How to find your color season: the 2-minute test

Start by looking at the veins on your wrist in natural light. If they appear blue or purple, you have cool undertones. If they look greenish, you have warm undertones. Can’t tell? Hold a white piece of paper next to your face. If your skin looks yellow or peachy, you’re warm; if it looks pink or rosy, you’re cool. This quick check is your first step to identifying your color season.

Draping: the gold standard for seasonal analysis

For the most accurate results, do a draping test. Use solid-colored fabrics or paper in true red, true blue, bright yellow, and forest green. Stand in natural light (no direct sun) and hold each color under your chin. Notice which makes your skin look radiant and even, and which creates shadows or sallowness. The colors that brighten you are your season’s hues. Spring and autumn are warm (yellow-based); summer and winter are cool (blue-based).

The four seasons: a breakdown of your best colors

Spring: Warm and clear. Your best colors are coral, peach, warm turquoise, lime green, and golden yellow. Avoid icy pastels and deep charcoal. Think light, bright, and fresh: a coral blazer, mint tee, or camel trousers.

Summer: Cool and muted. Embrace lavender, dusty rose, baby blue, soft gray, and mauve. Skip neon or stark white. A dusty blue dress or a heather gray cardigan will make you glow.

Autumn: Warm and deep. Reach for olive, rust, mustard, camel, and burgundy. Avoid bright pink or icy blue. A rust sweater or olive parka captures your earthy vibe.

Winter: Cool and vivid. Wear true red, black, white, navy, and emerald. Stay away from earthy browns and soft pastels. A sharp white shirt or a navy blazer looks stunning.

Translating your season into a capsule wardrobe

Once you know your season, build around 3 neutral shades that suit you. For spring: cream, tan, and caramel. Summer: navy, gray, and ivory. Autumn: olive, brown, and deep teal. Winter: black, white, and charcoal. Then add two accent colors from your palette. For example, a winter capsule includes black trousers, a white silk shirt, a charcoal blazer, with a red handbag and emerald scarf for pops. Stick to solid colors within your season; avoid mixing warm and cool tones.

Your color season is a shortcut to looking polished. A spring in a bright coral sweater will always look healthier than in dusty plum. Test your season with the draping method, then clear your closet of anything outside your palette. You’ll save time and always feel confident in your clothes.

Key Takeaway

Find your color season (spring, summer, autumn, winter) by draping fabrics in natural light, then build a wardrobe around your best neutral and accent shades.