Are you a Summer?
Summer is the season most often missed, because nothing dramatic goes wrong; things just look slightly off. The tell is contrast as much as colour. Summer colouring is low-contrast, with hair, skin and eyes sitting close together in depth, so a stark black-and-white outfit overpowers the face rather than framing it. Put a soft navy beside a true black in daylight — if the navy looks like the more finished of the two on you, that is a Summer read.
Your neutrals
Summer anchors in soft navy, dove grey, blue-grey and cool taupe. Soft navy in particular does everything black is supposed to do and none of the damage; it is effectively a Summer's black. Cool white beats warm ivory, and charcoal works comfortably where jet black does not.
What people get wrong about Summer
The commonest mistake is assuming cool means bright. Summer is cool and muted — clear cool brights belong to Winter, and on a Summer they overwhelm the face. The second is wearing black to look smart and reading as tired instead. The fix is soft navy or charcoal, not heavier make-up.
Summer, or the season next door?
Winter shares your coolness but carries far more clarity and contrast. Both of you suit cool colour, so the question is strength. If a true red and a stark black feel like they are shouting over you, and the softened version of the same cool colours suits better, you are Summer.
More on Winter →Spring shares your lightness but runs warm. Both are gentle, which is exactly why the two get mixed up. Hold a cool rose against a warm peach in daylight: Summer looks fresher in the rose, Spring in the peach.
More on Spring →