12-season color analysis · Winter family
Deep Winter color palette
Also called Dark Winter
Midnight velvet and cut gemstones: deep, cool coloring with dramatic contrast and jewel-like intensity.
In 12-season color analysis, Deep Winter, also called Dark Winter, is where winter meets depth. Its dominant trait is darkness and its secondary trait is coolness, so the hue reads cool-neutral: mostly blue-based, with room for a few warmer darks. Expect deep value, clear and rich chroma, and high contrast. It neighbors Deep Autumn and Cool Winter, and the deep winter color palette is full of saturated shades with the weight of velvet or a gemstone.
- Undertone
- Cool-neutral, leaning cool
- Value
- Deep
- Chroma
- Clear and rich
- Contrast
- High
The palette
The Deep Winter color palette
Twenty-four shades that flatter deep winter coloring: neutrals to build a wardrobe on, core colors for everyday pieces, and accents for statement moments. Wear the core and accent colors closest to your face.
Neutrals
- Black#0D0D10
- Charcoal#36383D
- Steel Gray#6D727A
- Midnight Navy#1A2238
- Black-Brown#2A201D
- Crisp White#F5F6F7
Core colors
- Emerald#00734E
- Burgundy#6A1530
- Sapphire#0D3685
- True Red#B3172F
- Royal Purple#55288A
- Pine#184534
- Raspberry#9E1F52
- Deep Plum#561D46
- Dark Teal#0D4F5C
- Deep Magenta#8E1C6A
Accents
- Fuchsia#C2187C
- Turquoise#00868A
- Violet#6E50B7
- Royal Blue#0052BA
- Icy Pink#FBDEEA
- Icy Blue#D0E9FA
- Icy Lilac#E5DFFB
- Silver#BFC3C9
Is it you?
How to tell if you're a Deep Winter
Very dark hair and dark eyes are the usual signature. The season spans every skin tone, from porcelain to deep brown, and it includes many people with rich, dark skin. The dark winter color palette, as it is also called, pairs black, charcoal and midnight navy with emerald, sapphire, burgundy and true red. Those shades match your natural intensity, so your face looks sharp and your eyes look bright. Light, dusty or golden colors make you look faded.
- Very dark hair: black, black-brown or deep espresso, usually with a neutral or ashy cast rather than obvious red or gold.
- Dark, intense eyes: deep brown, black-brown or dark hazel, or occasionally dark blue, gray or green with a strong dark rim.
- Skin from porcelain to deep brown with a cool, neutral or olive cast. Many deep skin tones with blue-red or neutral undertones belong here.
- Strong contrast between hair, eyes and skin, or a deep, even richness across all three.
- Black looks striking rather than harsh on you, while camel, beige and pastels make you look washed out or sallow.
Keep away from your face
Colors a Deep Winter should avoid
- Camel#C19A6B
- Mustard#CFA23A
- Peach#F6C4A3
- Pumpkin#E07B2A
- Terracotta#C0694D
- Dusty Rose#C49A98
Camel and dusty rose can still live in your closet as trousers, skirts or bags; just save the space around your face for black, navy or a jewel tone.
Finishing touches
Makeup, hair and jewelry
Makeup
- Lips
- True red, blue-red, wine, berry, plum and deep raspberry. For a nude, choose a cool rosy brown rather than beige or peach.
- Blush
- Berry, deep rose, plum or cool raspberry, built up gradually on deeper skin.
- Eyes
- Charcoal, black, navy, plum, aubergine and silver-gray shadows, with black liner and mascara.
Hair color
Stay in the black-to-espresso range with a neutral or cool tone; deep burgundy works as a fashion shade. Golden, caramel or copper highlights and ash blonde soften your contrast and add unwanted warmth.
Metals and jewelry
Silver, platinum, white gold and gunmetal echo your cool coloring. Keep finishes polished and bright rather than brushed or antiqued.
Put it together
Deep Winter outfit color combinations
Classic Contrast
A black suit or dress with a crisp white shirt, plus true red on the lips, tie or shoes.
Winter Wedding Guest
A midnight navy suit with an emerald tie, or an emerald dress with a navy wrap, finished in silver.
Workweek Wine
A burgundy sweater with steel gray trousers and an icy pink collar peeking out lifts a plain office day.
Gala Jewels
Two jewel tones at full strength, anchored by charcoal: a sapphire dress or blazer with a fuchsia clutch or pocket square.
Building a deep winter wardrobe
- Your core neutrals are black, charcoal, midnight navy and black-brown. All of them can sit near your face, so invest in suits, coats and knitwear in these shades.
- Pure white works for you, especially in crisp shirts and tees; cream and ivory look yellow against your coloring.
- Choose high-contrast prints: black and white, jewel-tone florals on dark grounds, and bold geometrics. Tiny, blurred or faded prints get lost on you.
- Wear dark indigo or black denim; light, faded washes lose the fight against your depth.
- Smooth, rich fabrics show off your coloring: velvet, satin, silk, fine wool and leather. Heathered oatmeal knits and sandy linen blur your contrast.
Close neighbors
Deep Winter or a neighboring season?
Deep Winter vs. Deep Autumn
Deep Autumn shares your depth but leans warm, so it glows in espresso, burnt orange, olive and saffron, usually with gold jewelry. Your best colors are cooler and clearer: black, sapphire, emerald and blue-red. Compare an espresso scarf with a black one near your face. If black makes you look sharp and clear rather than harsh, you're Deep Winter.
Deep Winter vs. Cool Winter
Cool Winter is fully cool and a little lighter, so icy pastels and bright blue-based shades like royal blue and fuchsia are its home base. You need more depth. If the darkest jewel tones, like pine, wine and midnight navy, look better on you than icy pastels worn alone, you're Deep Winter.
Deep Winter vs. Bright Winter
Bright Winter turns the intensity up, with vivid shades like hot pink, electric blue and lemon yellow, while your colors are deeper and more velvety. If saturated brights look loud on you while deep jewel tones look rich, you're Deep Winter; if deep colors look heavy and vivid ones make your eyes sparkle, lean Bright Winter.
Neighboring seasons share one trait and differ in another, which is why they are easy to mix up in a mirror. A drape test settles it: the same face, the same light, and two colors side by side. Avarobe's color report includes one made from your own selfie.
Questions
Deep Winter FAQ
Is deep winter the same as dark winter?
Yes, the names are interchangeable. Deep Winter is the darkest winter, led by depth with coolness second, and many analysts call it Dark Winter. Look for the same core in any dark winter color palette or deep winter color palette: black, charcoal, midnight navy, emerald, sapphire, burgundy and true red.
What colors should a deep winter avoid?
Stay away from warm, earthy and muted shades. Camel, mustard, pumpkin, terracotta and warm beige clash with your cool undertone, while dusty tones like sage and dusty rose are too soft for your contrast. Peach and other warm pastels make you look sallow. A camel coat can still work over a black turtleneck, since the dark layer sits closest to your face.
Can a deep winter wear gold?
Yes, in the right form. Silver, platinum and white gold are the most harmonious metals for a deep winter, but because the season sits near neutral, bright polished yellow gold can look great too, especially with deeper skin. Brassy, antiqued or brushed gold reads warm and muted, so skip it. Mixed-metal pieces are an easy way to wear both.
Can a deep winter wear brown?
Only very dark, cool browns. Black-brown and deep espresso work, especially in shoes, belts, bags and coats, because they read almost black. Camel, tan, cognac and golden browns are too warm and too light, so they make skin look sallow and dull your contrast. For a brown suit or coat, pick the darkest, coolest shade you can find.
What is the best hair color for a deep winter?
Keep it dark and cool. Natural black, blue-black or a deep cool brown frames a deep winter face best. For a change, a black cherry or violet-brown gloss adds richness without warmth. Skip honey, caramel and copper highlights, which blur your contrast. When gray comes in, clean silver or salt-and-pepper often looks striking, so you may not need to cover it.
All 12 seasons
Explore the other seasons
Avarobe
Are you a Deep Winter? Find out from one selfie.
Avarobe reads your undertone, hair and eyes to find your season, then shows your best colors in complete outfits on your own avatar.
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