Color analysis glossary
What is seasonal color analysis?
Seasonal color analysis is the method of classifying a person's coloring into a 'season' — Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter (or one of their 12 sub-seasons) — each with its own palette of flattering colors.
The seasons are a shorthand for combinations of undertone, value, and chroma. Spring and Autumn are warm; Summer and Winter are cool. Spring and Summer are lighter; Autumn and Winter are deeper. Each season's palette is built to harmonize with that exact coloring.
The modern 12-season system splits each of the four seasons into three sub-seasons (e.g. Light, True, and Deep) for a more precise match. Seasonal color analysis is the most widely used framework in personal styling today.
Related terms
Frequently asked
- What are the four seasons in color analysis?
- Spring and Autumn are the warm seasons; Summer and Winter are the cool ones. Spring and Summer are lighter; Autumn and Winter are deeper. Each is split into three sub-seasons in the modern 12-season system.
- Which color season is most common?
- Soft and muted seasons — like Soft Summer and Soft Autumn — are among the most common, because most people's coloring is blended rather than highly warm, cool, light, or bright at the extremes.
Keep exploring
Find your color season.
A full 12-season analysis from one selfie, in about 15 minutes.
Find my colors