Muted with a cool lean
Soft Summer's main trait is softness: colors with some gray in them. The undertone is cool to neutral. Many Soft Summers have ash-brown hair, gray-green or hazel eyes and skin with little contrast against their hair, so strong colors can look like they are wearing the person.
Using smoky colors well
The best colors are dusty rose, sage blue, mauve, soft teal, denim and smoky plum. They look sophisticated together, and nearly any two can be combined without clashing.
- Choose mushroom, gray taupe and soft charcoal as neutrals.
- Create interest with texture and tonal layers rather than contrast.
- Use the deeper accents, such as soft burgundy or blue spruce, for evening wear.
What to leave out
Black, bright orange, lemon yellow and hot pink are the classic problems. Black is often the hardest to give up; soft charcoal or slate blue are practical replacements.
Soft Summer or Soft Autumn?
Both are muted. Soft Summer leans cool, with rose and blue-gray; Soft Autumn leans warm, with terracotta and camel. Hold a dusty rose next to a muted coral to see which looks more natural.
Accessories
Brushed silver, pewter and matte rose gold tend to suit better than shiny yellow gold. Mauve and rose-brown lipsticks follow the palette. For more dusty tones, see mauve.