Add "choose a color" variant dropdown menu?

[craftywool]

Hi,

I need to change the theme of my site as I've been told recent issues with it are because it is out of date (Supply theme). My url is https://craftywoolbarn.co.uk/

I'm trying to find another theme to use, I'm resigned to the fact that I'll have to change the design, but I've not been able to find a theme that allows me to have the text "choose a color" as the initial state of the variants dropdown menu. They all seem to default to the first variant which means the first image on the page is a colour swatch and not the main product. Is there a way to change this? I've been looking at the Dawn theme.

Another issue seems to be that in all the themes I've tried, if you select a colour from the variant swatches it doesnt change the selection in the variant dropdown menu.

Can anyone suggest any solutions please? I'm not fixed on Dawn as a theme and would pay for a theme if it did what I wanted.

Thanks

[craftywool]

thanks for all the replies. I've been trying demos of several paid for themes and none seem to be able to do what I want (including motion or impulse themes). I can't believe that such basic options are not available within themes without adding code or apps.

[Zel_Minimate]

Hi @craftywool ,

I'm sorry to hear that you have to change your theme and haven’t found the right one yet. If you're open to trying a different approach, I’d like to suggest our Mini: Custom Fields Personalize app.

With it, you can create a custom dropdown menu for color selection and name it however you like, such as "Choose a color". You can also offer image swatch fields for color selection. When a customer makes a selection, it won’t affect the main product image, so your default image stays in place.

Here are some example screenshots from our demo store.

Customers will see their selected color at checkout, and once the order is completed, you’ll be able to view their selection in the Orders section of your Shopify dashboard.

You can check out the app here. I hope this helps! Let me know if you need any assistance or more info.

Wishing you the best of luck with your store! 😊

Zel

[craftywool]

thanks, I'll have a look at the app

[Easify-Jolie]

Hi @craftywool 

I recommend you try Easify Product Options. It allows you to create color variants using either swatches or a dropdown menu. Personally, I usually see stores using one or the other, but I can show you how to set up both options. There’s also a way where the dropdown can display color swatches inside it for a smoother experience. Here's how it works:

• Option 1: Color Swatch

• Option 2: Dropdown, you can set the text "choose a color" as the initial state of the variants dropdown menu

• Option 3: Dropdown with swatches, the color you see in this dropdown is actually an image, not a color swatch, because the app only supports images in the dropdown.

This app is straightforward, and I believe it will work well for you. Reach out to Easify if you need any assistance! 🤗

[craftywool]

Thanks for the suggestion, I've had a look at the app but as our site is already set up with all our products, it would be very time consuming to set them all up again within the app when all I want to be able to do is to have the text "choose a color" as the initial state of the variants dropdown menu so the first image shown is the product shot and not a colour variant and have the colour selection dropdown and the variant thumbnail linked so one changes the other

[craftywool]

thought it might be useful to show what I'm trying to recreate with a new theme.

This is how the product page initially looks...

Below is how I want it to work when either a colour variant swatch or a colour is selected from the dropdown

[Zel_Minimate]

Hi again @craftywool ,

Thanks for the update—and I totally understand not wanting to reconfigure all your products from scratch. Just to clarify, with our Mini: Custom Fields Personalize app, you don’t need to rebuild your entire setup—you can simply add custom color dropdowns or swatches to specific products where this behavior matters most.

While Shopify’s built-in variant system always pre-selects a variant and swaps images, our app gives you a bit more control:

• You can display a "Choose a color" prompt with no default selected.
• The main image stays untouched until the customer makes a selection.
• The customer’s color choice appears at checkout and in your admin orders—even though it’s not tied to a Shopify variant.

It’s not a 1:1 replacement for variant-image syncing, but if your main goal is to show the product image first, avoid automatic changes, and still capture the color info cleanly, this could be a smooth workaround.

Let me know if you'd like to test it out on one or two products to see if it suits your workflow. Happy to help!

Warmly,
Zel

[Zel_Minimate]

Hi again @craftywool ,

Just checking in — are you still looking for a solution?

I noticed you installed and later uninstalled our Mini Customization Field app — I’m really sorry it didn’t work out for your needs. I completely understand, and I just want to help however I can.

I recently came across an app called Rubik Variant Images and thought it might be useful for your store. From what I understand, it lets you show only the images related to the selected variant. So for example, if a customer picks the green wool, they’ll only see green wool images — not red or other colors.

I’m not affiliated with this app in any way — just sharing in case it helps you get closer to what you’re looking for. I’d be happy to hear if you found it helpful!

Good Luck!
Zel