Could knowing your ‘colour season’ help to reduce decision fatigue?

From ‘cool winters’ to ‘soft summers’, discover the concept of colour analysis, and what exploring your personal colour palette can do for your wellbeing

Do you ever put on an outfit that just works? Your skin is glowing, your features are popping, and your confidence is at an all time high. While some of us might relate it to memories associated with outfits, or just a ‘feeling’ we get that we can’t quite explain, the secret could be in our colour choices, and how these work in harmony with our personal ‘season’. Intrigued? Try ‘seasonal colour analysis’ for a popular cheat sheet to discover your personal palette.

What is a seasonal colour analysis?

The concept of colour ‘seasons’ started circulating on social media in recent years, referring to groups of colours that are thought to suit people based on the tones in their skin, eyes, and hair. Using these markers, we can be categorised into a season – ‘spring’, ‘summer’, ‘autumn’, or ‘winter’ – with subcategories within each of these, all of which come with a palette of colours that, in theory, complement your natural tones.

The idea is to create harmony between ourselves and our fashion choices, and, in doing so, naturally elevate our self-esteem, reduce overwhelm or overconsumption with the endless possibilities on the market, and boost our wellbeing in a fun, creative way. Importantly, this isn’t about adding strict rules that limit your personal expression, but could be a handy tool, particularly for those who struggle with indecision and are seeking a little confidence boost when it comes to making the most out of their everyday wardrobe.

Of course, it’s worth noting that while this particular formation is currently taking off, colour psychology – and, in particular, colour collections divided into ‘seasons’ – is nothing new. The trend of personal colour analysis peaked in the 1980s, with the publication of fashion designer and colour theorist Suzanne Caygill’s book Color: The Essence of You. Similarly, other colour theorists of the time created colour groups based on the colours that work harmoniously with particular features, with slight variations in testing and which features are used (for some, hair, eye, and skin colour is used; for others, skin colour alone is enough to find your category).

Because there are so many variations in the tones and colours of people’s appearance, seasonal colour palettes are broken down into subcategories within the original four seasons. These are ‘cool’, ‘clear’, ‘soft’, or ‘deep’, ‘warm’, and ‘muted’, and refer to how bright or muted the colours within the season’s palette should be. The system that you will come across the most currently works on a 12-season model. That is:

• Spring – muted, light, clear
• Summer – cool, light, soft
• Autumn – warm, deep, muted
• Winter – cool, deep, clear

Working with a palette

Beyond just discovering colours that make us look and, more importantly, feel great, seasonal colour analysis can help us overcome a common modern dilemma: choice overload. Learning about your personal palette doesn’t have to be a completely restrictive set of rules, but may serve as a helpful guide, allowing you to reduce waste (or returns) by cutting back on impulse purchases with that extra level of thought, and give you a little more confidence in your decisions. You could even save an image of your colour palette to your phone for easy access when shopping, as a reference point if you’re struggling with too many choices.

Particularly when it comes to clothing, wading through the options can be a headache, and jumping on fashion trends doesn’t always even leave us feeling good – especially when we’re constantly marketed the ‘Pantone of the year’, or must-have shade of the season, and encouraged to spend more incessantly. Many of us find that trying to recreate ‘inspo’ pics we’ve seen online doesn’t quite hit the mark, though we can’t pinpoint why, and what we’re left with is a depleted bank balance, and a sense of disappointment.

In reality, exploring our personal colours can be more than a tool for looking our best, as colours can have a real effect on our mood. A systematic review of 128 years of psychological research, published in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, found a consistent link, and even a specific effect (yellows and oranges are optimistic, blues and greens are calming, and reds lead to heightened states of arousal). Tuning into the colours we choose is a science-backed way of influencing how we feel.

Colour it your own way

All that said, you may well find that the seasonal categories that match your features aren’t actually your favourite set.

Perhaps you’re a ‘warm autumn’, but you’re drawn to the soft, relaxing tones of ‘light spring’. Or maybe, technically, you fall into ‘cool summer’ but the rich, invigorating colours of ‘deep winter’ uplift you. While they can be a helpful launchpad, there are no rules about what you can and can’t do with the seasonal categories. And while using colour analysis to find a palette of colours that you may prefer can be helpful when trying to figure out what to wear, the bottom line is that the things that make you feel comfortable and joyful trump any categories.

Colour analysis also isn’t about starting over with a wardrobe. Collecting pieces that make us feel great takes time, and slowly adding to your stash is not only a more sustainable thing to do, but also an enjoyable process that can mean that you build up a wardrobe that works for you on every level, from comfort to style and impact.

So, whether seasonal colour analysis is a tool that instantly makes sense to you, unlocking the key to creating harmonious hues and flattering fits, or, it’s simply a way of discovering a palette of complementary swatches that you can use for everything from your home to your creative projects, step into a season of conscious colouring – the effects may run deeper than you first thought.