The 12 Seasons Explained

The 12-season color system is the most widely used framework in professional color analysis. It takes the classic four seasons — Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter — and divides each into three sub-seasons based on a dominant characteristic: whether the season leans light, warm/cool, or bright/deep. This gives us 12 distinct palettes that can capture the full spectrum of human coloring with remarkable precision.

Spring palettes are fundamentally warm with a fresh, lively energy. Think of the first warm days of the year — light greens, bright florals, golden sunshine.

Light Spring: The dominant characteristic is lightness. This person has warm coloring but it's delicate — think light golden hair, fair warm skin, and light eyes. Their palette is soft and sunny: peach, light coral, ivory, warm pastels. Celebrity examples: Taylor Swift, Cate Blanchett.

Warm Spring: The dominant characteristic is warmth. This is the "classic" Spring — golden, radiant, and unmistakably warm. Their palette is saturated and earthy-warm: tomato red, marigold, warm greens, camel. Celebrity examples: Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain.

Bright Spring: The dominant characteristic is brightness/clarity. This person has warm coloring with high contrast and vivid features. Their palette is bold and clear: bright coral, turquoise, electric blue, clear warm red. Celebrity examples: Mila Kunis, Robert Downey Jr.

Summer palettes are cool-based with a soft, muted elegance. Despite the name, think of hazy summer days — dusty roses, lavender fields, overcast skies reflected in still water.

Light Summer: The dominant characteristic is lightness. Cool coloring with a delicate, airy quality — light ash-blonde hair, cool pink skin, light eyes. Their palette is soft and cool: powder blue, soft pink, light lavender, dove grey. Celebrity examples: Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts.

Cool Summer: The dominant characteristic is coolness. The "classic" Summer — clearly cool without being as dramatic as Winter. Their palette is medium-depth and muted: raspberry, teal, blue-grey, soft navy. Celebrity examples: Emily Blunt, Kate Middleton.

Soft Summer: The dominant characteristic is softness/mutedness. Cool coloring that's blended and gentle — often medium-toned with low contrast. Their palette is dusty and understated: sage green, dusty rose, cocoa, soft teal. Celebrity examples: Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker.

Autumn palettes are warm and rich, like a harvest landscape — burnished golds, russet reds, deep olive greens, warm chocolates.

Soft Autumn: The dominant characteristic is softness/mutedness. Warm coloring that's gentle and blended — often golden-brunette with hazel or soft green eyes. Their palette is earthy and subdued: camel, sage, terracotta, warm grey. Celebrity examples: Drew Barrymore, Gisele Bundchen.

Warm Autumn: The dominant characteristic is warmth. The "classic" Autumn — intensely warm and rich. Their palette is saturated earth tones: burnt orange, olive, warm brown, mustard, rust. Celebrity examples: Julianne Moore, Julia Roberts.

Deep Autumn: The dominant characteristic is depth/darkness. Warm coloring with a striking richness and deeper features. Their palette is intense and warm: chocolate, deep teal, warm burgundy, bronze. Celebrity examples: Beyoncé, Penélope Cruz.

Winter palettes are cool and dramatic — bold contrasts, jewel tones, and striking clarity. Think of a crisp winter day: bright white snow, deep evergreens, clear blue sky.

Deep Winter: The dominant characteristic is depth/darkness. Cool coloring with rich, dark features — often dark hair and eyes with high contrast against skin. Their palette is deep and cool: black, navy, emerald, deep plum. Celebrity examples: Sandra Bullock, Amal Clooney.

Cool Winter: The dominant characteristic is coolness. The "classic" Winter — icy, cool, and dramatic without necessarily being the deepest. Their palette is true cool: icy pink, true red, royal blue, charcoal. Celebrity examples: Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o.

Bright Winter: The dominant characteristic is brightness/clarity. Cool coloring with exceptionally vivid, high-contrast features. Their palette is electric and clear: hot pink, cobalt blue, true white, bright emerald. Celebrity examples: Megan Fox, Courteney Cox.

The trickiest part of the 12-season system is distinguishing between neighboring seasons. Light Spring and Light Summer are both light, but differ in undertone (warm vs. cool). Bright Spring and Bright Winter are both vivid, but differ in undertone. Deep Autumn and Deep Winter are both dark, but differ in warmth. Soft Summer and Soft Autumn are the most commonly confused pair — both are muted and medium-toned, with the difference coming down to a subtle lean toward warmth (Autumn) or coolness (Summer). If you find yourself between two seasons, your dominant characteristic is clear but your secondary quality (usually undertone) is more nuanced. This is perfectly normal and actually quite common.