Summer Color Palette: Light, True and Soft Summer Colors With Hex Codes

Summer colors, in seasonal color analysis, are cool and soft: rose pink, powder blue, lavender, periwinkle, raspberry, soft teal, slate and grey-navy. Think of a hazy sky or a sea seen through morning mist rather than bright beach colors. The Summer family suits people with a cool or neutral-cool undertone and gentle, blended coloring.

The 12-season system splits Summer into three:

• Light Summer: light first, cool second. Airy pastels, low contrast.
• True Summer (also called Cool Summer): cool first. The coolest summer, with medium contrast.
• Soft Summer (also called Muted Summer): soft first, cool second. Dusty, smoky, low contrast.

Side by side

The three summer palettes

Same cool, soft family, three different dials: lightness, coolness and softness.

Light Summer

Light, cool and airy, like a hazy summer sky.

Top: signature colors · bottom: colors to avoid

Undertoneneutral cool

CoolWarm

Depthlight

LightDeep

Chromasoft

SoftBright

Contrastlow

LowHigh

Skin:

Fair to light, porcelain or soft pink-beige with a cool to neutral undertone.

Hair:

Ash blonde, platinum, light beige blonde or light ash brown, often blonde since childhood.

Eyes:

Soft blue, grey-blue, grey-green or light cool hazel.

Light Summer guide →

True Summer

Cool, soft and serene, like a calm summer sea.

Top: signature colors · bottom: colors to avoid

Undertonecool

CoolWarm

Depthmedium

LightDeep

Chromasoft

SoftBright

Contrastmedium

LowHigh

Skin:

Light to medium with a rosy or pink-beige undertone; can flush easily.

Hair:

Ash blonde, ash brown or medium cool brown, often greying early to silver.

Eyes:

Grey-blue, soft blue, grey-green or cool soft brown.

True Summer guide →

Soft Summer

Cool, muted and smoky, like a misty morning by the sea.

Top: signature colors · bottom: colors to avoid

Undertoneneutral cool

CoolWarm

Depthmedium

LightDeep

Chromasoft

SoftBright

Contrastlow

LowHigh

Skin:

Light to medium beige, neutral-cool, sometimes with a soft olive or greyish cast.

Hair:

Ash blonde or light to medium ash brown, often without strong highlights.

Eyes:

Grey-green, grey-blue, soft hazel or muted cool brown.

Soft Summer guide →

What are summer colors?

Every summer color shares two qualities:

1. A cool, blue or pink base. Summer pinks are rose and raspberry, not coral. Summer blues are periwinkle, cornflower and slate, not turquoise-yellow. Summer neutrals are grey, soft white and grey-navy, not camel and cream.
2. Softness. A summer color looks like it has a drop of grey or milk in it. Even the brightest summer accents (raspberry, soft fuchsia, sapphire) are calmer than their Winter versions.

That's the line between the two cool families. Winter is cool and clear: true red, royal blue, black and pure white. Summer is cool and soft: rose red, periwinkle, charcoal blue and soft white. Hold a royal blue and a periwinkle next to each other and you'll see the difference.

The Light Summer color palette

The lightest summer: powder pink, powder blue, lavender, pale aqua, periwinkle, rose pink. It suits fair to light skin with a cool or neutral undertone, ash or platinum blonde hair and soft blue or grey eyes.

Summer family · Neutrals + Everyday colors + Accents

Light Summer: neutrals, everyday colors and accents

Neutrals

• Soft White
  #F8F6F2
• Pearl
  #E8E2DE
• Dove Grey
  #D3D1D3
• Rose Beige
  #D9C6BE
• Grey Taupe
  #AFA6A2
• Blue Grey
  #9DA8B6
• Pewter
  #8A8D95
• Slate Navy
  #50607F

Everyday colors

• Rose Pink
  #E9A3B9
• Raspberry Ice
  #E58BA6
• Orchid
  #D39BCB
• Lilac
  #BFA6DA
• Periwinkle
  #A1AAE0
• Sky Blue
  #96C0E7
• Cornflower
  #7FA0D8
• Light Teal
  #7CC3C1
• Seafoam
  #9AD2C0
• Lemon Sorbet
  #EEE38E

Accents

• Watermelon
  #E66D8A
• Soft Fuchsia
  #D46FAA
• Iris
  #8C82D8
• Hydrangea Blue
  #6A8ED8
• Turquoise
  #43B3BC
• Spearmint
  #5EC2A2
• Aqua Blue
  #4DB8D8
• Sapphire
  #4C72C4

Tap any color to copy its hex code, then paste it into a shop's color filter or a design app.

Full palette, makeup and hair: Light Summer color palette.

The True Summer color palette

The coolest summer: rose pink, raspberry, periwinkle, medium blue, teal blue, cool jade, greyed navy. It suits light to medium skin with a rosy undertone, ash blonde to cool brown hair and grey-blue or cool soft brown eyes.

Summer family · Neutrals + Everyday colors + Accents

True Summer: neutrals, everyday colors and accents

Neutrals

• Soft White
  #F4F3F0
• Silver Grey
  #C0C2C8
• Pewter
  #8E9098
• Rose Taupe
  #A08A8A
• Rose Brown
  #7E6266
• Blue Grey
  #7D8DA3
• Charcoal Blue
  #4A5464
• Greyed Navy
  #384869

Everyday colors

• Rose Pink
  #D987A3
• Watermelon
  #E0688A
• Orchid
  #C384BA
• Lavender
  #A895CE
• Periwinkle
  #8F98D6
• Sky Blue
  #8CB2DD
• Medium Blue
  #5B82C2
• Cadet Blue
  #6C8CB0
• Teal Blue
  #4A8FA5
• Cool Jade
  #5BA394

Accents

• Raspberry
  #C23A73
• Rose Red
  #C53D59
• Soft Fuchsia
  #C5509A
• Amethyst
  #8664B8
• Blueberry
  #4C5FB5
• Ocean Blue
  #2F6FB2
• Spruce
  #2D7C7E
• Cool Emerald
  #2E8B6B

Tap any color to copy its hex code, then paste it into a shop's color filter or a design app.

Full palette, makeup and hair: True Summer color palette.

The Soft Summer color palette

The most muted summer: dusty rose, mauve, dusty blue, denim, soft teal, sage, charcoal. It suits light to medium beige skin with a neutral-cool cast, ash blonde to ash brown hair and grey-green or soft hazel eyes.

Summer family · Neutrals + Everyday colors + Accents

Soft Summer: neutrals, everyday colors and accents

Neutrals

• Oyster
  #E5E0D9
• Soft Grey
  #BFBDBB
• Mushroom
  #B5ABA2
• Grey Taupe
  #8D847E
• Pewter
  #86888B
• Cocoa
  #6E5D5A
• Dusty Navy
  #4B566A
• Charcoal
  #4C4D52

Everyday colors

• Dusty Rose
  #C69299
• Mauve
  #A57F90
• Rosewood
  #A76A7D
• Dusty Orchid
  #A47C9F
• Lavender Grey
  #9C93AD
• Dusty Blue
  #8399AF
• Denim
  #637EA0
• Soft Teal
  #6C9898
• Eucalyptus
  #8AABA0
• Sage
  #97A795

Accents

• Soft Raspberry
  #B45A7D
• Soft Cherry
  #AE4E62
• Cool Rose
  #C47A93
• Heather
  #8D73A9
• Slate Blue
  #5C6F9C
• Steel Blue
  #4D7795
• Blue Spruce
  #4F7E86
• Muted Jade
  #5D9282

Tap any color to copy its hex code, then paste it into a shop's color filter or a design app.

Full palette, makeup and hair: Soft Summer color palette.

Which summer are you?

Three drape tests that separate them, in daylight with no makeup:

• Slate navy vs greyed navy vs dusty navy. Every summer has a navy, and the one that looks crisp rather than heavy or flat tells you a lot.
• Raspberry ice vs raspberry vs soft raspberry. Light Summer looks best in the lightest, True Summer in the fullest and coolest, Soft Summer in the most muted.
• Powder blue vs medium blue vs dusty blue. Same logic: lightness, coolness or softness.

If no summer color wins, check the neighbors: Light Spring sits next to Light Summer and Soft Autumn next to Soft Summer. If summer colors look slightly faded on you and you need more punch, compare with True Winter, which shares the cool undertone but adds clarity and contrast.

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Compare 3 seasons on your own photo

Light Summer · True Summer · Soft Summer

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Colors summers should avoid

Each summer has its own avoid list, but the themes repeat: warm and golden colors, harsh darks, and anything loud.

Summer family

What summers skip, and the summer version

Wear instead

• Slate Navy
  #50607F
• Rose Taupe
  #A08A8A
• Rose Red
  #C53D59
• Spruce
  #2D7C7E
• Soft Raspberry
  #B45A7D
• Oyster
  #E5E0D9

Avoid near the face

• Black
  #0A0A0A
• Camel
  #C19A6B
• Tomato Red
  #E0442E
• Olive
  #7D7B3A
• Hot Pink
  #FF1493
• Pure White
  #FFFFFF

Light Summer True Summer Soft Summer

• Orange, rust, mustard and tomato red: golden and warm, they turn cool skin sallow. Choose watermelon, rose red and raspberry.
• Camel and golden brown: the classic neutral mistake. Rose taupe, rose brown and grey taupe do the same job.
• Black: too heavy for Light and Soft Summer. Slate navy, charcoal blue and charcoal are the summer darks.
• Pure white and neon brights: too stark for Soft Summer especially. Soft white and oyster instead.
• Olive and khaki: yellow-greens make summers look grey. Spruce, cool jade and sage are the summer greens.

Wear them away from your face if you love them: camel trousers with a periwinkle knit, a black skirt with a soft white shirt. The color touching your face decides how you look.

Summer color combinations

These three-color formulas come straight from each season's palette. Tap any color in the palettes above to copy its hex code.

Light Summer · outfit formulas

Light Summer combinations

Read each board as 60% main color, 30% second, 10% accent near the face or in accessories.

• Main

  Second
  Slate Navy · Powder Pink · Soft White

  Gentle and polished, a softer nautical look for the office.

• Main

  Second
  Dove Grey · Lavender · Rose Pink

  Romantic pastels for weddings, brunch and spring events.

• Main

  Second
  Blue Grey · Light Teal · Pearl

  Calm and fresh for weekends by the water.

• Main

  Second
  Grey Taupe · Sky Blue · Lemon Ice

  Airy and relaxed, perfect for summer days.

True Summer · outfit formulas

True Summer combinations

Read each board as 60% main color, 30% second, 10% accent near the face or in accessories.

• Main

  Second
  Greyed Navy · Raspberry · Soft White

  Classic and composed, great for work.

• Main

  Second
  Pewter · Lavender · Rose Pink

  Soft tone on tone dressing for weekends and dates.

• Main

  Second
  Blue Grey · Teal Blue · Silver Grey

  Cool and calming, an easy smart casual mix.

• Main

  Second
  Charcoal Blue · Watermelon · Powder Blue

  Fresh and pretty for summer evenings.

Soft Summer · outfit formulas

Soft Summer combinations

Read each board as 60% main color, 30% second, 10% accent near the face or in accessories.

• Main

  Second
  Charcoal · Dusty Rose · Oyster

  Elegant and quiet, ideal for the office.

• Main

  Second
  Dusty Navy · Sage · Mushroom

  A soft, natural mix for weekends.

• Main

  Second
  Grey Taupe · Soft Teal · Mist Blue

  Calm and sophisticated, lovely for travel.

• Main

  Second
  Pewter · Mauve · Pale Lavender

  Romantic and low contrast for evening events.

Summer colors vs colors to wear in summer

A common confusion: the Summer palette is not "colors for the summer months". It's the palette for people with Summer coloring, all year round. A Summer wears dusty rose and slate navy in January; an Autumn can wear terracotta and olive in August.

If you're here for summer outfit ideas regardless of your season, the summer palettes are a good guide for warm-weather dressing anyway: light, soft, cool colors look fresh in bright sun. Just check them against your own coloring before buying.

Building a summer wardrobe

Swap the stark basics for softer ones: soft white instead of pure white, grey-navy or charcoal blue instead of black, rose taupe or grey taupe instead of camel. Then add your signature colors in tops and knits.

True Summer · capsule

A 10-piece True Summer capsule

The classic summer starter wardrobe. Light and Soft Summers follow the same plan with their own palette: lighter for Light Summer, more muted for Soft Summer.

• Wool coatGreyed Navy
• BlazerCharcoal Blue
• Knit sweaterRose Pink
• Button-down shirtSoft White
• T-shirtPeriwinkle
• TrousersPewter
• DressRaspberry
• CardiganPowder Blue
• ScarfLavender
• HandbagRose Brown

Shopping notes for every summer:

• Fabrics with a soft surface (cashmere, jersey, chambray, matte silk) flatter summer coloring. High shine adds contrast.
• Check the white. Most "white" in stores is optical white. Summers look better in soft white, pearl or oyster.
• Prints: watercolor florals, soft stripes, tonal patterns. Avoid high-contrast black and white graphics.
• Denim: light to medium cool blue washes for Light Summer, medium true blue for True Summer, softly faded grey-blue for Soft Summer. Skip yellowed vintage washes and very dark black-blue denim.

Summer makeup, hair and metals at a glance

More detail: Soft Summer hair colors and which jewelry color suits you.

Summer celebrities

These names are commonly cited for each summer. Treat them as reference points, not verdicts: hair dye, tans and lighting change how anyone reads on camera.

More: Light Summer celebrities, True Summer celebrities and Soft Summer celebrities.

Summer color palette FAQ

What are summer colors in color analysis?

Cool, soft colors with a blue or pink base: rose pink, raspberry, powder blue, periwinkle, lavender, soft teal, slate, grey-navy and soft white. They are the colors of the three Summer seasons.

What is the difference between Cool Summer and True Summer?

None. Cool Summer and True Summer are two names for the same season, the coolest of the three summers.

Is there a warm summer color palette?

Not in the 12-season system: every summer is cool-leaning. Light Summer and Soft Summer are the most neutral. If you look best in light, warm pastels like peach and coral, check Light Spring instead.

Can summers wear black?

It's too heavy for Light and Soft Summer. True Summer handles it better, but charcoal blue, greyed navy and midnight navy are more flattering near the face.

Can summers wear yellow?

Soft, cool yellows only: Light Summer's lemon ice and lemon sorbet, Soft Summer's soft lemon. Mustard and golden yellow are on the avoid side.

Summer vs Winter: what's the difference?

Both are cool. Winter colors are clear and high contrast (true red, royal blue, black, pure white). Summer colors are soft and gentle (rose, periwinkle, charcoal blue, soft white).