Soft Summer at a glance
- Family
- Summer: cool, soft and light to medium
- Strongest trait
- Soft
- Hue
- Cool-leaning neutral
- Value
- Medium
- Chroma
- Soft
- Best neutrals
- Soft white, cool taupe, pewter and cocoa
- Black?
- Not near the face
What makes Soft Summer different
Soft Summer is defined by softness first. Its colours are muted, with a little grey in each one, so very bright, very dark or very icy shades overpower the face. As a Summer season it also shares the family traits: cool, soft and light to medium. Put together, the best colours for a Soft Summer are dusty rose, mauve, rose brown and muted raspberry.
Are you a Soft Summer?
Often ash-brown or dark ash-blonde hair, grey, grey-green, soft hazel or muted blue eyes, and neutral to cool skin. Low contrast; the overall impression is gentle and blended.
Colouring alone does not decide your season, because many people share the same hair and eye colour. What you see when colours sit next to your face matters more. You are likely a Soft Summer if most of these are true:
- Bright colours and pure white overpower you.
- Dusty rose and slate make your skin look smooth and even.
- Very warm and very icy colours both look slightly off.
- Black looks too harsh, but charcoal and soft navy look polished.
Not sure? Take the quiz, then compare this palette with your neighbours in the drape mirror.
The Soft Summer color palette
Neutrals first: these are the base of a wardrobe, for coats, trousers, knits and bags.
Then the colours, for tops, dresses, scarves and anything near your face.
Tap a colour to copy its hex code. Screens show colour differently, so treat these as a guide and compare real fabric in daylight.
Colors a Soft Summer should avoid
These fight Soft Summer colouring most. They are not banned: keep them away from your face, in trousers, skirts, shoes and bags.
Can a Soft Summer wear black?
Black is usually too stark. Charcoal grey and soft navy give the same polish without the harshness.
Best metals and jewelry
Brushed silver, pewter, white gold and soft rose gold. Matte or brushed finishes beat high shine. Your metal is the easiest colour decision you will make, because jewellery sits right at your face. If you are choosing gold, our guide to 14k vs 18k gold explains which one to buy for every day.
Soft Summer makeup
- Lips: Dusty rose, mauve, soft berry and muted raspberry.
- Cheeks: Dusty rose and soft mauve.
- Eyes: Taupe, slate, soft plum and grey-green, with charcoal rather than black liner.
Your season guides the colour of lipstick, blush and eyeshadow. Foundation is different: it should match your skin's depth and undertone exactly, whatever your season. See how to match your foundation shade.
Soft Summer nail colors
Nails are the easiest place to wear your palette, since they sit near your face whenever you talk with your hands.
Hair color for a Soft Summer
Ash brown, mushroom brown and soft ash blonde. Very dark, very golden or red shades add contrast your features do not have.
Outfits, contrast and prints
Low contrast and tonal dressing, such as slate with dusty rose or soft navy with cool taupe. Soft, blurred prints; avoid stark black-and-white graphics.
Three outfit formulas in Soft Summer colours:
- Soft navy blazer, dusty rose knit, pewter flats.
- Eucalyptus shirt, charcoal grey trousers, silver studs.
- Mauve dress, cocoa cardigan, rose-gold watch.
Soft Summer vs similar seasons
- Soft Summer or Soft Autumn? Soft Autumn is the warm twin. If camel, soft olive and gold beat slate, dusty rose and silver, compare it.
- Soft Summer or True Summer? True Summer is clearer and cooler. If raspberry and periwinkle look better than mauve and eucalyptus, look there.
Your Soft Summer palette card
Save the palette as an image for your camera roll, to check colours while you shop.
A 1080 by 1350 image, the size of a portrait phone post. It is drawn on your screen; nothing is uploaded.
