Hint: It's Not Always Gray
There’s money in your pocket. You’re ready to buy a suit. An important question runs through your mind. “What color suit should I buy?” Choosing the correct color for your suit makes the difference between looking great and merely looking okay.
Choosing the right color for your suit depends on your skin tone and your contrast profile. That’s it. Your skin tone is either warm or cool. Contrast profile describes the level of contrast between your skin, eyes, and hair. It is either high or low.
Combining your skin tone (warm or cool) with your contrast profile (high or low) gives 4 possible categories. We call them seasons. Winter, Autumn, Spring, Summer. Each season has its own selection of colors. A Winter wears colors from the winter palette. Same for a Summer, etc.
Let’s look at colors for each season below. After that you’ll learn how to determine your season so you can choose a suit that is uniquely yours.
Winter
Skin Tone: Cool
Contrast: High
Best Suit Colors
Charcoal Gray
Navy
Black
Spring
Skin Tone: Warm
Contrast: Low
Best Suit Colors
Medium Warm Gray
Bright Navy
Camel
Summer
Skin Tone: Cool
Contrast: High
Best Suit Colors
Charcoal Blue Gray
Grayed Navy
Rose Brown
Autumn
Skin Tone: Cool
Contrast: High
Best Suit Colors
Charcoal Brown
Chocolate Brown
Marine Navy
Determining Your Season
Step 1: Determining Your Skin Tone
The quickest way to determine your skin tone is by looking at your veins in natural light.
- If your veins look blueish, you have a cool skin tone. You are either a Winter or a Summer.
- If your veins look greenish, you have a warm skin tone. You are a Spring or an Autumn.
You can also hold up a blank sheet of white printer paper to your face.
- If your skin looks pink, gray, or blue you have a cool skin tone. You are a Winter or a Summer.
- If your skin looks yellow, gold, or peach, you have a warm skin tone. You are a Spring or an Autumn.
Step 2: Determining Your Contrast Profile
*GENERALLY*
- If your hair is lighter than medium brown you are low contrast. If you are low contrast you are a Summer or a Spring.
- If your hair is darker than medium brown you are high contrast. High contrast profile means you are a Winter or an Autumn.
Red heads tend to be Autumns and there are occasional exceptions to the guidelines above. Platinum blonds can be winters for example. Look at the “warmth” and “brightness” in your colors. If your hair has cool or dark undertones you’re probably “high contrast.” Warm or light undertones suggest a “low contrast” profile. The key is to notice your skin’s level of contrast with your eyes and hair. If there’s a big difference in contrast, you’re high contrast. If there isn’t much difference, you’re low contrast.
If you’re still having trouble check out this article, which offers additional help.
Optional: Test Colors On Yourself
- Use different colored shirts and fabrics.
- Hold them under your face (shave if needed.)
- The right colors will smoothen out your features and make you look “healthy.”
- The wrong colors will make you look pale, wrinkled, or “dirty.”
- Ask others for second and third opinions!
Stuck Between A Season?
Winter or Autumn
- Do you look better in brown (Autumn) or black (Winter)?
- Autumn can wear muted tones
- Winter is best in bold clear colors
Summer or Autumn
- Do you look better in pink and burgundy (Summer) or rust and olive green (Autumn)?
- Summer is about blue based pastel tones
- Autumn is about golden earthy tones
Winter or Summer
- Do you look better in a pure white shirt (winter) or a sky blue one (summer)?
- Winter is best in bold strong colors
- Summer looks better in pastels and has a “powder-y” feeling
Spring or Summer
- Do you look better in a blueish pink (Summer) or peach (Spring)?
- Summer is about blue based pastel tones
- Spring looks best in clear bright and light colors
Spring or Winter
- Do you look better in dark navy blue or black (Winter) or do you look better in golden brown or camel (Spring)?
- Spring looks best in clear bright and light colors
- Winter is best in bold icy colors
Autumn or Spring
- Do you look better in clear reds/golds/& light orange (Spring) or do you look better in dark browns/olive green/brick orange (Autumn)
- Autumn’s colors have more “spice” and can be “muddy.”
- Spring looks best in clear bright and light colors
Wrapping Things Up And Selecting Your Suit Color
Now that you’ve figured out your season, scroll up to the top of the page to see the list of suit colors that look best on you. If you are still having issues determining your season check out the book “Color For Men” by Carole Jackson. It goes into depth about color theory, determining your season, and provides many pictures for reference. Great book.
If you are thinking of color in this framework you’re ahead of the game. Many people google “what color suit should I wear” and see gray or navy suggested. They buy the suit but many won’t look as good as their peers. That’s because each person has a unique color profile and thus a unique pallet of colors they look good in. Blindly suggesting gray or navy, like most websites do, is overlooking that.
Until next time. Cheers.