Color FAQ: answering the top 3 questions people ask me about color analysis
Who wouldn’t want to look more vibrant, energetic, healthy, and confident? Wearing colors that are in harmony with your own coloring will help you unlock those results. (And conversely, wearing colors that are not in harmony can make you look tired, ill, harsh, or faded.) But how do you find your best colors? I highly recommend having a personal color analysis by a trained consultant. Today I’m answering some of the questions I’m asked most often about color analysis.
In 2019 while visiting London, I had a personal color analysis with Red Leopard. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was life changing! Within a few weeks, I knew I wanted to go back to London for training to be able to offer this service here in Southern California. Fast forward three years (thanks to the pandemic) and I was finally able to complete the Color and Style course with Red Leopard in February 2022.
I absolutely LOVE doing personal color analysis! There’s always that moment when you drape someone in a color that absolutely lights them up ✨ and it’s like magic!
What seasonal color analysis looks like now
Seasonal color analysis has come a long way since the “Color Me Beautiful” system in the 80’s. The color analysis we practice today is a a highly individualized process that results in a unique color palette for each person. Yes, you’ll find your best colors will reside within one of the four seasonal palettes. But within each season are several variations. So an Autumn might be a Soft Autumn, a Vibrant Autumn, an Autumn Leaf, or a Blue Autumn, depending on which colors within the palette are best for that person. Or even a unique blend of those.
There’s a lot of information (and MIS-information) floating around these days about seasonal color analysis. There are also a lot of different systems in use, with different seasons or palette parameters. The system I was analyzed and later trained in is based on the work of Johannes Itten, a painter and teacher and color theorist from the Bauhaus school in the 1920’s.
The color system developed by Itten is still in use today by graphic artists, interior designers, etc. For our purposes, most colors are either warm or cool (yellow-based or blue-based) and bright or soft. So in the simplest format, the color seasons could be described like this:
- Spring – warm + bright 🌼 🍄 🪷
- Summer – cool + soft 🪺 🌸 🌊
- Autumn – warm + soft / rich 🍁 🫒 🌻
- Winter – cool + bright 🌹❄️ 💙
Which of these attributes will appear most in harmony with your skin tone will determine your color season. But again, there are a multitude of variations within each seasonal palette.
Here are three of the questions I’m asked most often about seasonal color analysis and palettes:
1. I have blonde hair and blue eyes. So I must be a Summer, right?
Not necessarily, and probably not even likely. When we determine a person’s season, we are looking at skin tone, and how the skin reacts to different colors when placed adjacent. Here’s an example: only one of these blond-haired, blue-eyed women is a Summer. Can you tell which one?
(Keep reading to see the answer.)
Once we’ve determined a person’s season based on skin tone, their eye and hair color may come into play in determining which colors within that season will suit them best. (In fact, Summers are one of the rarest types, and not always what you’d expect. Princess Kate is an example of a Dark Summer.)
2. If I go grey, will my season change? (Also: will my season change as I age? And: do we get cooler as we age?)
Because our system of color analysis is based on skin tone (not hair color), the short answer is, “no.” However as going gray may change your contrast levels and overall color value, your best colors within your seasonal palette may change. Or you may find you want to adjust the contrast levels within your outfits. (I’m still a Golden Spring now that I’m gray.)
Some people may lose some color in their skin as they age, but it’s highly unlikely that someone will go from a warm to a cool season, for example. The same thing goes for having a tan…someone who is a cool season won’t come back from a two-week vacation in Hawaii as a warm one. (And the good news is that when you’re wearing the right colors, you won’t need to rely on tanners or bronzers to add color to your skin!)
3. I can’t afford a new wardrobe all at once…how do I start to incorporate my new colors?
If your new seasonal palette is quite different than what’s already in your wardrobe, it can take some time after your color analysis to rebuild and update. No, you don’t have to do it all at once, nor should you expect to! To get started, you’ll want to focus on pieces in your best colors that can be worn near your face, like a top, jacket, or scarf.
A related question I’m often asked is, “do I really have to get rid of my black pieces?” Only the Winter palette includes black, and even then it’s not always one of a Winter’s best colors. If you’re not a Winter, shifting from black to other neutrals in your palette will help your wardrobe to be more cohesive.
Still, many of us have built up our wardrobes based on black over the years. What you non-Winters may find as you gradually add your seasonal colors to your wardrobe, is that black will look harsh and out-of-place with the new colors. Navy can be a workable option (and there’s a navy for every palette). Browns, camels and beiges are more widely available now than in recent years. My suggestion is to invest in your basics when your best neutrals are available, as they tend to cycle like any other colors.
Did you know…
that you can shop by your seasonal color palette in my SHOP? I’ve set up sections for each color season, and update regularly.
SHOP AUTUMN | SHOP WINTER | SHOP SPRING | SHOP SUMMER
Don’t expect that every piece in your wardrobe has to match your palette exactly. Even I fudge a little bit with some colors. The idea is to create harmony with your coloring and the other pieces in your wardrobe. And once you do that, you’ll find that your wardrobe feels more cohesive, making it easier to put outfits together and do more with less.
More scarves in seasonal color palettes
The scarf I’m wearing above (gifted) is from the new “Quetzal” collection by Emma J. Shipley. The design was inspired by the animals and beauty of Costa Rica’s Cloud Forest. And the colors were selected in collaboration with my friends at Red Leopard for each of the 4 seasonal color palettes.
These large silk scarves are so versatile, and can be a great addition to travel wardrobes. In addition to protecting your neck from the chill (or air-conditioning!), they can also be worn as a DIY “kimono” as I’ve done below.
There’s also a skinny scarf version of this pattern in all 4 seasonal colors that you can wear as a belt or hatband, in addition to around the neck..
And here’s the answer to the color analysis “pop quiz” above:
If you are interested in a personal color analysis, and live near or will be visiting the Los Angeles area, check out my Style Services page. Then email me at [email protected] if you’d like to schedule. It’s a great investment in your wardrobe and yourself!
Stay in touch
Sign up to be notified of new posts and updates from une femme d’un certain âge.
Love this. great explanation and examples to show that you cannot guess what someone is by looking at them. A palette makes a wardrobe work so well and is certainly not limiting when you see how great you can look and feel. I really enjoy these conversations.
Excellent information!! Decades ago I had my “colors done” by a CMB consultant; she proclaimed me a “Soft Autumn.” When I look back at myself in photos from that time I notice how drab some of those colors made me look. I wear my silver-white hair these days (with pride!) and look so much better in summer colors. So!
Susan, what a great post today! I always enjoy your posts but especially savor those involving color. I did not guess the true Summer correctly (and I was so sure…). Thank you so much for what you offer us!
This is so informative, thanks very much!
Thanks! All of this was so helpful. I hold out hope that someday I’ll make it to LA to do a color analysis with you. (Or, if you do a color-analysis tour in New England, count me in!)
Me too! I’m in RI
I’m in Boston – sign me up
Super interesting post, thank you. I actually guessed the answer to your quiz based solely on asking which woman would look best in silver and pearl jewelry. However, even that was tricky because they have all dyed their hair in warm tones that are not necessarily best.
Is there such a thing in your system as “neutral” skin tone? I have been typed as first a winter in the 80s, then a dark winter later, but those colors feel too strong for me now. Other people (primarily working off pictures, admittedly, but a lot of pictures) have typed me as warm, likely autumn due to brown eyes and dark brown eyebrows. It has left me somewhat confused.
There are some people who are on the “cusp” between one season or another, but ultimately they are best in either (slightly) warmer or cooler shades. So a Blue Spring or a Blue Autumn would be on the coolest end of their respective seasonal palettes.
Does it ever happen that a client is determined to be a “season” which is mostly comprised of colors she doesn’t like? I’ve never had my colors done; I *think* I’m a Summer, but you say that’s rare so I don’t know. My concern is that I’d spend all that money to get my color analysis, only to be told I’m an Autumn and should wear mustard, olive, and warm beige, all colors I don’t like (on me) and think I look bad in!
You never “have to” wear anything you don’t like! 🙂 One thing about having a personal color analysis is that you’re able to see (and the analyst should explain) how your skin reacts to different colors. There are lots of colors in the Autumn palette besides mustard, olive, and warm beige, including some gorgeous blues, pinks, and cooler neutrals.
Thanks, Susan! Count me in on Sosusam’s color analysis tour of New England ….
I loved having you do my colors. Finding out I was an Autumn, and pretty sure I’m on the cusp of cooler tones, made so much sense! I had always worn gold jewelry, I should have known:. Just because I looked good in some blues didn’t mean I had blue-toned skin.
It’s also true that for me the key thing is the Soft/Rich part of color. No jewel tones ever!
My daughter and I were fortunate to travel to LA in April and have our color analysis done by Susan. It was a great experience & I now enjoy her posts more than ever, as I see what selections she has recommended for “springs” like me. Adding new pieces to my wardrobe in different colors has been so much fun! I highly recommend!
Color analysis fascinates me. But I learned that you shouldn’t be too quick to assume that you are currently wearing the “wrong” pallet. Finding out that you already wear the “right” pallet can also give you a big boost.
Years ago I self-diagnosed as a Summer despite a wardrobe that was a sea of Spring colors. I bought a lovely Summer-pallet pale lavender twinset — and it absolutely drained the life out of me!
Finding out that my beloved Spring colors were “right” all along has still been a great help. It gives my wardrobe a logical structure that is comforting to an over-thinker like me. Now I know WHY I avoid certain clothes that have found their way into my closet — and why I won’t regret giving them away. And I have a solid reason to resist otherwise irresistible bargains that will only end up making me feel guilty. (I have a lot of experience with that.)
I’ve always preferred to avoid too much black, but it’s difficult because it’s always everywhere, while the alternatives aren’t always available. So, my workaround is that I always wear a bright scarf near my face when I wear black.
The color analysis you did for me was so fun and one of the best things I have ever done for myself! It has been so fun re-building my wardrobe and hasn’t been as overwhelming or difficult as I thought ~ just doing it a little bit at a time. Knowing my best colors has made a huge difference ~ my wardrobe is more cohesive and it is easier to put together outfits that I am confident will look good. I love your Shop section organized by season too! Thank you again!
Red hair, blue eyes, fair skin but could tan well, I was diagnosed as a spring in the early days of color analysis but did not like many of the colors, certainly not the bright ones with few exceptions. At 80 hair is a mixture of white, red and brown and I do look good in black, less good in army green and browns. Go figure! Color analysis would be fun but am too stubborn to give up what I love. It ‘s fun to read this post and the comments, thanks Susan.
Susan, I am learning so much from your blog and love it. I totally got the color quiz wrong, I thought that the lady who is a spring was the summer because of her fair skin. Personally, I am probably an Autumn, but I find that I like the spring version of the scarf better. It feels like the Autumns often get so gold and orangey and it’s OK but gets old fast. I much prefer olive green or even a warm muted peacock — the scarf from Antrho that you posted the other day was gorgeous.
Thanks for everything you do. I look forward to your future post about the nuances of navy. I am mostly thrift shopping for cheap clothes to experiment with. Right now I am giving away a lot of black clothes, just keeping a few things. I like mixing black and brown (and it might be the only time that I like brown when it is mixed with black). I am trying more coral in my life. Fun stuff.
Hope you are having a good week.
I remember doing color analysis in Home Economics class in high school in the 1980’s. LOL, it was OK. I think I was an Autumn then too, but I think I’d rather be a Spring sometimes. A little crossover so life doesn’t get too compartmentalized and, er, boring.
Can you give us more details in a post about color contrasts and color values within our seasonal color palate? I need to learn more about how to use the colors in my season. Thanks, Susan.
Such a helpful post.
I have no stores nearby so all shopping is online. I really struggle with recognizing if a color is warm or cool especially if there’s not a similar color for that item to use for comparison.
Any tips/suggestions??
I thought by now I’d have done a color consultation with you but life had other plans. Remaining hopeful…
You are right, it is sooo good to know which colours flatter you and which don’t. Saved me a lot of money not buying things that I never wear without knowing why. I can of course use the colours that don’t suit me (like beige) for the bottom part.
Greetje
I live in San Diego. Do you ever do in person color consultations here?
Thanks. Elle
Hi Elle, at this point I’m only able to do color sessions here in Los Angeles. Here’s a color analyst in San Diego who was trained in a similar system: https://houseofcoloursd.com (Alise Shatoff).