Knowing your best clothing color tones is key to looking your best and pulling together a stylish, cohesive wardrobe. Your coloring – including your skin tone, eye color, and hair color – determines which shades will flatter you most. Read on to learn how to determine your color season and build the perfect color palette.
What are color seasons?
The concept of color seasons categorizes people into a seasonal color palette based on their physical features. The four main color seasons are:
- Winter – High contrast between hair, eyes, and skin. Dark hair, light skin, bright eyes (blue, green, gray). Looks best in cool, jewel tones.
- Spring – Light to medium contrast between hair, eyes, and skin. Warm undertones to hair, eyes, skin. Looks best in warm, light colors.
- Summer – Low contrast between hair, eyes, and skin. Ashy/cool hair and skin tones. Best in cool, soft colors.
- Autumn – Low contrast between hair, eyes, and skin. Warm, golden undertones. Looks best in warm neutrals and earth tones.
Once you determine your color season, you can use it as a guide for choosing clothing and accessory colors that enhance your natural features.
How to find your color season
Follow these steps to determine which color palette suits you best:
- Examine your skin undertone. Is it warm with yellow/peach shades (Spring/Autumn) or cool with pink/red shades (Winter/Summer)? Check the color of your veins – blue means cool, green means warm.
- Look at your eye color. Bright, clear eyes indicate a Winter. Muted, softer color eyes point to Summer. Warm brown eyes suggest Autumn. Spring can have any eye color.
- Note your natural hair color. Dark brown to black hair is typical of Winter. Lighter chestnut brown to blond is found in Summer. Auburn red or strawberry blonde hair indicates Autumn. Any hair color is possible for Spring.
- Determine contrast level. High contrast between hair, skin, and eyes marks a Winter. Low contrast is seen in Summer. Medium contrast is found in Spring and Autumn.
- Observe how your skin reacts to the sun. If you tan easily, you likely have warm undertones of Spring or Autumn. If you burn easily, you probably have cool undertones of Winter or Summer.
- Analyze your overall complexion. Clear, porcelain skin means Winter. Peaches and cream complexion marks Spring. Creamy beige skin tones point to Autumn. Neutral skin with gray undertones is seen in Summer.
- Look at your veins. Blue or purple veins indicate cool skin tones found in Winter and Summer. Greenish veins mark warm skin tones seen in Spring and Autumn.
- Wear drapes of color fabrics. Drape them around your neck and observe how your face looks. Cool colors next to your face mean Winter or Summer. Warm colors are more flattering for Spring or Autumn.
- Have a friend help compare. A second opinion looking at your hair, eye, and skin color contrast can provide an objective perspective on your dominant characteristics.
Consider your overall impression based on these guidelines. You may fall strongly into one color season category or have some overlap between two groups. Be sure to consider your most prominent physical traits to determine the color palette that flatters you best.
Best colors for each season
Each color season has its own palette that will make your features shine. Here are the clothing color tones that flatter each season most:
| Season | Best Colors |
|---|---|
| Winter | Cool, jewel tones like royal blue, emerald green, purple, fuchsia |
| Spring | Warm light colors like coral, peach, lime green, sky blue |
| Summer | Cool pastels like mint, lavender, rose pink, light blue |
| Autumn | Warm neutrals like terracotta, olive, mustard, burnt orange |
Aim to wear colors from your seasonal palette near your face to enhance your complexion, eyes and hair. Colors from an adjacent season can also work as accents in your outfits.
Tips for each season
Keep these tips in mind to choose the best clothing colors within your seasonal palette:
Winter
- Seek out jewel tones and icy pastels like royal purple, sapphire blue, emerald green
- Whites should be stark rather than creamy
- Black and charcoal gray are perfect neutral colors
- Metallic silver looks striking against your dark features
- Avoid wearing muted earth tones, peach, or yellow-green near your face
Spring
- Favor bright, light warm colors like lemon, peach, coral, turquoise
- Soft rose pinks and sky blues also look lovely
- Aim for creamy off-whites rather than stark whites
- Metallic gold flatters your warm coloring
- Stay away from black or saturated cool colors like fuchsia or royal purple
Summer
- Choose cool pastels like mint, lavender, soft rose, powder blue
- Gray is a great neutral closer to your skin
- Opt for silver jewelry rather than gold
- Avoid orange and yellow tones near your face as they can clash
- Stark white looks too harsh against your soft coloring
Autumn
- Warm browns, olives, rusts, and mustard colors suit you
- Creamy off-white is a better neutral than harsh white
- Gold jewelry warms up your skin tone
- Steer clear of icy pastels like mint, sky blue, or pink
- Avoid placing black fabric next to your face as it can be too harsh
Finding your best shades
When shopping for new wardrobe pieces, bring along swatches from your seasonal color palette to check what flatters you most. Drape different shades against your neckline to see which enhance your complexion and make your eyes sparkle. The right colors can make you look alive and radiant!
Certain colors within your palette will be especially flattering. Look for these hero shades that make your hair color pop and skin glow:
- Winter: Royal blue, true red, hot pink, emerald green
- Spring: Coral, sky blue, grass green, lemon yellow
- Summer: Soft rose, lavender, light blue, seafoam
- Autumn: Mustard, rust orange, olive green, terracotta
Aim to incorporate more of your perfect hero colors into your wardrobe. Mix in neutrals and lighter accents from your palette as well.
Complete your look
Choosing makeup, accessories, and hairstyles to complement your best clothing colors will create a polished, harmonious look. Here are flattering options for each season:
| Season | Makeup | Accessories | Hairstyles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | Berry lips, smoky eyes, porcelain skin | Silver, platinum, diamonds | Dark, sleek and shiny |
| Spring | Peach lips, rosy cheeks, champagne lids | Gold, topaz, pearls | Golden highlights, soft waves |
| Summer | Mauve lips, light pink blush, metallic eye | Silver, platinum, opal | Ashy highlights, feathered |
| Autumn | Rust lip, bronze cheek, smoked eye | Gold, amber, citrine | Warm highlights, layered |
Pull together a total look by choosing makeup, jewelry, glasses, and hairstyles within the same color family as your best clothing shades. This creates visual harmony and enhances your natural coloring.
Finding color balance
Even within your optimal color season, aim for balance in your clothing color tones. Don’t wear all light or all dark shades. Mix in neutrals. Add pops of color as accents. Here are examples of balanced looks for each season:
Winter
- Navy jeans, white top, emerald cardigan, black booties
- Gray wool skirt, fuchsia sweater, black tights, silver earrings
- Royal blue dress, black belt and heels, red lipstick
Spring
- White jeans, coral top, denim jacket, tan wedges
- Peach dress, sky blue cardigan, gold sandals, grass green handbag
- Cream blouse, sky blue trousers, bronze loafers, turquoise statement necklace
Summer
- Heather gray shirtdress, lavender cardigan, pearl studs, ballet flats
- Khaki pants, soft pink blouse, rose quartz pendant, white canvas sneakers
- Palomino sheath dress, sea glass necklace, taupe clutch, caramel wedges
Autumn
- Olive cargo pants, orange sweater, brown booties, mustard scarf
- Camel coat, cream turtleneck, rust corduroys, gold hoops
- Terracotta sheath dress, bronze heels, tiger eye bracelet, nutmeg handbag
Use neutrals like black, white, navy, gray, denim, and khaki as anchors. Add your best color shades as statement pieces near your face. The full outfit will lift your complexion and make you look vibrant.
Test different color combinations
As you build your wardrobe, try various color combinations within your seasonal palette. Certain shades may look stunning on their own but seem mismatched or unbalanced with the wrong colors. Use these tips as you experiment:
- Aim for one standout color near your face, then layer on neutral or lighter accent colors
- Pair your darker neutrals like black, charcoal, navy, or brown with rich, saturated shades
- Use softer muted tones with light neutrals like white, ivory, gray, tan, or khaki
- Add metallic shoes, handbag, or jewelry to make your best colors pop
- Have fabrics reflect the colors – wool in winter shades, linen in spring/summer colors, corduroy and leather for autumn
Snap photos of yourself in different color combos and review objectively. You’ll learn which shades enhance each other for a stunning look.
Common mistakes to avoid
When determining the clothing colors that flatter you most, beware of these common mistakes:
- Choosing colors based on trends or favorites rather than your natural coloring
- Assuming you are a certain season based on popular belief, like all blondes are Summer
- Focusing only on your eye/hair color rather than overall impression
- Forgetting to assess the undertones of your features
- Matching all clothing and accessories in one color family
- Wearing the wrong colors next to your face
- Sticking to a limited palette in your wardrobe
Avoid these errors by carefully analyzing your dominant characteristics, trying test fabrics in various colors, and paying attention to how certain shades affect your complexion.
Work with a color consultant
If you need extra help determining your most flattering clothing colors, consider scheduling a color analysis with a professional consultant. They will consider your hair, eye, and skin coloring and draping test fabrics to assess which seasonal palette fits you best. This can provide valuable insight into the shades that make you look your vibrant best.
You can bring the color analysis results along for shopping trips and closet organization. Use swatches from your palette for easy reference when picking new items. A color consultant can also suggest makeup and accessory colors tailored to your personal coloring.
Be open to updating your palette
Your optimal color season may shift over time as your hair grays or skin tone changes. Re-evaluate your palette every few years using the steps in this guide. Colors you wore in your 20s may need adjusting by the time you reach your 40s or 50s. Adapt your wardrobe accordingly.
Consider having an updated color analysis every 5 years or so. This will ensure you are wearing the most flattering shades for the current state of your complexion and hair.
Conclusion
Determining your personal color season is the key to choosing clothing shades that make you look radiant. Analyze your hair, eye and skin coloring to find the palette that complements your natural beauty. Use your best colors strategically in your wardrobe, pairing them with neutrals and lighter accents. Avoid common mistakes like basing choices on trends or limited perceptions. Consider professional color analysis if needed. Re-evaluate your season as your coloring evolves. With the right color knowledge, you can always put your best face forward!
