Best colors · By hair color
The best colors for gray hair
Silver, salt-and-pepper and white hair is a cool, luminous neutral that looks its best next to clear jewel tones and crisp, gentle neutrals.
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The short answer
Gray hair looks best with clear, cool or balanced colors that echo its brightness: navy, charcoal, soft white, sapphire, emerald, raspberry, plum and periwinkle. Bright silver and white hair suit jewel tones; salt-and-pepper suits deeper navy and burgundy. Avoid mustard, khaki, orange, butter yellow and muddy browns, which make gray look yellowed or flat.
The palette
Colors that flatter gray hair
Gray hair isn’t one color. It ranges from salt-and-pepper, where dark strands still dominate, to steel gray, bright silver and snow white. Whatever the shade, it reads cool next to your face, and it brings less contrast than the color you had before. Your hair is only one input; skin undertone and eye color count just as much. Skin and eyes usually keep their undertone as hair goes gray, so a warm-skinned person with silver hair needs a different palette than a cool-skinned one.
Neutrals
Reach for these instead of beige and camel for coats, trousers and knitwear.
- Soft White#F3F3F0
- Dove Gray#BFC3C8
- Cool Taupe#9A8E8A
- Pewter#7F858C
- Charcoal#3A3D43
- Navy#1F2B4D
Everyday colors
Soft, clear shades that brighten the skin without overpowering silver hair.
- Periwinkle#8C9AD6
- Dusty Rose#C8949C
- Jade#3F8F7F
- Slate Blue#5B7DB1
- Soft Plum#7E5675
- Powder Blue#A9C4E2
Statement colors
Jewel tones give you the color and contrast that gray hair invites.
- Sapphire#1F4A9A
- Emerald#00784F
- Raspberry#B0285E
- Amethyst#7B4FA6
- True Red#BE1E2D
- Deep Turquoise#00767A
Why it works
Why these colors work
Gray hair is a striking color to build a wardrobe around. The colors that flatter gray hair do two jobs: they add the depth your hair no longer supplies, and they keep the gray looking bright rather than yellowed. Clear jewel tones like sapphire, emerald and raspberry do both. Navy and charcoal give a crisp frame, and soft white and cool pastels make silver look polished on purpose. Earthy, yellow-based colors like mustard and khaki pick out any brassy strands and dull the whole look.
Your season
Seasons where gray hair is common
Cool Winter
Bright silver or white hair with cool skin and dark brows or eyes: royal blue, true red, emerald and crisp white.
Deep Winter
Salt-and-pepper hair with dark eyes and olive to deep skin: burgundy, sapphire, pine and charcoal.
Cool Summer
Ash or silver gray with rosy skin and blue or gray eyes: slate blue, rose pink, jade and soft navy.
Soft Summer
Pewter or blended gray with soft, low-contrast features: dusty blue, mauve, soft plum and gray sage.
One trait doesn’t settle a season: undertone, depth and how soft or bright your coloring is decide it together. Avarobe reads all three from one selfie and shows your best and worst colors on your own face.
Keep away from your face
Colors to avoid
- Mustard#C99A2E
- Khaki#B8A67A
- Orange#F28C28
- Butter Yellow#F3E09A
- Olive Drab#6B6A3A
- Muddy Brown#6E5A3E
Yellow-based and earthy shades bring out any warm cast in gray hair, so it looks yellowed instead of silver. If you love them, wear them in trousers, skirts or shoes, with a cool color closer to your face.
Put it together
How to wear them
- Add one clear color near your face every day. A sapphire sweater or raspberry scarf brings back the contrast your darker hair used to give.
- If your skin is warm or olive, pick the warm side of each color: teal over icy blue, coral red over blue-red, ivory over stark white. Silver hair stays bright with all of them.
- Try a tonal outfit in grays, from dove to charcoal, with one jewel-tone accent. With silver hair it looks deliberate and polished.
- Choose navy or charcoal over black if your gray is soft pewter and your eyes are light; save black for bright white hair or salt-and-pepper with dark brows.
- Match the clarity of your colors to your hair: clean, saturated shades for bright silver and white, softer smoky ones like mauve and gray sage for pewter.
Makeup
Gray hair can make lips and cheeks look paler, so add a little color back. Rose, berry and soft raspberry lipsticks flatter most, and a cool pink or mauve blush lifts the face. Define brows in soft taupe or ash brown; very dark brows can look harsh against silver.
Metals
Silver, white gold, platinum and pewter echo the shine of gray hair. Rose gold softens it if your skin is warm, and mixing metals lets you keep wearing the gold pieces you already love.
Glasses and accessories
Frames with some color add definition: navy, burgundy, deep teal or black. Thin silver wire frames suit soft gray hair. Silk scarves in jewel tones put color exactly where gray hair benefits from it.
Questions
Gray hair: FAQ
What colors make gray hair look brighter?
Clear blues, purples and jewel tones make gray hair look brighter and more silver. Sapphire, periwinkle, amethyst, emerald and raspberry work well because they contrast with the hair without adding any yellow. Navy and charcoal frame it cleanly too. Yellow, orange and khaki do the opposite and can make white hair look faded or brassy.
What colors should you avoid with gray hair?
Mustard, khaki, orange, butter yellow, olive drab and muddy browns are the hardest colors to wear with gray hair. They bring out any warm or brassy tone in the gray and drain color from your face. Wear them below the waist, or pick a clearer cousin, like teal instead of olive or coral red instead of orange.
Can you wear black with gray hair?
Yes, if you have the contrast to match it. Bright white or salt-and-pepper hair with dark brows and eyes looks sharp in black. Soft pewter gray with light eyes can look washed out in pure black near the face, so try charcoal or navy instead, or break black up with a white collar or a jewel-tone scarf.
What are the best colors for silver hair?
Bright silver hair looks best in cool, clear colors: navy, sapphire, emerald, raspberry, amethyst and soft white. These are among the best colors for gray hair of any shade, because silver is the coolest, brightest gray. If your skin is warm, lean toward teal, coral red and ivory, which flatter golden skin and keep silver hair bright.
Can you wear warm colors with gray hair?
Yes. Warm skin still suits warm colors after your hair turns gray. Choose clear, warm shades like coral, teal, warm red and ivory over earthy, yellow-heavy ones like mustard and khaki. The clear shades flatter your skin without making silver hair look yellow, and they pair well with gold jewelry.
Keep exploring
Related guides
Avarobe
See your best colors on your own face
One selfie: Avarobe reads your undertone, depth and contrast, names your season and shows the colors that flatter you, and the one to keep away from your face.
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