As a nail technician or nail salon owner, your primary job is to help your clients piece together a tasteful and stylish look. Most clients dream of matching their outfits with their nails for any occasion. And because every little detail matters when it comes to matching outfits with nail art, you must always bring your A-game to every client appointment. You must be creative, innovative and observant enough to find that unique balance between a client’s mani/pedi and their clothes, makeup and accessories. If you are looking for ways to properly match your clients’ summer nails with their summer outfits, here are seven practical tips for you:
1. Match the accessories first
Many nail technicians make the mistake of matching their clients’ clothes and totally disregarding their accessories. You must know that a client’s manicure is an accessory on its own, and for this reason, it must match any other accessories they may have. If they loves dangly red earrings for the summer season, for example, it is advisable to paint their nails in a shade of red. If they loves gold statement bracelets or necklaces, it will be a lot safer to go with gold-hued nail polish. And for those who fancy tropical, multicolored accessory schemes, your best bet would be vibrant, multicolored nail art.
2. Match the clothes
This is a tough balancing act between the nails, accessories and clothes. There are just too many moving pieces in this puzzle. That is why the best thing to do is to inquire from the client about the types of summer clothes they fancy. Do they love plain or printed clothes? If printed, you should think along the lines of plain nail art because multicolored nail art contrasts unpleasantly with printed flowers, which would match women’s dresses. If your client loves plain summer clothes, think in the lines of vibrant, multicolored nail art. Be careful when selecting the colors, but do not be overly cautious with experimenting.
If your client loves floral clothes, here are some of the one-tone colors that you can experiment with:
- Black floral dresses: neon, bright blue and bold yellow nail polish.
- White floral dresses: light pink, coral and aqua nail polish.
- Red floral dresses: deep red, bright red and pink nail polish.
3. Going monochromatic
Monochromatic nails can also be incredibly stylish in the hands of a skilled nail technician. Take your time to create a unique pattern of different shades of the same color. For a client who loves a simple all-black outfit, for example, you can never go wrong with any shade of black. For clients who prefer to mix black with white, your best bet would be the timeless French manicure with white tips.
4. Experiment with lavender
Soft lavender has grown in prominence over the last years as a chic color for summer and is a desirable choice for clients who do not know what they want. The color is both lovely and smooth enough to match a variety of summer outfits. You can also go with a matching purple, gray or bright red depending on the client’s taste. Just be sure to stay away from bright colors such as yellow, orange and green when the client is not sure of what they want.
5. Choose block nails for bright outfits
If your client loves colorful pieces for summer, e.g., yellow and pink, blocking their nails works perfectly. Think of any color pattern that contrasts nicely with the colorful outfit, e.g., blue and green or red and purple. Paint multiple colors on each nail to ensure that the nail art matches as many outfits as possible. Color blocking works particularly well with printed clothes, be it animal, plaid or floral prints.
6. Experiment with autumn hues
Autumn is characterized by dramatic nail polish colors such as purples, burgundy and brown tones. For clients who are not afraid to try new things, experiment with these colors to complement the rest of their outfits in a unique, stunning way. These colors contrast nicely with outfits with lighter neutral colors, dark hues and other funky summer designs.
7. When in doubt, go with the basics
Basic colors such as red, nudes and pale pink match almost everything. They may be traditional and old-fashioned, but traditional is always a safe option when you have a tough time finding a suitable color for your clients’ summer outfits.
Choosing a nail color that accentuates your client’s summer outfit isn’t the easiest thing to do; however, with a little more creativity and courage to experiment, you will always find the perfect nail and outfit combinations. Stay in tune with the beauty industry, always take note of changes in summer outfits and nails and borrow a leaf from industry leaders whenever in doubt.
Ana Cage is a passionate nail artist and uses spare time to write and inform people about beauty treatments based on her experience.
