If I can wear colors from multiple seasons, am I typed wrong?

Not necessarily. If the colours you can wear from other seasons all share your dominant characteristic (like all being light, or all being muted), you're likely typed correctly but sitting near a seasonal border.

How much can I borrow from neighboring seasons?

This varies by individual. Those sitting firmly in the middle of their season might struggle with any borrowing, while those near borders might wear 30-40% of a neighbour's palette successfully.

Do some seasons have more flexibility than others?

Yes, the Soft seasons typically have the most flexibility due to their neutral-leaning nature. The True/Bright seasons often have the least flexibility as they need specific, balanced characteristics.

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• 5 February 2024

Seasonal Flow: Understanding the Colour Spectrum

The 12 seasons aren't rigid boxes. They flow into each other, which is why your neighbour's colours might suit you too.

The Continuous Spectrum

Colour seasons don't live in separate boxes. They flow into each other like a colour wheel, each one sharing a little something with its neighbours. That's your whole spectrum of human colouring, one smooth gradient. It's also why some people feel stuck 'between' seasons, and why the odd colour works across more than one. Once you get how the flow works, you can grow your palette with confidence and spot which 'rules' are actually bendable.

Sister Seasons and Shared Characteristics

Sister seasons are neighbours that share one big thing in common. Light Spring and Light Summer are both all about lightness, they just differ in temperature. Soft Summer and Soft Autumn share that muted quality, Deep Autumn and Deep Winter share depth. Once you know your dominant trait, you can usually borrow from your sister season, especially colours that play to that shared strength.

The Light Sisters

Light Spring and Light Summer both have delicate, light colouring, and both look best in light to medium-light shades. Light Spring's are warmer and clearer, Light Summer's are cooler and softer, but they meet in the middle.

The Soft Sisters

Soft Summer and Soft Autumn share muted, gentle colouring, and both want complex, greyed shades. The difference is temperature. Soft Summer leans cool, Soft Autumn leans warm, but both can wear muted colours that sit right in the neutral zone.

The Deep Sisters

Deep Autumn and Deep Winter share rich, deep colouring, and both need that depth in their colours. Deep Autumn's palette runs warmer, Deep Winter's cooler, but both can pull off certain deep neutrals.

The Clear Sisters

Clear Spring and Clear Winter share bright, clear colouring with high contrast, and both want clean, saturated shades. Clear Spring's lean warm, Clear Winter's lean cool, but both can wear bright colours that stay fairly temperature-neutral.

Transitional Colours and Crossover Points

Some colours sit right on the border and happily work for more than one type. They're usually neutral in temperature, medium in value, or moderate in chroma, so they don't commit too hard in any direction. Think certain teals that suit both Soft Summer and Soft Autumn, corals that work for Light Spring and Warm Spring, or purples that flatter both Clear Winter and Deep Winter. These crossover shades are gold for building a wardrobe that stretches.

Understanding Your Flow Direction

Most of us lean one way more than the other, and it comes down to your secondary trait. A Soft Summer who's also quite light flows toward Light Summer, while one who's more cool flows toward True Summer. Knowing your direction tells you which neighbour's colours you can borrow most easily, and which way to lean when a colour has you second-guessing.

Testing Your Flow

Try colours from each neighbouring season and see which side works better. A Soft Autumn might test Warm Autumn shades against Soft Summer ones. Whichever creates more harmony is your natural flow.

Using Flow in Shopping

When you can't find a colour in your exact seasonal version, go with the one from your flow direction. If you're Light Spring flowing toward Warm Spring, reach for the warmer version when your ideal light-warm one isn't on the rail.

The Neutral Seasons Bridge

The Soft seasons, Soft Summer and Soft Autumn, are the bridge between warm and cool, and they hold the most neutral colours of all. If you're one of these, you've often got the most wiggle room, because your palette already blends warm and cool, just softened down. It's also why Soft seasons can be the trickiest to pin down. Nothing about them shouts in any one direction.

Breaking Rules Intelligently

Once you understand the flow, you can bend the rules on purpose. If you know why a colour works (it plays to your dominant trait) and why another falls flat (it fights your main need), you can make smart swaps. A Light Summer, say, can pull off a Light Spring coral as long as they pick the lightest, least warm version they can find.

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