Garo walks into a lecture hall and has about 30 seconds before his students have already decided if he’s worth listening to.
As a leader, there are messages he wants to convey right away.
Authority, while also being approachable. Trustworthy, yet also relatable.
Professional as an academic, while still being creative and modern.
Garo is a marketing professor in Chicago. Color psychology, consumer perception, branding, first impressions: this is part of his curriculum. He knows what he wears matters. He understands that the human brain forms an impression of a new person instantly, based on appearance.
There’s science behind first impressions. Research by Olivola and Todorov (2010) found that complex judgments are made based on appearance in less than half a second. Judgments about trustworthiness specifically can be made in a fraction of a second — and those snap judgments are consistent with ones made without any time pressure at all. (source)
He knows the research better than most people ever will. He wants to make a magnetic first impression and that’s what brought him to me on a March day in Bucktown.
“I was always interested in color analysis and have wanted to know my season since forever.” - Garo Agopian
Throughout his life, he’s worn a lot of black.
“If I could wear a black turtleneck five days a week, I would do that. I feel so powerful and comfortable in that.”
Not because he lacks style. He has plenty, but because he keeps his wardrobe in two main categories:
Work clothes and going-out clothes.
He describes himself as “a minimalist with some maximalist elements,” which is maybe the most accurate thing anyone has ever said about themselves.
His style icon is Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. He owns a leopard coat (well, he did until someone stole it, which he describes as tragic. And I agree). One of his best going-out looks is what he calls his “South Beach look”: leopard print, black pleather, and gold jewelry. The man has a vision.
But day to day? He keeps it very simple. He need to look a certain way.
Because, like many men, there’s a struggle.
How to bring your personality into your professional wardrobe while maintaining authority and dressing for a leadership role.
This is where color analysis bridges the gap. It’s all about you, your personality, and making you shine.
“The focus is YOU. They should see you first, and then the patterns and the colors you wear. The clothes and the color should be the supporting players. You are the star” - Edwards Buice
One March afternoon, I took him through the process of clarifying his unique color profile, elevating his wardrobe, and simplifying his style decisions rather than complicating them.
Here’s what that looked like:
The Three-Color Exercise
I start every Color Analysis the same way. I lay out the color swatch chart, a big grid of every color you can imagine, and I ask my client to pick three that just grab them. Any three, except black and white.
Most people pause. They look at the chart. They second-guess themselves.
Garo didn’t miss a beat.
Garo: “I like a flamingo pink. Probably #141.”
Edwards: "Okay."
Garo: “I also like a green — I think I look good in green. Maybe like a #22.”
Edwards: "Okay."
Garo: “And then as a third… maybe a turquoise. I don’t usually like blue, but that’s a warmer blue. So maybe 52.”
He was already thinking in warm versus cool—a rare insight for most clients. He’d just never had someone hold the actual swatches up to his face. As someone who studies both color theory and real-world transformation, I love when a client like Garo brings that curiosity. We discover their best colors together, blending science, psychology, and a little intuition.
Here’s what that looked like.
Picking his three colors. No hesitation.
Finding Your Best Colors
Next came the draping. This is the heart of a Color Analysis.
Clients wear a white cape while I hold colored fabrics near their face in natural light. The right color makes your skin glow; the wrong color does the opposite, fast.
The draping cape removes all color so we can see exactly what each fabric does to your skin.
We went through the full range of colors. Some were immediate no’s.
The cool, bright colors, especially. They just didn’t work on Garo. His skin went a little flat. The color fought him instead of working with him.
Cool tones. You can see it immediately -- something’s just off.
Same story. The color is fighting him instead of working with him.
One thing Garo asked mid-session: Does facial hair affect what colors I should wear? Short answer: no. We’re reading skin undertone, not hair. But it’s a completely reasonable thing to wonder, and Garo, being Garo, had already thought about it.
What the draping confirmed: Garo is warm, and he can handle real depth and saturation. The soft, dusty tones that look effortless on some people flatten him out. He needs color that commits.
Every client gets a personalized color designation. This is what that process looks like.
Next, We Did a Mini Style Session
Once we knew his palette, we did a mini style session.
I pulled pieces. We started layering—blazers, athleisure jackets, cashmere scarves, hats, jewelry. Fashion was flying around the room.
Garo is fearless. He tried everything. Even the things he wasn’t sure about.
“If I knew the session would be this much fun, I would have allowed more time!”
And then I handed him a burgundy blazer.
He looked skeptical. He reached for it anyway.
He put it on. He turned toward the mirror.
His face changed immediately. His posture shifted. His eyes brightened. In that moment, he looked and carried himself differently.
The moment. Same face. Same hair. Completely different energy.
His go-to black wardrobe was sleek, but safe. In deep wine, his entire presence was elevated—sharp, confident, more himself than ever.
“The cool thing is that I wouldn’t necessarily think about these colors, but now I see that I can rock them.”
We added a scarf. I asked how he’d wear it in real life. He didn’t hesitate: burgundy blazer, cashmere scarf, black turtleneck, slim black pants. Boots, something between a Chelsea and a cowboy boot. Black, obviously.
His biggest surprise from the whole session? “Finding out I look good in brighter colors.”
Even someone who understands color psychology for a living can still be surprised by what happens when the right fabric is held up to his face.
The App Walkthrough: How to Use The Results
After the style session, I walked Garo through his results in the app: his full palette, best neutrals, accent colors, and jewelry recommendations. It’s all saved in one place, so he can pull it up while shopping, compare colors in real time, and make faster decisions without defaulting back to black.
When you know your colors, you save time and money—buying what you’ll wear and wearing what you buy. But more importantly, you gain a new sense of confidence that goes far beyond the mirror. You’ll step into every room knowing you look—and feel—your best.
That’s what I want for every client: Not a set of tight rules. Clarity and confidence in how you show up in the world.
And at least one moment like Garo’s, where you try something on and think: oh. That’s me.
For Garo, that moment was the burgundy blazer. And the next time he walks into that lecture hall, his students won’t just see a marketing professor who knows the research.
They’ll see someone who lives it.
“I would have never considered this color. But now I doIf you’re ready to experience this for yourself, let’s talk.
Sessions are available in-person, for individuals or for a small group Color Party.
You’ll leave knowing exactly what works for you, and why. And what to avoid.
It starts with 3 style simple questions. Click here to get going or if you prefer, just email me at edwards@davidedwardsclothier.com.