12-season color analysis · Summer family
Light Summer color palette
Cool, airy and delicate, like sea glass, sweet peas and a powder-blue sky.
Of the three Summer seasons in 12-season color analysis, Light Summer carries the most lightness. Its colors are light first and cool second, softened with a touch of gray so they look gentle, never icy. The light summer color palette shares Light Spring's airiness but trades golden warmth for rosy, blue-based tones, and it runs lighter and more delicate than Cool Summer. Powder blue, lavender, soft rose and cool mint are your everyday colors.
- Undertone
- Cool to cool-neutral (pink, rosy)
- Value
- Light
- Chroma
- Soft to medium
- Contrast
- Low
The palette
The Light Summer color palette
Twenty-four shades that flatter light summer 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
- Soft White#F5F3EF
- Dove Gray#C8CBD0
- Rose Beige#D9BEB7
- Stone#CFC6B8
- Blue Gray#8C9BAE
- Soft Navy#3E5C7A
Core colors
- Powder Blue#A7C4E0
- Lavender#B9A9D0
- Light Rose#E6A5B6
- Cool Mint#B3DDCC
- Soft Periwinkle#9AABDE
- Petal Pink#F1C6D0
- Sea Glass#97CBCB
- Light Orchid#E1BEE0
- Light Teal#74AEB0
- Pale Lemon#F3EBA6
Accents
- Watermelon Pink#E97D93
- Strawberry#CE6175
- Soft Fuchsia#D77FC0
- Iris#978AD2
- Cornflower Blue#6F8FD6
- Sky Blue#6DAFE3
- Spearmint#7CC4A4
- Soft Jade#63A291
Is it you?
How to tell if you're a Light Summer
Light Summers often have ash or pale blonde, light ash brown or silvery hair, soft blue, gray, green or light hazel eyes, and skin with a pink, rosy or neutral-cool cast. Contrast is low, so the face reads soft and even. This palette gives your skin a fresh, rested look and makes light eyes look brighter. Dark or golden shades, like black, rust or mustard, sit on top of you instead of blending in.
- Hair in ash blonde, champagne blonde, light ash brown or early silver, often very fair in childhood.
- Soft, light eyes: gray-blue, powder blue, soft green, gray-green or light hazel without strong gold.
- Skin with a rosy, pink or cool ivory cast that flushes pink rather than golden and can look ruddy in orange or yellow.
- Low contrast: hair, skin and eyes sit in a similar light range, so bold, dark outfits can overwhelm you.
- Light Summer is found across ethnicities, from porcelain to light-medium skin. What stays constant is an overall light, cool and gentle impression.
Keep away from your face
Colors a Light Summer should avoid
- Jet Black#0F0F0F
- Dark Chocolate#3D2B1F
- Pumpkin#D9661F
- Mustard#C49A2C
- Olive#6C6B2F
- Cobalt#0047AB
If black or chocolate is a staple for you, wear it as trousers, a skirt or shoes, and keep powder blue, soft pink or dove gray near your face. A strand of pearls or a light scarf also softens a darker jacket.
Finishing touches
Makeup, hair and jewelry
Makeup
- Lips
- Soft rose, cool pink, sheer berry and watermelon pink in satin or tinted balm finishes. Orange corals and brown nudes fight your undertone.
- Blush
- Cool pink, soft rose or light mauve-pink, blended sheer.
- Eyes
- Soft taupe, cool gray, dove, mauve and lavender shadows. Gray-brown, navy or soft charcoal liner looks gentler than harsh black.
Hair color
Ash blonde, champagne, pearl blonde and light ash brown flatter you most, and going silver suits you beautifully. Brassy gold, copper and near-black shades look heavy and warm against your skin.
Metals and jewelry
Silver, white gold, platinum and soft rose gold suit you best. Brushed or satin finishes look more refined on you than high-shine chrome, and pearls are a natural match.
Put it together
Light Summer outfit color combinations
Smart Casual
A soft navy unstructured blazer with a powder blue oxford shirt and stone chinos is an easy dinner or office look.
Garden Wedding
A lavender chiffon midi dress with a dove gray wrap and soft white accessories stays airy from ceremony to dinner.
Weekend Mint
A cool mint knit with blue-gray trousers and stone suede sneakers is relaxed but still pulled together.
Evening Pink
A watermelon pink silk top with soft navy trousers and rose beige heels gives you color without harsh contrast.
Building a light summer wardrobe
- Replace black with soft navy, blue-gray or dove gray for coats, suits and shoes. They give structure without overpowering light features.
- For shirts and tees, soft white beats both optical white and yellowy cream. Hold the fabric under your chin: it should make your skin look fresh, not gray or sallow.
- Light and mid-blue denim washes, chambray and pale gray denim flatter you most. Dark indigo reads heavy, and yellowed vintage washes clash with your undertone.
- Choose soft, small-scale prints with low contrast, like watercolor florals, fine pinstripes, or gingham in blue or pink. High-contrast black-and-white prints overpower you.
- Tonal dressing flatters you: head-to-toe blues, or pink with lavender, in slightly different shades keeps your natural low contrast intact.
Close neighbors
Light Summer or a neighboring season?
Light Summer vs. Light Spring
Light Spring shares your lightness but leans warm, favoring peach, butter yellow and aqua. If peach makes you look sallow and powder blue makes you look rested, you're Light Summer.
Light Summer vs. Cool Summer
Cool Summer is a step deeper and more decidedly cool, centered on slate blue, raspberry and navy. If medium-depth shades look heavy and pale pastels suit you best, you're Light Summer.
Light Summer vs. Soft Summer
Soft Summer is more muted and a little deeper, full of dusty blues, mauves and gray-greens. If those dusty shades look dreary on you and fresher, lighter pastels look better, you're Light Summer.
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
Light Summer FAQ
What is the difference between light summer and light spring?
Warm versus cool. Light Summer has a cool, rosy undertone and Light Spring a warm, golden one, even though both are light and gentle in contrast. You look best in sea glass, petal pink and soft periwinkle, while a light spring reaches for apricot, light coral and pistachio. A quick test: if soft white flatters you and cream makes your skin look yellow, lean Light Summer.
Can a light summer wear black?
Not as a top or near your face. The darkest shade in the light summer color palette is soft navy, so black creates a hard edge that can make your skin look pale and your features tired. Blue-gray, dove gray and soft navy give the same polish with less contrast. Keep black for shoes, belts and trousers, and wear a light color up top.
What colors should a light summer avoid?
Avoid dark, warm and very intense colors: black, dark chocolate, pumpkin, mustard, olive and cobalt. They either overpower your light coloring or clash with your cool undertone. Their gentler cousins work well: soft navy instead of black, stone instead of camel, cornflower instead of cobalt, and watermelon pink instead of orange.
Can a light summer wear white?
Yes, but soft white works better than optical white. Bright white is cool enough for you, yet its starkness can make light, low-contrast features look faded. Soft white, pearl and very pale dove gray keep the freshness without the glare. Yellowish cream and ivory lean warm and can make a pink undertone look ruddy.
What hair color is best for a light summer?
Cool, light shades suit a light summer best: ash blonde, champagne, pearl and beige blonde, and light ash brown. Silver and white hair are also very flattering on this season. Avoid brassy gold, copper, red and very dark brown or black, which add warmth or heaviness that your soft features cannot balance.
All 12 seasons
Explore the other seasons
Avarobe
Are you a Light Summer? 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.
3 looks free · No credit card