There are three principles of color theory that seasonal color analysis uses to determine which of the four seasons you fit into: value, hue and chroma. Value accounts for the depth of color in a person’s features and decides whether they affiliate more with lights or darks. Hue considers the tones of the colors, such as warm or cool. Chroma evaluates whether a person’s palette is muted and soft or bright and clear. 

When all used together, these concepts reveal a person’s color season, categorizing them into spring, summer, autumn or winter.

“Those seasonal colors definitely give you a sense of what colors would go best for you, but they’re not absolute,” Paly senior Felicia Lee said. “You can show and express your unique self by mixing and matching colors of your choice.”

Summer

Whites, ivories, rosy browns and muted reds, deep pinks, pine greens and almost every shade of blue make up the fresh color season of summer. Summer hones in on the cool features of the wearer by excluding warm colors and loud tones, highlighting the person’s undertones with silver accessories.

Autumn

The autumn season consists mostly of warm but muted tones, such as golden yellows, reddish oranges, deep reds, army greens, rich browns and pearly whites. One of the easiest to recognize, people with this season have dark, golden-toned features, opposite to the summer palette on the color wheel. 

Spring

Opposite to the autumn scheme, the spring color season is full of browns, ivories, yellows and yellow-greens, light blues, salmon pinks, fiery oranges and pairs best with gold jewelry. The spring season has a warm aura, and people with this palette have bright rather than muted features.

Winter

The winter palette includes icy pinks, loud purples and blues, rich greens and reds and brilliant white and black. People with this color season are inclined towards outfits with contrasting colors, as well as silver jewelry and accessories. Utilizing shades that are more different than they are similar brings out the high-contrast look of those with the winter palette. 

“Probably the biggest part of fashion is color,” Junior Charlie Wang said. “Colors are personal decisions that play a role in day to day life in fashion.”

What’s your color season? Take this quiz to find out!

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