Seasonal color analysis chart
The complete seasonal color analysis chart: all 12 seasons side by side, with their temperature, depth and clarity, signature colors and the colors each should avoid.
5 min read · Updated October 27, 2026
Seasonal color analysis groups everyone into four families, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, and splits each into three sub-seasons. That gives the 12-season system used by most color analysts today. This chart shows how they all fit together.
The interactive 12-season chart
Tap any season to preview its palette:
Warm + Clear
True Spring
Golden, fresh and full of life
True Springs are the warmest of the Spring family, with a golden glow and lively, clear coloring. Bright warm shades like coral, marigold and kelly green make you radiant, while cool, icy or dusty colors leave you looking washed out.
See full True Spring guideHow to read the chart
Every season is defined by three qualities:
- Temperature: warm (golden) or cool (blue-based). Spring and Autumn are warm; Summer and Winter are cool.
- Value: how light or deep the colors are.
- Chroma: how clear and bright, or soft and muted, the colors are.
Each sub-season is named after its dominant quality. A Light Spring is mainly light; a Bright Spring is mainly clear; a True Spring is mainly warm.
The 12 seasons at a glance
| Season | Temperature | Value | Chroma | Signature colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Spring | Warm-neutral | Light | Fairly clear | Peach, light coral, mint, buttercup |
| True Spring | Warm | Medium-light | Clear | Coral, marigold, kelly green, turquoise |
| Bright Spring | Warm-neutral | Medium | Very clear | Hot coral, emerald, bright turquoise |
| Light Summer | Cool-neutral | Light | Fairly soft | Powder blue, lavender, rose pink |
| True Summer | Cool | Medium-light | Soft | Raspberry, cornflower, soft teal |
| Soft Summer | Cool-neutral | Medium | Very soft | Dusty rose, sage, slate blue |
| Soft Autumn | Warm-neutral | Medium | Very soft | Terracotta, wheat, sage, soft teal |
| True Autumn | Warm | Medium-deep | Soft | Pumpkin, rust, mustard, olive |
| Deep Autumn | Warm-neutral | Deep | Fairly soft | Mahogany, forest, deep teal |
| Deep Winter | Cool-neutral | Deep | Fairly clear | Burgundy, sapphire, emerald |
| True Winter | Cool | Medium-deep | Clear | True red, royal blue, fuchsia |
| Bright Winter | Cool-neutral | Medium | Very clear | Hot pink, cobalt, lemon |
The four families
Spring: warm and clear
Fresh, sunny colors with a golden base. Springs glow in coral, peach and warm greens, and look tired in heavy, dusty shades.
True Spring paletteSummer: cool and soft
Gentle, blue-based colors with a hint of gray. Summers suit rose, lavender and soft blues, and are overpowered by black and orange.
True Summer paletteAutumn: warm and muted
Rich, earthy colors inspired by fall leaves. Autumns shine in rust, olive and mustard, and look washed out in icy pastels.
True Autumn paletteWinter: cool and bold
Crisp, high-contrast jewel tones. Winters look striking in true red, sapphire and black-and-white, and dull in beige and camel.
True Winter paletteNeighboring seasons
Seasons that sit next to each other share colors. Each season has two "sister" seasons:
- Light seasons connect across families: Light Spring ↔ Light Summer
- Soft seasons do too: Soft Summer ↔ Soft Autumn
- So do Deep (Deep Autumn ↔ Deep Winter) and Bright (Bright Winter ↔ Bright Spring)
That's why many people feel "between" two seasons. If your result doesn't feel quite right, try its sister seasons first.
Find your season in 2 minutes
Take the free quiz4 seasons vs. 12 seasons
The original four-season system only asked two questions: warm or cool, and light or deep. Many people didn't fit cleanly, since a soft, muted Autumn and a bright, clear Spring are both "warm." The 12-season system adds chroma and the idea of a dominant quality, which gives much more precise palettes. Some analysts go further, to 16 or more seasons, but 12 covers almost everyone well.
Want to see it on your own skin? Try virtual draping to compare seasons side by side on your photo.