How to Shop With a Colour Palette, In Store and Online
Carrying your palette, checking colours in the right light, and dealing with screens that lie — the practical side of shopping to a palette.
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5 min read
Colour Analysis
Colour Analysis Guides for Every Season
Understand the seasonal colour system, learn how to find your palette, and get practical advice on what to wear. Clear explanations, real examples and step-by-step guides for every season.
8 guides
Last reviewed 20 September 2026
Free tools included
Find the Colours That Work for You
Seasonal colour analysis is the practice of matching the undertone, value and chroma of your clothing to your natural colouring. When a colour harmonises with your skin, eyes and hair, your features appear clear and vibrant. When it clashes, it can cast shadows, exaggerate blemishes or make skin appear tired or sallow.
The system is built on four core seasons—Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter—each divided into three tonal sub-seasons. This twelve-season matrix ensures that whether you are warm or cool, light or deep, muted or bright, there is a dedicated palette formulated for your specific contrast and temperature.
The simplest way to discover your palette is to determine your undertone first. Cool undertones harmonise with silver and blue-based shades; warm undertones glow in gold and earthy tones.
In the guides below, we break down each sub-season with swatches, outfit combinations and real fabric recommendations so you can shop with complete certainty.
- Four seasonal palettes
- Practical outfit ideas
- Real colour examples
- Tips for everyday wear
FREE TOOL
Seasonal Colour Analysis Quiz
Your season, your 12-season subtype and a full palette.
2 minutes
To complete
12-season
Detailed results
Personalised
Colour palette
Every guide in this section assumes you know your season. The quiz takes three minutes.
Latest Colour Analysis Guides
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The Best Whites and Neutrals for Each Undertone
Which white, which beige, which grey — the neutrals that work for warm, cool, neutral and olive undertones, with hex codes.
· 4 min read -
How to Take a Colour Analysis Quiz and Get an Accurate Result
Daylight, bare skin and honest answers. How to set up and answer a colour analysis quiz so the result actually fits you.
· 5 min read -
Hair Colour by Colour Season: Choosing Shades That Work
How warm, cool, soft and bright seasons suit different hair colours — and why a big change can shift your whole palette.
· 4 min read -
Building a Wardrobe From Your Colour Palette, Step by Step
How to turn a colour palette into a wardrobe that works together — neutrals, main colours and accents, in the right proportions.
· 5 min read -
Gold or Silver? Which Suits Your Undertone, and When It Does Not Matter
Gold or silver is mostly an undertone question, with one exception and one caveat. Here is how to tell which works for you, and when it stops mattering.
· 6 min read -
The Deep Autumn Colour Palette, Explained
Deep autumn is the warm, dark end of the autumn family — rich rather than muted, and considerably deeper than the soft autumn it is most often confused with. Here is the palette in full, with hex codes, and how to tell whether it is yours.
· 5 min read -
The Best Colours for Your Season: All Twelve at a Glance
All twelve colour seasons on one page, with the signature colours for each. Use it to compare, then go to the full palette for yours.
· 6 min read
QUESTIONS
Colour Analysis FAQ
- What is seasonal colour analysis?
- Seasonal colour analysis is a method of determining the colours of clothing and makeup that best complement a person's natural skin undertone, eye colour and hair colour. It categorises individuals into seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) and tonal sub-seasons.
- Can my colour season change over time?
- Your underlying skin undertone does not change with age or tanning. However, as hair greys or contrast levels soften, you may find that lighter or softer shades within your seasonal palette become more flattering.
- How do I find out whether I am warm or cool toned?
- Look at the veins on your inner wrist under natural daylight. If they appear blueish or purple, you likely have a cool undertone; if greenish, a warm undertone. If it's hard to tell, you may have a neutral undertone.
- Do I have to stop wearing black if it is not in my palette?
- No. Colour analysis is a guideline, not a restriction. If you love wearing black, try keeping it away from your face (e.g., in trousers or skirts) or pairing it with a flattering scarf or neckline in your best palette colour.