Soft Summer vs Soft Autumn
Soft Summer and Soft Autumn are two of the most popular and common seasons in color analysis. Many of the current trends also feature colors from these palettes - think of soft, muted neutrals, beiges, mauves, soft blues, etc.
Both seasons share mutedness / muted chroma (or softness) as their primary characteristic, coming to life in soft and desaturated colors and being overpowered by bold and bright colors. However, Soft Autumn belongs to the Autumn family and Soft Summer to the Summer family. One is neutral warm and the other is neutral cool. If we go back to the colour wheel, we can see that:
The autumn seasons are warm, dark and muted
The summer seasons are cool, light and muted
Aside from the difference in temperature, there is also a subtle difference in depth. Autumns are slightly darker, and Summers are slightly lighter. Although, Soft Autumns are the lightest of the Autumn family, and Soft Summer is the darkest of the Summer family.
So, if you’ve figured out that your primary characteristic is your mutedness but can’t decide between Soft Autumn and Soft Summer, fear not - we’ll go over the differences in this article!
Besides, colours from your sister palette should look good on you as well, so if muted is your primary feature, you should be able to get away with wearing colors from both the Soft Autumn and Soft Summer palettes.
The Palettes
The Soft Summer palette feels airy, cool, serene and dusty. It’s like a cool morning mist or a soft, cloudy sky. The colours have a slight blue or gray undertone to them, and even warmer shades within this palette will have a cool base.
The Soft Autumn palette feels warm, cozy, earthy and grounded. It’s like the golden light of autumn or the earthiness of a forest floor. The colours are warm, with a yellow or brown undertone. Even cooler shades in this palette are warmed up slightly.
How to Determine If You’re a Soft Summer or Soft Autumn
The main determining factor between Soft Summer and Soft Autumn is temperature. Although, both are neutral-leaning seasons, Soft Summers lean slight cool and Soft Autumns lean warm. This is the primary difference between the two seasons and the main aspect you should focus on when trying to decide between the two.
1. Assess Your Skin’s Undertone:
This can be tricky to determine, especially for neutral seasons. Some hints to look at are:
What does silver jewelry do to your face and skin? What does gold jewelry do? Which one makes you more radiant? Which one feels more harmonious with your features?
How do you feel in warm browns, olive greens and beiges vs dusty blues, mauves and sage greens? Which one feels more harmonious?
Do your features have a golden glow to them or are they more dusty?
Do you prefer gray or brown as a neutral?
Take note to your answers to each of these questions and see if you lean more towards one or the other.
2. Eye and Hair Color:
Soft Summer: Soft Summers are more likely to have gray, blue-gray, green-gray eyes or cool hazel eyes. Their hair will typically have a cooler ashier quality to it instead of a golden glow. Colors like mushroom brown, dirty blonde, dark ash blonde, light ash brown, medium ash brown, are common. The overall features are soft and dusty.
Soft Autumn: The eyes of Soft Autumns are often hazel, green or a soft brown.However, they can also be a warm gray or blue-green. Their hair will typically have some warm golden undertones, for example, golden brown, dark blonde. The overall features are warm and earthy.
3. The Color Test:
Compare specific colors from the Soft Summer and Soft Autumn palettes to see which ones make you look vibrant. The difference may be subtle since these are sister seasons, however, one option will usually look a little better than the other.
Dusty Pink vs. Soft Terracotta: Dusty pink (cool and muted) vs. soft terracotta (warm and muted). Which one enhances your natural coloring?
Cool Lavender vs. Muted Olive: Cool lavender (light, cool purple) vs. muted olive (warm, earthy green). Which one makes your skin look fresher?
Soft Blue-Gray vs. Warm Taupe: Soft blue-gray (cool and muted) vs. warm taupe (warm and earthy). Which one harmonizes better with your features?
This should give you some indication of which season might be your home season and which colours suit you best. Experiment a little with the different colours and watch how you feel and how other people react - some hints that you are on the right track are:
people asking you if you changed something about your appearance (even if you haven’t)
feeling more refreshed, awake, confident and radiant
not needing to wear as much make-up
Tips for Each Season
For Soft Summers
The Soft Summer color palette is characterized by a wide range of cool, muted tones. Think of soft blues, grays, muted pinks, and gentle purples. The colors have a calm, serene quality to them. Some key colors include:
Dusty Rose: A muted pink with a cool, almost blue undertone.
Cool Lavender: A soft, light purple that leans toward blue rather than red.
Soft Blue-Gray: A muted blue with grayish tones that cool it down further.
Muted Teal: A gentle teal that has been softened with a hint of gray.
Light Periwinkle: A cool blue with a hint of purple, soft and delicate.
Wardrobe Staples: Go for soft blues, cool grays, muted purples, delicate pinks and maubes. Think of airy fabrics and soft knits in these shades.
Makeup: Opt for cool-toned makeup like rosy pinks, soft mauves, and cool browns. Avoid overly warm or orange-based products.
Hair Color: Stick to cool-toned highlights, like ashy blonde, dark blonde or soft, cool browns. Avoid too much warmth in your hair color.
Read more about Soft Summers.
More outfit ideas on Pinterest.
For Soft Autumns
The Soft Autumn palette is filled with warm, earthy colors that have been gently muted. This creates a palette that feels natural and organic. Key colors include:
Muted Olive: A warm, earthy green that’s been softened with gray.
Warm Taupe: A beige-brown with warm undertones, perfect for neutrals.
Soft Peach: A gentle, warm peach color that’s subtle and understated.
Dusty Terracotta: A muted, earthy red with brownish undertones.
Soft Gold: A warm, muted gold that’s less vibrant and more subtle.
Wardrobe Staples: Choose earthy greens, warm browns, soft golds, and muted oranges. Think cozy sweaters, earthy textures, and natural fabrics.
Makeup: Warm, earthy tones work best for you—think warm browns, peachy blushes, and golden highlights. Avoid anything too cool or icy.
Hair Color: Embrace the warmth with warm browns, or golden highlights. Stay away from overly ashy or cool tones.
Read more about Soft Autumns.
More outfit ideas on Pinterest.
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