Seasons of You: Color Theory in Fashion

Spring is the season of renewal, full of vibrant, fresh colors that feel warm, soft, and almost luminous. People with Spring coloring have warm undertones, often paired with light and bright features. The overall vibe? Think of a sunlit meadow or a warm spring morning—a palette that’s vibrant and refreshing.

• Skin: Springs often have clear, warm undertones with a peachy blush. Their skin tends to be light, but not overly fair, often with a natural warmth. Freckles are common in Springs, adding to their sun-kissed look.
• Hair: Usually light blonde to medium brown with golden or strawberry undertones. Think of shades that reflect the warmth of sunlight—golden blondes, light browns, and even coppery hues.
• Eyes: Clear, vibrant colors like blue, turquoise, green, or light hazel. Eyes often look bright and clear, adding a lively sparkle to Spring’s overall look.

Palette: Spring is all about colors that mimic the fresh hues of nature coming to life. Peach, warm yellows, clear greens, turquoise, coral, and even some soft pinks bring out the best in Springs. Avoid overly dark colors, as they can overpower this delicate, radiant look.

• Light Spring: People with a very light complexion, hair, and eye color, with minimal contrast between features. Pale eyes, and hair with golden or strawberry undertones. Best colors are soft pastels and lighter shades that highlight this low-contrast look.

• Warm/True Spring: Here, warmth is the dominant quality, with a touch more contrast than Light Spring. Eyes can range from warm blues to topaz, and hair has clear, golden hues. Ideal colors are vibrant and warm, like golden yellows, apricot, coral, and fresh greens.

• Clear/Bright Spring: Springs with vibrant features that pop—think bright blue or green eyes, and medium golden blonde to auburn hair. They look amazing in saturated, warm colors that are neither too muted nor too dark, like clear red, bright teal, and crisp white.

If Spring is the fresh dawn, Summer is the calm, muted light of midday. Summers are cool-toned with a soft quality to their features, creating a harmonious, low-contrast look. Their coloring is light, delicate, and often has a dreamy or ethereal quality to it.

• Skin: Cool undertones with a rosy blush. Summer skin often has a delicate appearance, with pink or bluish undertones, and can range from very fair to medium.
• Hair: Usually light blonde to medium brown with ashy undertones. Think of shades that don’t have too much warmth—platinum blondes, ash browns, and muted dark blondes work well here.
• Eyes: Cool-toned and often muted, with shades like blue, grey-blue, soft green, or slate. Summer eyes tend to be gentle and soft, adding to the overall muted, elegant look.

Palette: Summer’s palette is all about softer, cooler colors. Pastel blues, soft greens, gentle pinks, lavender, and grey tones enhance Summer’s understated elegance. Avoid harsh, bright colors, as they can clash with Summer’s natural coolness.

• Soft Summer: A muted, gentle look with low contrast between skin, hair, and eyes. Hair and eye colors tend to be softly blended, often grayish or mousy. The best colors are soft, muted tones like dusty pinks, light slate, and soft teal.

• Cool/True Summer: A little more contrast than Soft Summer, but still within the cool spectrum. Blue or beige undertones dominate, and the overall look remains muted and cool. Best colors are icy blues, soft navy, and powdery purples.

• Light Summer: People with very light features and low contrast. Think light grey, soft blue, or pale green eyes with light ash blonde or brown hair. Soft pastels and light, airy colors like powder blue and mint green work beautifully for Light Summers.

Autumns have a richness to their features, reflecting the warm, deep tones of the fall landscape. This palette is full of earth tones and rich, warm colors, perfect for people with warm undertones and darker, more intense coloring.

• Skin: Warm with golden or beige undertones. Autumn skin often has a “glowing” warmth, ranging from light to medium-deep shades. Freckles are also common, adding to the earthy appeal.
• Hair: Usually medium to dark with golden or red undertones. Autumn hair colors are rich, often described as chestnut, auburn, or deep golden brown.
• Eyes: Warm tones like hazel, olive, medium brown, or even dark green. Autumn eyes can have a rich, earthy quality that adds to their warm, inviting look.

Palette: Autumn’s colors are inspired by nature’s harvest. Olive greens, deep oranges, mustard yellows, and spicy reds enhance this season’s richness. Black and bright jewel tones can be too stark for Autumns; instead, deep, warm hues are best.

• Soft Autumn: Muted, low-contrast tones with a “mousy” quality. Hair may have a hint of strawberry blonde, and the eyes are often neutral-toned. The best colors are soft, warm neutrals like olive, taupe, and dusty coral.

• Warm/True Autumn: Rich, warm hues dominate. Eyes can be golden brown, warm hazel, or amber, while hair has clear red or golden undertones. Earthy colors like cinnamon, burnt orange, and forest green suit True Autumn beautifully.

• Dark/Deep Autumn: Darker features with a mix of neutral-warm tones. Often, there’s a contrast between the skin and hair, with eyes like deep brown or dark green. Rich, saturated colors like deep olive, aubergine, and chocolate brown bring out the best in Deep Autumns.

• Bright/Clear Winter: High contrast with a mix of intense colors. Eyes may be bright blue, cyan, or cool brown, paired with dark brown or black hair. Clear Winters shine in vibrant colors like cobalt, hot pink, and pure white.

• Cool/True Winter: The epitome of icy cool, with blue undertones. True Winter skin ranges from fair to dark, and the hair and eyes are ashy or neutral in color. Colors like navy, emerald green, and royal blue work well.

• Deep Winter: Dark features with high contrast. Eyes are cold-toned, like dark hazel or black-brown, and hair is often very dark. Jewel tones and other rich, saturated colors make Deep Winters stand out.

Not at all. Color theory is a guide, not a rulebook. Use it to find colors that naturally suit you, but don’t feel trapped. Fashion should be an expression of who you are, not a strict formula. Use your seasonal palette to curate a wardrobe that feels like you—then go beyond it to explore how you want to express yourself.

When you align with colors that suit your natural coloring, you’ll find it easier to mix and match pieces, and you’ll save yourself the frustration of buying clothes that look great on the hanger but fall flat when you try them on. Play with color theory to unlock your best style self, then make it yours. 🌈