Discover your color palette and your style type.

Color Analysis for People of Color

10/9/2017

Sometimes people ask me, "Is color analysis just for white people? Is it relevant for people of African descent or other people of color?"

The answer is that color analysis is absolutely relevant for POC. 12-tone color analysis is applicable to people of every skin tone, from very light to very dark

It's a sad fact that some websites and books about color analysis don't address people with very dark skin tones. But I'm striving to right that wrong here on my site. I'm also striving to correct some common misconceptions about color analysis for people with skin tones on the darker edge of the spectrum.

For example, despite what you may have heard, not all people of color are Winters.

In some systems, anyone with skin that's rather dark gets immediately shunted into the Dark Winter category.

And it is true that many people with very dark skin will need a high-contrast palette to look their best. Often, that will be a Winter palette.

But it won't always be Dark Winter -- and sometimes it won't be Winter at all.

Other palettes with high contrast, such as Bright Spring and Dark Autumn, are certainly possibilities for people who need a lot of contrast.

And many people of color have a gentler tone to their skin that is most flattered by muted colors.

Here, I have examples of African-Americans and other people of color who are Dark Autumns, Soft Autumns, True Autumns, Light Springs, Brights Springs, True Winters, and Bright Winters.

Your color season doesn't depend on what box you check on a census form!

Your color season depends entirely on which colors flatter your skin. That's it.

Don't know your season? Try at-home draping!

19 Comments

Amy

10/26/2017 05:27:36 am

How about actress Priyanka Chopra? I'm not an expert but she looks like a spring to me!

Deepa

11/20/2018 03:34:34 pm

She is dark winter.

Sukanya

8/27/2020 04:53:01 am

I think she's dark autumn. Since she has a contrast in her eyes , skin & hair. But she also has warmth so she must be either bright spring or dark autumn. In bright spring colors she doesn't look flattering. Instead dark autumn colors look best on her. So is my conclusion.

Katja

10/27/2017 05:31:00 am

I think she looks warm, but somewhat muted so I would guess she is an Autumn.

10/27/2017 06:16:34 am

Deep Autumn?

10/31/2017 04:52:01 pm

She doesn't look warm enough to be an Autumn like Aishwarya Rai who has a lot of warmth and is a True Autumn but then again I think this question can be better answered by an expert

8/27/2020 04:54:10 am

Yes she doesnt have warmth to be true autumn. But she has more warmth than coolness and lot of contrast which can be dark /deep autumn.

10/27/2017 05:40:57 am

How about Tyra Banks? In most pics she has a lot of make-up and her hair colour is different every time so it's hard to tell, but I've seen her without make-up in some pics and her colouring looked muted to me. Soft Summer or Soft Autumn? Maybe Soft Autumn. I think the undertone of her skin is warm.

11/1/2017 03:34:49 am

Autumn is not warmer than Spring. Deep Autumn and Soft Autumn are not all warm, they are neutral seasons. Only true Autumn is all warm.

Nicole

11/11/2017 07:35:02 pm

Tyra Banks is a Clear Spring! As are Khloe Kardashian, Nini, Vanessa Williams, & Beyonce! Scroll down towards the bottom! http://www.idealiststyle.com/blog/clear-warm-the-rules-of-wearing-colors

Also, to the comments above about Aishwarya Rai. This professional analyst analyzed her as a Soft Autumn Deep (towards the bottom: http://www.idealiststyle.com/blog/the-rules-of-wearing-colors). I seen many other analysts also say she's Soft Autumn Deep. (Soft Autumn Deeps can handle more color the typical Soft Autumn Lights.. Thank goodness for the 16, instead of 12, Seasons! It's necessary!!)

There's also AfricanAmerican Light Springs, like Jasmine Sanders (http://www.idealiststyle.com/blog/light-warm-the-rules-of-wearing-colors). And ethnic Light Summers, like Diandra Forrest (http://www.idealiststyle.com/blog/light-cool-the-rules-of-wearing-colors). And Indian, Latino, and AfricanAmerican Warm Autumns (http://www.idealiststyle.com/blog/muted-warm-the-rules-of-wearing-colors). And ethnic True and Bright Winters too (http://www.idealiststyle.com/blog/clear-cool-the-rules-of-wearing-colors). What's crazy is that 99% of these women have naturally very dark hair. Even the Light Spring's natural hair is a type of brown-black! And majority of these women have brown to deep brown-black eyes!

Also just for fun- this professional analyst has also done Alicia Keys: she's either a Light or True Spring! (The analyst described her method of assessment in the comments section in the 2nd link of this post. The analyst has really reinvented the color system in a beautiful, all inclusive, & accurate way.) All these women are great examples of how women-of-color should not give up on finding their coloring, and not be forced to ignore what colors they KNOW look best on them! Because, truly, based on the stereotypical season representatives.... a woman-of-color would NEVER find their season! Especially a non-deep or bright! I'm hoping that ethnic anomalies -such as myself- will stumble across this post and feel inspired, validated, & be guided in the right direction to their season!

Best wishes! :)
-Nicole

11/14/2017 02:42:32 am

Yes, I agree with you Nicole! There are more than 12 seasons. Maybe more than 16 too. Lora Alexander has many seasons in her colour system. http://www.prettyyourworld.com/
In her system there are soft Springs and soft Winters also, not only soft Summers and soft Autumns. It's necessary!

Cheryl

3/29/2018 11:49:00 am

As a South Asian woman myself, it's so refreshing to find that not all people with black hair, brown eyes and tan skin are Deep Autumns! I would love to see a post on Priyanka, not just seasonal colour analysis but style typing too! (am thinking she is a Romantic Dramatic?) What about Deepika Padukone? Freida Pinto?

Golam Kashef

8/14/2020 04:28:15 pm

Dev Patel looks great in all colors, but I peg him as a Dark Autumn. Would you agree?

Martina

12/28/2020 08:43:29 pm

Hi! I'm struggling with this, I think that I'm a deep/dark winter, but I saw your exemples and confused myself. I Have a medium to high contrast but I can't tell what is my undertone, maybe neutral...
I'm buying with the feeling and making clothes that are more suitable for more skins like navy, burgundy..

Required

12/8/2022 08:26:14 am

How can Blacks even be Winters? That's the color season for very pale Whites with dark hair! LOL! PS: pix would help!

Lady

4/6/2023 02:54:23 am

The sad part about your comment is it seems to come from a place of genuine thirst for knowledge so here is something schools or your parents taught you. Black is a color and aboriginals are the first tribes and communities to build and create communities(we are the first people on this planet).

So instead of embarrassing your parents who probably fought day in and day out (upholding a racial class system) to raise you to be a productive human being in society and instead you became the cyber racist that only has the courage to speak when someone can’t match a face to the ignorant commentary.

Kelly

1/30/2023 08:37:08 am

Please forget the spring and the summer palettes for black people. It's just physically NOT possible! These palettes are LIGHT! Physically the darker colours are not light! Please stop writing BS!
And the clear spring palette is DEFINITELY not for black people! If you don't believe me, then do a little research! The origin of the colour palettes are from Johannes Itten, who realized that every of his student use the colour palette of their features' colours. Ask yourself, and answer honestly: do you really think that a color palette of a white clear spring girl and a black girl (that you say is clear spiring) would be the same? Hell no! And just because there is a "brightness" in the smile of a black person, that doesn't mean that she is a bright spring! It only means, that her skin tone and the colour of her teeth has high contrast between... Ask her to close her mouth, and there is no "brightness". It's a dark colour palette! Stop writing bullshit and stop combining dark people with the lighter colour palettes just because they wear a vibrant/light colour.

4/6/2023 02:47:53 am

Kelly , it is obvious that your heavily opinionated commentary rooted in your life mission to chose ignorance over knowledge. Pick up a book and stop spending your days on the internet trying to “inform or enlighten” the world. In all honesty, you have a right to your own opinions. However, the world should not be subject to this foolery. Your ancestors would be proud of the commitment you’ve upheld to ignorance but I can promise you one thing any human being with a half of a brain cell is praying you don’t act as dumb as you sound. May God grant you wisdom and release the shackles of ignorance the devil has convinced you is the way of life. 🤔

Chloe

3/1/2023 03:38:54 am

Looks like there are some racists writing comments about how black people can't be winter, spring or summer. Clearly those people don't know that color analysis is not based on someone's skin color, it's based on the traits of the colors that flatter them! (So draping is important)

Truth is Beauty

Color Analysis for People of Color

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