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Discovering What Colors to Wear According to Your Natural Features (B)

Choosing the right color clothes is a very important aspect when it comes to fashion. One very good way to tell which colors work best on you is to establish which colors flatter your skin tone. But your complexion is not the only thing that determines what colors work best on you. Your hair and eye colors are just as important. Depending on the colors of these three elements, you will be able to tell whether you are what is known as a “Spring”, a “Summer” an “Autumn” or a “Winter”. Spring and Autumn are warm tones, while Summer and Winter are cool tones. There are several theories that speak about skin tone color matching, but we have summed them up in a general overview.

 

Being able to tell in which of these categories you fall, will help you to make choices with regards to the colors of your clothes, as making the right decisions will always enhance your natural look. Personal color consultants take things a step further, by fine tuning and adjusting seasonal hues to get colors to suit you individually.

It is important to know which colors suit you best if you want to obtain the best sartorial results, as wearing the right color clothes can make you feel uplifted and radiant, while wearing the wrong colors will make you look… not so radiant.
You can experiment with clothes of different colors and establish which your colors are, or you can get some help. The What Are My Colors website is a good example of how you can find out with exterior help which colors suit you best. Like personal consultants, they look at you as an individual, rather than a broad season. The results also vary based on whether you are male or female. All you need to do is click on a series of pictures and they will tell you which colors should look best on you. You can order your personal swatches to come to your home, get them delivered by email and use their app to check the clothes you try on in a store against your colors on a phone or tablet.

 

 

Here are some guidelines which will help you establish which category you fall into. We will offer some advice for each “season” in terms of the colors they should or should not wear as well.  Read the descriptions below and you should be able to tell where you fit best:

 

Spring

Springs are people who are naturally golden or strawberry blondes and who have freckles. A Spring usually has the following characteristics:

  • If you are a Spring, you have a low level of contrast between your skin, hair and eye color. Sometimes, Springs have dark hair, clear eyes and pale skin
  • A Spring’s overall coloring generally has clear, golden and warm undertones.
  • Spring’s usually have eyes ranging from light brown and hazel to turquoise
  • A Spring’s hair is found between a medium and a dark brown, but it can also be red, strawberry, light blond and even deep golden

When it comes to picking the right color clothes, spring should wear soft, pale colors like aqua, golden brown, golden yellow, camel and peach. A Spring can also look amazing in coral, reds, clear blue, ivory and bright greens. These colors can never be too muted or too dark, which makes them harder to find. Springs can also wear Chinese red, lemon yellow and turquoise.

 

Summer

People who are Summers usually have a low contrast between the colors the three elements mentioned before, but summers have rather soft and muted colors with cool undertones, as opposed to springs who have warm undertones. Other Summer features are:

  • People who fall in the Summers category generally have a low contrast between their hair and eye color. However, some summers can have a cool hair an eye color and light skin
  • Summers generally have an overall ashy and cool coloring, regardless of the color of your hair and skin and their lightness
  • Summers usually have soft eyes with a cool tone quality, like blue or slate. Usually, Summers have some gray in their eyes (for example gray-hazel, grey-blue, etc.)

When you are choosing what colors to wear, go for either soft pastels or neutrals, as well as for muted colors with cool undertones. Some of the colors that look best on you are: mauve, plum, lavender, dusty pink, pale yellow, slate gray and powder blue.

If you are a summer, you should avoid vivid, intense colors, as they will look too harsh on you. Earth tones will also have a negative impact on your look. It is best for Summers to stay away from orange or black.

 

Autumn

Autumns are people who look great in shades or orange and gold (many Autumns are people of African or Mediterranean descent) and have the following features:

  • They have an overall warm and deep look, mostly featuring dark skin, brown to black hair and very dark eyes
  • Autumns have a lot of depth to their coloring and generally have golden undertones. Peachy skin, which is a warm shade of pink, is a warm tone. Sometimes autumns can have blue or pink tints in their undertones, but if your skin is mostly peachy, then you are a winter
  • They usually have chestnut brown, red or strawberry blond hair
  • People who are autumns generally have deep, earth tone shades to their eyes, such as black-brown, medium, bright or deep brown, deep green, dark to white hazel, mixed green and blue eyes, or dark blue eyes.
  • Autumns have very low contrasting coloring, but not as low as Springs or Summers. Sometimes Autumns have high contrasts, but they are not as contrasting as winters
  • Most autumns have a muted, but light and rich coloring which can appear mousy and sometimes they are also defined by a mix of warm and cool, which makes them appear as a neutral. However, if you have depth to your coloring, you are an autumn

 

When you are choosing the right clothes for you, go for something that has a warm undertone. Earth colors and golden hues will accent your complexion. You can opt for either muted or rich warm colors. These are the colors you generally see in autumn leaves or spices, and include orange, beige, mustard, avocado green, tan, rust dark brown, gold and camel. If you are an Autumn, you can pull off warm gray very well.

It is usually recommended that you avoid clear, bright colors as well as black and white. These will make you appear faded and tired. We also advise you to stay away from blue tones and pastels, as they will make your complexion look pale in a negative way.

 

Winter

Even though there are several types of Winters, such as Cold Winters, Deep Winters or Clear Winters, average Winters are defined by the following characteristics:

  • They have a high contrast between their hair and eye colors and their skin tone, for example dark hair with pale skin and bright eyes
  • They have a lot of depth to their coloring, featuring pink or blue undertones. For example, this is usually the case of people who also have very dark hair or ashy dark brown hair
  • People who are winters have very intense eyes, in nuances such as bright blue, blue, violet blue, emerald green, black, black-brown or dark hazer as well as charcoal gray
  • Sometimes you can establish that a person is a winter only by the fact that they have an overall deep look, for example olive and black skin mixed with dark eyes and black-brown hair

If you are a Winter, the colors that suit you best are those that are sharp and clear. Winters look best in rich, intense colors like navy, red, black and even hot pink. Royal blue, violet and magenta are also good colors for you. Basically, anything that has a blue undertone and is very saturated will look good on you if you are a winter. If you want to wear lighter colors, you can choose between cool yellows, blues and pinks, as they will compliment your coloring as well.

We would recommend that you avoid wearing subdued colors and earthy tones, such as orange, beige or gold. These hues will make you look quite faded.

 

Fraquoh and Franchomme

 

 

 

 

Further reading:

Choose the colors of your clothes like a pro!

A guide to coordinating the colors of your clothes (+examples)

Choosing the colors of you clothes according to your skin tone

Choosing the best color clothes for dark skin tones

Color combinations that work for any skin tone, hair and eye color

Choosing colored contact lenses according to your skin and hair color

P.S. Did you establish what category you fall into? What colors do you like to wear? Share your comments, questions or feedback below! Also, don’t forget that you can subscribe to our website via e-mail or follow us on our social media!

23 replies on “Discovering What Colors to Wear According to Your Natural Features (B)”

Dear Kamy,

A fair-medium toned Indian skin tone with brown eyes and black hair could probably be a summer or an autumn.

Hi! great article. I have pale skin with a pink undertone, very prominent blue veins, blue eyes. my natural hair colour is darkest brown, HOWEVER i am now about 85% grey/white, which is a terrible combo with pale pinkish skin! I think I might be a winter, with my natural hair colour most probably but now im mainly grey/white im really not sure, and find it hard to choose colours that go!

Dear JJ,

Thank you for the comment. While we can’t know exactly what you look like without a visual, we can give you a few tips.

If you hair is now white, you have probably become a Spring.

Therefore, you can wear colors such as red, coral, ivory and bright, mellow greens to look great! Blue, turquoise or bright yellow could also be colors that will suit you well.

If you wish to come back to being a winter, you can always dye your hair. Today, there are products available on the market which make it almost undetectable that you have dyed hair. As a winter, you can wear colors such as black, white, purple, deep teal, etc.

Let us know if you have any other questions or comments! Feel free to contact us via e-mail if you wish to receive more information, as the advice we gave you here is more theoretical.

Best,

F&F

That’s great! We will reply as fast as we can, but please remember that we receive lots of e-mails from our readers and it might take a little until you receive a reply!

Dear Luce,

Thank you for the question. To help you out, we need a little more information.

If your skin is “caramel”, you might be an autumn, but, as you can see in the article, you also need to take your hair and eye color into consideration.

now i discover the site and i can say is a grate article, this will help many men(but i personal dont know what i seazon i am)you can help me plss?i dont know sure if i am winter or sumer,i am male and have dark brown hair, dark golden brown eyes and light beige skin(i am 2 in fitzpatrick scale=european scandinavean), my veins are blue-green( more green i think).

Dear daniel,

Thank you for the comment! We are very glad you like Attire Club!

It is hard to tell what season you are from a mere description, but you sound like a winter to us (since you have light beige skin and dark brown hair, which contrast greatly).

Let us know if you have any other questions or feedback!

Thank you!

F&F

this mean i can wear brown?(you say i have a greatly contrast)…in articole write to avoid wearing subdued colors and earthy tones(and brown is)…i just want to find if i can buy a brown boots or watch or is good wear just black…
i reply this because i want buy a watch and i dont know if buy black or brown, gold or silver…

Dear Daniel,

Thank you for the question. While it is hard for us to give such precise advice without a visual of you, we can say that we think you should be able to wear brown boots, especially if they are rich in tone and deep. Subdued and earthy tones are usually not very saturated, but if you go for a very bold brown, you should be OK. The same goes for your watch. A watch that has a deep color can definitely look good on you.

As for metallics, both gold and silver are neutrals, so they go with every other color. As for your skin tone, try placing a gold fabric next to your skin where you can see your veins, then a silver fabric. Afterwards, think of which of the two colors made you look healthier. We would guess you would look better in gold, but, again, without knowing what you actually look like, we can’t say.

This article might help you out: Choosing the Colors of Your Clothes According to Your Skin Tone: attireclub.org/2013/04/18/choosing-the-colors-of-your-clothes-according-to-your-skin-tone/.

Let us know if you have more questions.

Im autumn. The problem is business suits are usually black or navy, dress shirts are often white. Belts buckles and watches are most often silver. Gold ones which you mention go with autumn skin tone are more expensive and rare.

Moreover, my skin colour is brown. If I wear brown clothing the same tone as my skin, wont it look like a camouflage?

Dear Samuel,

Thank you for the question. If you are an autumn, you can wear navy suits, if the materials are good and the colors are deep.

If you wear a suit that is very similar to your skin tone, you might look like wearing camouflage. However, wearing a brown suit in a shade that is darker or lighter than your skin might make you look well.

Also, a classic black suit with a white tie, if it fits you well, will go with any skin tone, even though people who are darker should not wear black and white so much.

Here are some oractical tips on choosing the best colors for dark skin tones: attireclub.org/2014/02/14/color-of-clothes-for-dark-skin-tones/.

Let us know if you have any other questions!

Yours sincerely,

F&F

Dear Taloy,

Thank you for the question.

While we can’t actually know what suits you best without a visual, we can give you a few hints of colors we think might work well.

For example, teal is a color that might look great on you. Gold is another good option. Light blue might look really good on you too. Make sure the shades are rich and not washed.

If you are looking for style ideas, we recommend our friend’s Biki John blog. She shares many great looks which might inspire you: https://myfashionslashlife.wordpress.com.

Best wishes,

F&F

When I was 19, I went to a fashion and color seminar by Gail Florin a fashion color consultant, where they looked at the skin color on the back of my wrist and draped different materials against my neck. They determined I was a winter with olive in my skin that would fade in ten years. They gave me color swatches but excluded lemon yellow due to the olive in my skin. They also excluded American beauty red, which I think looks good on me now. I have found it very useful over the years, but now things are different. I am 54 and my hair is grey with alot of white in it. I still see some of the olive color in my skin. I am noticing that deep greys and stark blacks and whites look good on me. Ice colors used to look good, but now I notice that only a rare one does. In the summer, when I’m tanned good, I look good in lemon yellow and orange. I just lost 56 pounds since last June and plan to go another ten pounds. Now is a good time to invest in clothes that are really right for me. Is teal a color you would recommend? What other things should I consider?

Dear Robin,

Thank you for the question.

Teal is a great choice, you should definitely go for it. It works with pretty much any skin tone.

When you are tanned, you should definitely go for orange, especially a very saturated shade.

Otherwise, a clean, strong red should work for you (your instinct was right on) and a light, but strong purple could work well on you too. Also, wearing clothes that feature black and white prints or patterns is a good choice.

We would also recommend yellow, but a very strong, clean yellow, not a pastel yellow or a yellow that features gray reflexes.

To learn more about color coordination, follow this link: http://attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/ and

http://attireclub.org/2014/05/05/coordinating-the-colors-of-your-clothes/

Let us know if you have any other questions!

Yours,

F&F

Hi, I am a bit confused about my undertone. I am a fair skinned asian, with rosy cheeks and brown eyes. My hair is a dark ash brown, however there are hints of gold/copper in it. My veins are purplish blue. For a visual, I look like ‘Angelababy’. I mainly wear black, white, navy and dark red, but I would like to know what colours you would recommend me to wear.

Great article! I am always so confused as to what color to choose… I am never sure what complexion I am (very pale blue eyes, dark chocolate hair, very pale yet yellowish skin and my lips can get quite dark pink naturally).
Maybe I don’t dare enough… maybe my complexion is weird.
I usually wear a lot of black and shades of blue, sometimes earthy tones, which indeed don’t make me shine. Sometime, I wish I could wear other colors.
Should I just go with hints of colors instead?
Any suggestion for me?
Thanks 🙂

Dear Rose,

You sound like winter, but it’s hard to pinpoint it without a visual.

Try adding a deep purple to your black. Also, teal works well.

Below you can read more articles, including one on colors that go for any skin tone!

You can read more here:

https://attireclub.org/2016/01/23/color-combinations-for-any-skin-tone-hair-and-eye-color/

https://attireclub.org/2014/02/14/color-of-clothes-for-dark-skin-tones/

https://attireclub.org/2013/04/18/choosing-the-colors-of-your-clothes-according-to-your-skin-tone/

https://attireclub.org/2014/05/05/coordinating-the-colors-of-your-clothes/

https://attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/

Let us know if you have more questions!

Yours sincerely,

F&F

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