How do you know what colors look best on you?
Answer: Choosing the right colors for yourself depends on your skin tone and contrast profile. Contrast profile is the contrast between your skin, eyes, and hair. By the end of this article you will be an expert on choosing the colors that look best on you.
Big Picture
Skin tone is either WARM or COOL.
Contrast profile is either HIGH or LOW.
Combining your skin tone (warm or cool) with your contrast profile (high or low) creates 4 possible categories. We call them seasons. Winter, Autumn, Spring, Summer. Each season has it’s own selection of colors. A Winter wears colors from the winter palette. Same for a Summer, etc. Wearing colors from your season makes you look great. Easy right?
Let’s look at a description of the seasons below. Then I’ll tell you how to determine which season you are.
WINTER
Skin Tone: COOL
Contrast: HIGH
SPRING
Skin Tone: WARM
Contrast: LOW
SUMMER
Skin Tone: COOL
Contrast: LOW
AUTUMN
Skin Tone: WARM
Contrast: HIGH
Step 1: Determining Your Skin Tone
The quickest way to determine your skin tone is looking at your veins in natural light.
- If your veins look blueish, you have a cool skin tone (Winter or Summer.)
- If your veins look greenish, you have a warm skin tone (Spring or Autumn.)
- Usually the easiest spot to look is the inside of your wrist.
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 (Winter or Summer.)
- If your skin looks yellow, gold, or peach, you have a warm skin tone (Spring or Autumn.)
Step 2: Determining Your Contrast Profile
Determining your contrast profile is a bit trickier than determining your skin tone. That said:
*GENERALLY*
- If your hair is darker than medium brown you are high contrast. (Winter or Autumn.)
- If your hair is lighter than medium brown you are low contrast (Summer or Spring.)
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.”
*Do* ask others for a second and third opinion!
Testing between…
- 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 and 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
Seasonal Color Palettes
Winter
- Winter colors have a cool undertone
- Bold strong colors
- Crisp icy colors
- Only season with black
- Only season with true white
- Think: Bold, Sharp, Intense, High Contrast, Cold/Ice
- Avoid: Browns, Dull Muted Colors, Pastels, Warm Tones, Golden Tones
Summer
- Summer colors have a cool undertone
- Best in pastels
- Darker colors are grayed & understated
- Colors have a “powdery” feeling
- Think: Low Contrast, Subtle, Pastels, Soft & Clear Colors, Cool
- Avoid: Black, True Brown, Golden Tones, Strong Contrasts, Tan, True White (use soft white instead)
Autumn
- Autumn colors have a warm undertone
- Colors are golden, earthy, and “spicy”
- Muddy colors (not bold like Winter)
- Consider the golden colors of falling Autumn leaves
- Think: Muddy, Golden, Rich & “Spicy”
- Avoid: Black, True Grays, True Navy, Cool Tones, True White (use beige white instead)
Spring
- Spring colors have a warm undertone
- Best in clear medium to light colors
- Not muted or grayed out (like Autumn)
- Think: Low Contrast, Subtle, Light, Clear, Yellow, Sunny
- Avoid: Black, Dark Grays, Excessively Dark Colors, Harsh Contrasts, Cool Colors, Grayed Colors, Pure White (use ivory instead)
Wrapping Everything Up
If you are still having issues determining your season I suggest looking into the book “Color For Men” by Carole Jackson. It is an inexpensive investment and goes into depth about color theory and determining your season. It provides many pictures for reference. A great book.
If you are at least *thinking* of color in this framework, you’re ahead of the game. Many people google “What Color Looks Best on Me?” but aren’t given the tools to determine the answer. After reading this article you should have those tools.
Until next time. Cheers.