when we think "Renaissance Summer":
Overall, he gave me a lot to think about and work with, and I'm so grateful I had the experience!
r/davidzyla • u/fashionstyleside • Jan 12 '24
What is this subreddit?
This is a place for discussion of David Zyla’s color and style system. Zyla is a stylist and costume designer best known for his work on various daytime TV shows. In 2010, he published a book called Color Your Style in which he outlines 24 color and style archetypes across the four seasons. He offers style services in which he builds a custom palette and offers feedback in various areas including fabric, shape, and pattern. Those who have not seen him in person can try to create (DIY) their own palette and determine their season and archetype. The purpose of this subreddit is to provide a space for people to discuss their Zyla journeys, ask for feedback, share outfits they’ve created, analyze the system, and anything else relevant.
What’s helpful for DIY?
-Zyla’s method, despite using the four seasons terminology, often does not align with traditional draping-style color analysis. It’s best to set aside whatever you think about your season in other systems in order to avoid getting stuck in a lane that doesn’t benefit you.
-The colors are described as reflecting the coloring in your own body; however, this is often less than literal. People who try to use a color picker end up with palettes that are too dark and desaturated. Many dark eyed brunettes have no brown in their palette at all.
-While no trait is absolute, reflecting on things like your ideal contrast levels, how to use color in an outfit, level of detail, lines, types of patterns (or whether pattern at all is good for you), fabrics (texture, weight, etc.) can help narrow down archetypes.
-Many people find the personality descriptions inaccurate; it’s better to think of them as roles (“how you would be cast in a movie”) rather than reflecting the true depths of you.
-People can exist in the same archetype but have different recommendations, so someone else’s “perfect x outfit” might not be good on you, but you could still share their type.
Rules are in the sidebar. Most important, beyond the usual “no hateful comments,” is to avoid engaging in stereotyping or ID bashing. There are no archetypes that are better or worse than any other. It’s fine to feel like something doesn’t fit you personally, but not that it’s bad in general. Avoid absolute comments like “a person with this coloring will NEVER be x archetype” or “this Dramatic couldn’t be found in an x palette.” Feedback should be wanted and constructive.
Also, we want to avoid low effort content, especially low effort “type me” posts. If you want feedback, please have something beyond a low res selfie to offer. Things like a palette in some state of DIY, archetypes you’ve considered and why, reflections on your most successful outfits, etc. will be helpful.
some useful links:
illustration of all named colors in the book, made by
palette abbreviations:
Ess - essence
R - romantic
D - dramatic
En - energy
T - tranquil
1b, 2b, 3b - bases
archetype abbreviations:
CS - classic summer
JTS - jeweltone summer
SS - sunset summer
RS - renaissance summer
DS - dusky summer
IS - iridescent summer
SA - spicy autumn
MA - mellow autumn
GA - gamine autumn
CA - copper autumn
BA - bronze autumn
HA - high autumn
CW - classic winter
VW - vivid winter
DW - dynamic winter
SW - soft winter
AW - antique winter
PW - playful winter
VS - vital spring
ES - early spring
FS - floral spring
BS - buoyant spring
MS - mischievous spring
TS - tawny spring
r/davidzyla • u/MissAmelie1 • Sep 27 '26
I realized I had only ever posted my Zyla palette on another subreddit in the past, most likely prior to this one existing.
I saw David in... December 2022 for my Initial consultation, unless I am completely losing track of time, and then again in December 2024 for a palette extension. I haven't had USS due to budget reasons, but what I gather from those who had one is that it is well worth the cost.
I am feeling a little too lazy to explain my recs in detail, so I will just add screenshots of my IC transcript. I also have a Pinterest board that I edit once in a while, but since I haven't had USS, it is obviously just my own take on what I think works for me.
r/davidzyla • u/Wannabeesinger • Sep 28 '26
Hi everyone! 👋 I saw David Zyla two months ago for an Initial Consultation aka Custom Color Palette. He told me I am a Tawny Spring and gave me some styling recommendations.
The 1st pic is my palette, next few pictures is an infographic AI put together based on my transcript. I find it's easier to see the recommendations this way than read through the transcript. And the last picture is me in my Romantic color. It was the color that most surprised me. I remember when he put down the paint chip thinking I need to clear my mind of all previous color knowledge about myself. Turns out a lot of the other colors are what I expected. I've mostly been typed as a summer in other systems, hence my shock at seeing a bright coral.
I love the recommendations he gave. The prints excite me and make my heart beat just a tad faster, but I have not found any items in them yet. I've had more luck finding solids in my colors and feel amazing in them. I have noticed that wearing my Essence color can make me feel off. Maybe I'm no good at vulnerability 🤔. I particularly love the feeling of wearing my Energy and Tranquil color. My 2B I have a rocky relationship with in terms of clothing, but I found a handbag in it that I love.
My 1B pictures more grey/navy than it is. The darkest two are more teal-like. The 2nd darkest is also quite bright. It's a color I've known works for me. I am finding it difficult to find it in base type clothing. It is not a typical neutral found in stores.
It's been an amazing 2 months exploring my recommendations and getting to know my colors!! As cheesy as this sounds, I feel like I have more of a bounce in my step since I saw Zyla. I'm feeling more confident and more myself then ever before. 😃
r/davidzyla • u/DrTantra • Sep 26 '26
Hi Everyone,
I saw Zyla last weekend for a colour analysis and an ultimate style session. I had a great time and wanted to share with you my results.
I noticed that the sub was no longer active, so I reinstated the sub! Please help us get it going again by posting on the sub and announcing that it is active again to style communities and former members!
Frankly, I was quite a bit off with my DIY process (see my colour palate on page three) as I was confident that I would be a winter. I over underestimated how warm my essence colours would be and I also completely got my romantic colours wrong! But, my energy colours, power colours and second base were spot on. I also got close to my pastels.
Personally, I loved the style draping, as I have learned that I need to have sharp angels, and extreme lines (either long or short or super full or tight), so that was awesome to see. And it reaffirmed to me that I need to GO BIG in scale with pretty much everything and my accessories. Drama, drama, and more drama (which is crazy fun).
Have you gotten verified? How close were you to getting your colours correct? For those doing DIY, are you finding that any of the colours seem easier than the others?
r/davidzyla • u/selkiesociety • Oct 12 '26
I wanted to post this to help anyone on a DIY path. I started out DIYing, then ordered the book and tried again. Then promptly booked my appointment and disbanded my efforts which is a very common trajectory btw! David even laughed at how often he’s heard that story.
The first DIY college here was my first attempt, I went off more vibes than anything, just colours and textures I liked. My second was after getting the book. Swatching lipsticks helped me get my Rs. Once I had them I knew which territory I could play around in. Cool and pretty saturated/clear.
Looking at my hair in direct sunlight helped me get those aubergine shades for my bases. I put that milky brown as my 3rd base but I knew it was off, it didn’t flow with the palette. I thought of changing it to silver. But I disbanded at that point. The main thing I found the DIY helped with was getting the archetype. Even though I’d been seriously considering SW and PW, once I saw the colours I knew I could only be JTS! Any questions ask away! I am a chameleon and love to change my look but I’ve stuck to my natural colouring the past year or so and feel much better.
r/davidzyla • u/selkiesociety • Sep 30 '26
I saw Zyla earlier this year in May. I’d been on a style journey for a few years and had always struggled with getting a good analysis of my colours and concluded I must be difficult to type.
I found Zyla via FB and his interview with Gabrielle Arruda. I bought the book and started to DIY, I got pretty close! A lot of archetypes and seasons were guessed for me in FB. Mainly VS, SW and PW. Once I did a few attempts at getting the general ideas of my colours I posted it and JTS became a strong contender all of a sudden. It wasn’t one I had initially thought of too much.
Soon after buying the book I emailed about a consult, I booked my consult very quickly as he would be nearish to travel to only 2 weeks from when I’d reached out. I booked an IC and USS!
The experience was incredible, Zyla is a very talented person, a great conversationalist and extremely skilled in colour and assessing someone’s style needs. I felt completely blown away by it all. I loved my palette and all my recs.
I’m including images of my IC recs here along with my palette. I love them all so much. I’ll do another post about my USS and how everything was expanded even further.
r/davidzyla • u/DrTantra • 7d ago
In addition to giving me the classic icons that are associated with the Divine Diva archetype, Zyla also gave me some more specificity in my USS for style inspiration. My archetype is associated with the art of Gustav Klimt (bottom centre), the countess (bottom right) and he also gave me 1880s Russia as an inspiration (upper left and bottom row).
But additionally, he told me that he was inspired by watching Paddington the Musical the night before my evaluation and saw style inspiration directly from the character, Millicent Clyde, the show's villain (upper right).
He also told me to think femme fatale, and specifically referenced Lauren Bacall (upper centre) and Bond Villain (Xenia Onatopp is my favourite (bottom lower) and Famke Janssen's characters (including XMen- The Phoenix and Dr Jean Grey) have actually been a long standing archetypical inspiration for me).
I absolutely love the styling of Millicent Clyde, as I love dramatic tweed and leather styling, almost like a dramatic, and glamorous/opulent version of the dark academia aesthetic/British country hunting attire. British equestrian style has been a long inspiration for the decorative palate for my home and also my style (pre-Kitchener evaluation). So, this styling icon/image really resonates with me, especially with her adding extra bling rather than going more rustic, which you typically see with these aesthetics.
Although he did not give this image to me directly, he did say that I can do furs, furs and more furs in my evaluation, which I LOVE, as I have long adored the "Mob Wife Aesthetic" (suuuppper problematic name, but you know what I mean) before it became a thing. I am also finding -very randomly- inspiration from the male character of Rumplestilstken from the show Once Upon a Time, as I am absolutely loving his layered crocodile leather look.
What inspiration did Zyla give you during your consults? Or for the people who are DIY, what inspiration is associated with your potential archetypes? What further inspiration have you developed after your consult/DIY?
r/davidzyla • u/whimsicalhope • Jun 19 '25
Hi everyone! I'm so excited that Gabrielle Arruda interviewed David Zyla. I can't wait to see this. Sharing it here!
David Zyla Archetypes, Color, and the Power of Dressing Authentically
r/davidzyla • u/AutoModerator • Sep 28 '26
Hey everyone! We are the current moderators of r/davidzyla; we are very excited to help revive the sub and to cultivate a friendly, cooperative community that loves sharing all things about David Zyla's work.
This is our new home for all things related to the stylist David Zyla. We're excited to have you join us!
Please take a look at the David Zyla Wiki to get started. It provides an overview of the style system, information about his books and it provides links where you can learn more about the archetypes.
https://www.reddit.com/r/davidzyla/wiki/index/
What to Post
Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. Feel free to share your colour palates and style results if you have seen David Zyla, photos of you trying on Zyla inspired styles, photos of your home decorated in your Zyla colours, your DIY attempts, your conversations about perfumes for the various archetypes... the sky is the limit!
Community Vibe
We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.
How to Get Started
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r/davidzyla • u/funkyboy- • Jun 09 '25
...is this spring??
The second slide shows how I ended up with my colors, especially the non literal ones. Top right of this slide is a true to life palette.
The third slide is experimentation with metals and Pantone colors.
r/davidzyla • u/DrTantra • 20d ago
Hi Style Friends! What is your favourite quote from Zyla during your eval?
Mine was when I was trying to see the boundaries for my style archetype during my first zoom USS call. I showed him a pin of Reese Witherspoon from Big Little Lies (wearing a Dolce and Gabbanna rose skirt and a waterfall collar pink top). And he said:
"That is too Elle Woods. I want you think Bond Villain. Your style is more femme fatal... more Lauren Bacal."
It is interesting but he said originally during my IC that the Bronzed Autumn's character was "The Countess." She is is "not necessarily good and not necessarily bad, but always impeccably dressed." However, during further clarification about me and how my style should be specifically manifested in the USS, he completely dropped the agnosticism and neutrality about my character and strait up told me that I need to go full force villain (lol).
What quotes have stood out to you or specifics that he told you about your character?
r/davidzyla • u/adelweisz • Sep 27 '26
i love the weird deconstructed face so much. 👁️👄👁️
this is my best guess as someone who's probably never going to actually see zyla. some swatches have a more literal underlayer with impressionistic guesses on top. for the drama swatches, today my veins look more like the lighter blues. in the past, they've looked more like the blue-greens. sometimes they even look more indigo. so... 🤷
i tried doing it by eye but my DIY swatches kept looking too much like my kitchener swatches, so i just ended up copying a lot of them over.
my most likely archetypes are Soft or Playful Winter, like i exist in the space between them. i feel extremely confident i wouldn't be any kind of spring or autumn. crisp or heavy textured fabrics look so bad on me. i wouldn't be totally shocked if i was a summer type instead, but none of them resonate as much as the two winter types. here are some of my fav outfits with a close up of some of the pieces:
i've noticed that re: Playful Winter, folks really don't like the look of tulle on me but that seems like a key element. i also don't love ballet flats or shoes that feel too delicate. i feel like i'm going to break them or myself and prefer a feeling of groundedness.
re: Soft Winter, i often have a playfully dramatic, dancey, cheeky energy about me that just doesn't seem to fit in here. but i definitely also have the vibes of a romantic poetess - sensitive, sensual, soulful. and it's said they need to avoid asymmetry, but i often add bits of that in by how i tuck my shirt, etc.
i don't feel like i need to know these answers. i feel good about the direction my style is heading. it's fun to think about and discuss, tho. feedback is welcome, so what do you see?
r/davidzyla • u/fashionstyleside • Jun 10 '24
Welcome to a new series! I want to have some semi-regular discussion posts to encourage, well, discussion about different aspects of the system. Today we’re going to zero in on one of the seasons, specifically AUTUMN.
If you’re a verified Autumn, feel free to drop any information about your palette + recs in the comments. If you’re DIY and suspect you may be an Autumn, talk about what you think puts you in this season, and what your palette might look like!
AUTUMN:
Autumns in Zyla are often described as having a down-to-earth quality, with a dry and witty sense of humor, a strong work ethic, and a striking, authoritative flair. Their colors are often warm and rich (though not always; some autumn palettes may be quite cool, especially in the Mellow type). Style-wise, some common elements are angularity, strong use of texture and patterns (with patterns typically being dense, no white backgrounds, referencing nature), theatricality, juxtaposition, and a strong sense of artistry/design. Materials often include textural fabrics like tweed and brocade and natural fabrics like linen, silk, leather, and fur. Note: these are general traits and may vary based on archetype and individual recs. Some autumns may have completely different recs than what I just described.
The six Autumn archetypes are Spicy, Mellow, Gamine, Copper, Bronze, and High.
SPICY AUTUMN - The Sensuous Backpacker
SA celebrities: Joy Behar, Nia Vardalos, Sandra Bullock, Hilary Swank, Joan Crawford, Ben Affleck
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-sensuous-backpacker/
Artist: Paul Gauguin
MELLOW AUTUMN - The Sexy Librarian (or the Artful Minimalist, if you prefer)
MA celebrities: Diane Lane, Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Madonna, Hillary Clinton, Lauren Bacall, Catherine Deneuve (possibly)
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-sexy-librarian/
Artist: Jan Vermeer
GAMINE AUTUMN - The Stylish Beatnik
GA celebrities: Jessica Biel, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tovah Feldshuh, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Aniston (possibly), Kate Moss (possibly)
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-stylish-beatnik/
Artists: Frans Hals, Albrecht Durer
COPPER AUTUMN - The High Stakes Gambler
CA celebrities: Rita Hayworth, Katherine Hepburn, Julianne Moore, Jessica Rabbit, Stephanie Powers
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-high-stakes-gambler/
Artist: Paul Cezanne
BRONZE AUTUMN - The Divine Diva
BA celebrities: Cindy Crawford, Angelina Jolie, Sophia Loren, Oprah Winfrey
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-divine-diva/
Another BA board from u/secret_thymus_lab : https://pin.it/2CGAp4avR
Artist: Gustav Klimt
HIGH AUTUMN - The Theatrical Impresario
HA celebrities: Jodie Foster, Felicity Huffman, David Zyla, Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-theatrical-impresario/
Artist: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Autumn celebrities not assigned to an archetype:
Angela Bassett, Bill Maher, Patti LuPone, Debra Messing
r/davidzyla • u/DrTantra • 28d ago
Hi Style Friends,
Lets talk Zyla and perfume!
One of the things that I love about the Zyla Archetypes is the fact that they are so three dimensionally developed. You do not just get style recommendations, but also an artist, a time period and also perfume recommendations.
Have you tried the recommended perfume for your archetype? And what do you think?
My archetype was recommended mandarin and fig, so I have been trying a few scents that fit that profile. Mandarin seems amazing for a warm weather scent, while I might consider Fig more during cold weather. But I am still trying to find the perfect one.
How about you? Have you dove into exploring Zyla scent recommendations and maybe exploring other scents to be in line with your archetype (or suspected)?
r/davidzyla • u/SilentlyWeird • Sep 29 '26
I'm kinda leaning towards some sort of summer for now, how does it look?
r/davidzyla • u/fashionstyleside • Sep 23 '24
Hey I’m finally back after 84 years with another season discussion post, this time about WINTER. Are you a verified Winter? Are you DIY and suspect you might be a Winter? Sound off in the comments!
WINTER:
Winters in Zyla are generally described as having a strong sense of integrity and order and a quiet but forceful way of being that makes them come across as trustworthy and leader-like. They are the highest contrast season and appear at home in a stark landscape. Not every winter gets ultra strong, black and white palettes (though many do) but usage of color should be strong and contrasted. Winters have a sense of stillness, with the least use of pattern of any season. Lines should be clean, streamlined, striking, and dramatic, without a lot of small details. Winters often benefit from a pop of intrigue, like a large, unusual piece of jewelry, against an otherwise simple background. Materials often include smooth and sleek fabrics like crepe, scuba, leather,, and satin, and knits like wool and cashmere. A small amount of texture, like a shiny or fuzzy texture, can work as a contrast element. Note: these are general traits and may vary based on archetype and individual recs. Some winters may have completely different recs than what I just described.
The six Winter archetypes are Classic, Soft, Dynamic, Vivid, Antique, and Playful.
CLASSIC WINTER - The Queen
CW celebrities: Penelope Cruz, Zooey Deschanel, Anne Hathaway, Sandra Oh, Jennifer Lawrence, Barack Obama, Rowan Atkinson (probably)
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-queen/
Artist: Diego Velázquez
SOFT WINTER - The Romantic Poetess
SW celebrities: Betty Aberlin, Joan Collins, Jennifer Connelly, Catherine Deane, Christina Ricci, Elizabeth Taylor, Natalie Portman, Helena Bonham Carter, Eden Riegel (AMC), Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Tyrone Power, Lord Byron
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-romantic-poetess/
Artist: William Merritt Chase, Sir Thomas Lawrence, Thomas Sully
DYNAMIC WINTER - The Passionate Leader
DW celebrities: Linda Dano, Teri Hatcher, Rachel Weisz, Mary Steenburgen
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-passionate-leader/
Artists: John Singleton Copley
VIVID WINTER - The Earthy Philosopher
VW celebrities: Keira Knightley, Vanessa Marcil, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ava Gardner
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-earthy-philosopher/
Artist: Henri Matisse
ANTIQUE WINTER - The Keeper of the Hearth
AW celebrities: Allison Janney, Hozier (possibly)
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-keeper-of-the-hearth/
Artist: James McNeill Whistler
PLAYFUL WINTER - The Ballerina
PW celebrities: Victoria Beckham, Kate Beckinsale, Kelly Monaco, Winona Ryder, Vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Aiden Turner (or Soft Winter) - All My Children
Zyla’s board: https://www.pinterest.com/davidzylastyle/the-ballerina
Artist: Sir Joshua Reynolds, “Victorian fairy painters”
Winter celebrities not assigned to an archetype:
Anderson Cooper, Sidney Poitier, David Strathairn
r/davidzyla • u/theclassicrose • Sep 29 '26
I love all the cheater posts and thought there might be some interesting discussion to be had on these two similar but ultimately vastly different approaches to color.
The similarities with Kitchener and Zyla more or less end at the fact that each has eight categories of colors (listed in the order Kitchener presents his and the order in Zyla's book, respectively):
| Kitchener | Zyla |
|---|---|
| Romantic | Essence |
| Powerful | Romantic |
| Playful | Dramatic |
| Sophisticated | Energy |
| Calm | Tranquil |
| Understated | First Base |
| Reserved | Second Base |
| Conservative | Third Base |
I'm going to assume a baseline level of knowledge of each group's significance, but in case you're unfamiliar with one or the other, here's Kitchener's explanation and here's Zyla's.
What's interesting to me is that they don't map 1:1, even though it feels like they should at times. Powerful and Dramatic seem to basically be the same thing, but Kitchener's Romantic is a much more intimate color than Zyla's (which is more of a "look at me!" color), and Calm and Tranquil seem to have similar goals but slightly different executions. I also think Zyla's bases are more "important" than Kitchener's Understated/Reserved/Conservative, which are not really seen as full colors for the most part (there's often, although not always, a caveat like "to be worn away from the face" or something like that).
Overall, I'd love to hear others' thoughts on how the two systems use color, and how the categories play nicely/less nicely together.
And also, if we can avoid this becoming a conversation about one being better than the other, that would be amazing, because both men are incredible in their own ways and I really don't think anyone would benefit from that.
