Soft Summer Colors - Complete Guide
Complete guide to Soft Summer colors, palette direction, and color combinations for the muted, velvety Summer season.
Soft Summer Color Palette
Soft Summer colors feel blurred, vintage, and elusive: cocoa, sage, heather purple, charcoal grey, dusty blue, lavender, olive, and dark pink instead of anything bright or sharply contrasted.
Recommended Color Combinations
Soft Summer outfits work best when the colors stay muted and closely blended. Pair greyed neutrals with dusty blue, sage, or mauve accents, or keep the whole look tonal for the most harmonious effect.
Soft Summer Palette Generator
Start with one of the season's foggy anchors and generate palettes that stay cool, complex, and low-chroma instead of clean, shiny, or high-contrast.
Generated Analogous Palette
Base Colors
Use for major pieces, statement items, dresses, and blazers.
Neutrals
Use for everyday basics, pants, skirts, and foundation pieces.
Accents
Use for accessories, tops, jewelry, and controlled pops of color.
Clothing Matches
Matches are ranked against the full generated palette above. Change the season, hue, or combination controls to generate different options.
Soft Summer Burgundy Stripe Tie-Back Top
Soft Summer Mint Tonic Linen Eyelet Top
Soft Summer Characteristics
Soft Summer is the most muted and velvety Summer season. The palette is cool-neutral, low-contrast, and low-chroma, with misty blues, sage greens, charcoal greys, mauves, and cocoa-tinted neutrals replacing anything vivid or glossy.
Physical Features
- Eyes: Grey-blue, green, or softly blended brown
- Skin: Neutral to cool skin with ashy or pink undertones
- Hair: Ash blonde through medium ash brown, often darker than the other Summer seasons
- Overall: Very low contrast, with skin, eyes, and hair blending softly together
Color Qualities
- Temperature: Cool-neutral, softened by a hint of Autumn influence
- Saturation: Low chroma and greyed, never bright or candy-clear
- Contrast: Low to low-medium contrast with a hazy, vintage finish
- Avoid: Crisp black and white, hot brights, and warm golden oranges