Are you always wondering, what color should I wear? Whether you're getting ready for work, a special occasion, or just a casual outing, choosing the right colors for your outfit can significantly affect your overall appearance. Understanding how to find colors that suit you is key to effortlessly enhancing your style. In this blog, we'll explore the art of color selection and provide valuable insights on making the best choices for your wardrobe, improving your appearance by understanding your personal colors.

WhatColors offers an innovative solution to help you decipher which colors suit you best. Through AI personal color analysis, you can discover a spectrum of shades that complement your skin tone, hair color, and features, empowering you to curate a wardrobe that effortlessly enhances your natural beauty.

Table of Contents

• What Is a Color Wheel & the Basics of Color Theory

• How to Identify Your Skin Tone and Undertones

• What Color Should I Wear According to My Skin Tone?

• What The Colors You Wear Say About You

• Try AI Personal Color Analysis For Free Today

What Is a Color Wheel & the Basics of Color Theory

In color theory, the color wheel is essentially a circular diagram that organizes colors based on their relationships to one another. The traditional color wheel is based on primary colors - red, yellow, and blue. These primary colors cannot be formed by mixing any other colors. Secondary colors, including green, orange, and purple, are formed by mixing primary colors. Finally, tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color, resulting in hues such as yellow-orange, red-violet, and blue-green.

Color Harmony and Its Impact

Color harmony creates a pleasing arrangement of visually engaging colors that create a sense of order. When colors are harmonious, they engage the viewer and create a balance that is both visually stimulating without being overwhelming. Different color schemes, such as analogous or complementary colors, can impact the harmony of a color combination. For example, analogous colors are side-by-side on the color wheel, while complementary colors are directly opposite. Nature provides a perfect example of color harmony, with colors like red, yellow, and green coming together to create a harmonious design.

Related Reading

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How to Identify Your Skin Tone and Undertones

What are the different undertones?

Warm undertones range from peach to yellow and golden. Some people with warm undertones also have sallow skin. Cool undertones include pink and bluish hues. If you have a neutral undertone, your undertones are roughly the same color as your skin tone.

Determining your skin’s undertone can be done in the comfort of your own home, using the tests we outline below. 

Check out your veins

If you can see your veins, you may be able to use their color to identify your undertone. For example, you may have warm undertones if your veins look greenish. People with blue or purplish-looking veins usually have cooler undertones. If you have neutral undertones, your veins may appear colorless or match your skin color.

Assess your jewelry

Many people are more attracted to silver or gold jewelry because of how it looks against their skin. If you like traditional yellow-gold's look on your skin, you’re more likely to have warm or olive undertones. Silver, platinum, and rose gold tend to flatter cooler undertones. You may have neutral undertones if you look good in both silver and gold and base your choice more on your outfit than your skin color.

Throw on something neutral

True white tends to favor cooler undertones, while warm undertones may look better in off-white. Warm undertones also complement brown hues, while cooler tones often look better in black. Like jewelry, if you have neutral undertones, you can wear all colors without affecting your overall look.

Think about your eye and hair color

Although you might play with different hair dye colors and eyeshadows, your natural eye and hair color may provide some insights into your undertones. Platinum and ash-colored dyes tend to complement cooler undertones, while mahogany and golden dyes usually look better if you have warmer undertones.

Look for ashen or gray tones

You could have a natural olive tone if your skin appears more ashen or gray. This isn’t as common as warm, cool, or neutral, but is a combination of undertones. Olive skin has neutral and warm undertones along with green, an undertone considered unique to olive skin only. If you have olive skin, you might find that specific colors in all three undertones suit your skin. 

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Unlock your colors and transform your style for free today with WhatColors’ AI Personal Color Analysis app. Download our app for free today on the App Store or Google Play store.

What Color Should I Wear According to My Skin Tone?

What Colours Should I Wear If I’m Warm?

You’re looking for warm colors like oranges, golden yellow, honey gold, amber, and red that will make your golden undertones sing. But you can also get away with warmer greens and blues, like deeper turquoise, green moss, olive, fern, pesto, and red-purples in magenta and orchid shades.

Neutrals like taupe, hot chocolate, cream whites, and latte will make your skin glow. Avoid icy shades and jewelled tones like amethyst and sapphire.  

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Jessica Alba

• Jennifer Lopez

• Claire Danes

• Kim Kardashian 

• Beyoncé
  
  

What Colours Look Good On Me If I’m Cool?

On the cool end of the color chart, your best hues are bright blue, royal blue, sapphire, emerald, amethyst, deep purples, lavender, lilac snow. But don’t discount warm shades like shocking pink (not hot pink, which is warm), cerise, ruby, and bright rose.

Your neutral colors are grey, navy and pristine white, but avoid oranges and yellows!

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Cate Blanchett

• Viola Davis

• Nicole Kidman,

• Mindy Kaling

• Lupita Nyong’o
  
  

What Colours Suit Me If I’m Neutral?

Wear jade green, dusty pink, lagoon blue and cornsilk yellow and you’ll make heads turn.

Neutral colors like off-whites, coffee, mid-range greys and black are also your best friend. Give colors that are too bright and vibrant a wide berth, though – they’ll overwhelm you.  

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Angelina Jolie

• Rachel McAdams

• Julianne Moore

• Julia Roberts

• Kerry Washington
  
  

Going Deeper

You can take it a step further, and try out seasonal color analysis – classifying yourself according to the seasons. Once upon a time, seasonal color analysis, or skin-tone matching, was broken down into four basic categories:

1. Spring

Light hair and eyes, warm undertone

2. Summer

Light hair and eyes, cool undertone

3. Autumn

Dark hair and eyes, warm undertone

4. Winter

Dark hair and eyes, cool undertone

But the narrow classification meant that many women weren’t accounted for. So, now we have 12 seasons to choose from:

• Light Spring

• True or Warm Spring

• Clear Spring

• Light Summer

• Cool or True Summer

• Soft Summer

• Soft Autumn

• True or Warm Autumn

• Deep Autumn

• True or Cool Winter

• Clear Winter

• Dark or Deep Winter 
  
  

1. Light Spring

Hair

Golden blonde, strawberry blonde, or golden brown

Skin

Fair skin with pink or peachy undertones

Eyes

Blue, green, hazel, or light brown

You rock

Spring colours like jonquil yellow, spring green, warm coral, fresh aqua, ivory, khaki, bright aqua, warm coral, greenish khaki, sunshine yellow

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Kate Hudson

• Taylor Swift

• Blake Lively
  
  

2. True or Warm Spring

Hair

Strawberry blonde to copper auburn and light to dark golden brown

Skin

Warm beige, slightly bronzed, may have freckles

Eyes

Green, blue, hazel, or light brown

You rock

Bright blue, pine green, sea green, ocean aqua, ivory, evergreen, rose, warm yellow, navy, true red

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Nicole Kidman

• Jessica Chastain

• Amy Adams
  
  

3. Clear or Bright Spring

Hair

Golden light to dark brown

Skin

Skin has a pink undertone and ranges from more ivory than milky white to golden brown 

Eyes

Green, blue, light brown

You rock

Hot pink, robin’s egg blue, royal blue, lime, pine green, ocean aqua, ivory, warm brown, bright blue, true red

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Tyra Banks

• Maggie Gyllenhaal

• Gwyneth Paltrow

  
  

4. Light Summer

Hair

Light to medium ashy blonde or strawberry blonde hair 

Skin

Skin has a neutral undertone that is neither warm or cool, but may have a slight pink tinge 

Eyes

Blue or green

You rock

Cool pink to pale green, baby blue, lavender, royal blue, evergreen, white, and pale warm coral

Celeb lookalikes:

• Reese Witherspoon

• Margot Robbie

• Cate Blanchett

• Marilyn Monroe

  
  

5. True or Cool Summer

Hair

Medium to dark ashy brown

Skin

Skin has a cool undertone and ranges from medium beige to dark brown

Eyes

Blue or Gray

You rock

Cobalt blue, evergreen, true rose, parma violet, crisp navy, fog gray, white, mint green, violet, slate blue.

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Kate Middleton

• Emily Blunt

• Bella Hadid

  
  

6. Soft Summer

Hair

Medium to dark ashy brown

Skin

Medium beige to dark brown with neutral undertones

Eyes

Grey, blue, hazel

You rock

Periwinkle, parma violet, cocoa brown, lavender, dusty navy, dusty rose, marsala wine

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Jennifer Aniston

• Rihanna

• Sarah Jessica Parker
  
  

7. Soft Autumn

Hair

Blonde to medium brown or reddish light brown

Skin

Ivory, olive, or medium brown with warm undertones

Eyes

Green, hazel, or light brown

You rock

Maize, moss, teal, peach, ivory, goldenrod, French blue, olive, camel, warm pink, and aubergine.

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Dianna Agron

• Mischa Barton

• Elizabeth Olsen

  
  

8. Warm Autumn

Hair

Medium to dark golden brown or warm auburn

Skin

Ivory, olive, or medium brown with warm undertones

Eyes

Green, hazel, or light brown

You rock

Autumn colours like deep olive, marsala wine, padparadscha orange, yellow, rust, gold, warm blue, mauve, burgundy, and terracotta.

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Olivia Palmero

• Debra Messing

• Rita Hayworth

  
  

9. Deep Autumn

Hair

Medium to dark brown with golden shine

Skin

Ivory, olive, or medium to dark brown with warm undertones

Eyes

Dark blue, deep green, hazel, dark brown, brown-black

You rock

Topaz, forest green, bright orange, brilliant russet, citrine, deep olive, warm ruby, black, russet, and goldenrod. 

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Natalie Portman

• Oprah Winfrey

• Gal Gadot

  
  

10. Cool or True Winter

Hair

Ashy blonde, ashy light or dark brown, or black with blue undertones

Skin

Olive or cool blue undertones 

Eyes

Light brown, blue, or grey

You rock

Sapphire, navy, amethyst, royal blue, bottle green, vivid green, emerald, cool ruby, hot pink, lime green, black, white, fuchsia, cool pink, fog gray, white, and black

Celeb lookalikes:

• Zooey Deschanel

• Jamie Lee Curtis

• Kristin Davis

  
  

11. Clear Winter

Hair

Medium to dark brown or black

Skin

Olive or cool blue undertones

Eyes

Bright green or blue

You rock

Forget muted colors and go for the brightest you can find!

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Courteney Cox

• Megan Fox

• Alexis Bledel
  
  

12. Dark or Deep Winter

Hair

Medium to dark brown or black

Skin

Olive or cool blue undertones

Eyes

Dark brown or black

You rock

Sapphire, navy, turquoise, eggplant, amethyst, emerald, bottle green, cool ruby, black and white, and plum. 

Celeb lookalikes: 

• Sandra Bullock

• Anne Hathaway

• Mila Kunis

  
  

Colors Anyone Can Wear

• Pure white

• Light blush pink

• Teal with a perfect mix of blue and green

• Eggplant purple

It’s also worth keeping in mind that what colors suit you might change or be up for debate – a fact Zooey Deschanel can attest to. The actress and singer posted a video of her getting color analysis done earlier in 2024, where there was still debate in the comments (officially, she’s a True Winter).

Related Reading

• Best Colors For Olive Skin
• Colors For Cool Undertones
• Best Colors For Warm Undertones
• What Colors Look Good On Tan Skin
• What Colors Look Best On Brown Skin
• Best Colors For Cool Undertones
• Best Colors For Warm Skin Tone
• What Season Am I
• What Color Looks Best on Me
• What Is My Color
• How to Find Your Color Palette
• What's My Color Palette
• What Color Season Am I

What The Colors You Wear Say About You

When assembling your outfit for the day, there are multiple considerations to remember. Beyond the formality scale or seasonality, the colors you choose to incorporate can significantly impact how you are perceived by others. Colors can affect the mood of people around you and reveal aspects of your personality. 

The Psychological Impact of Colors in Fashion

For instance, red is associated with passion, love, and energy, but overdoing it can come off as overly flashy. Similarly, orange implies creativity and ambition, but too much can make you look like an escaped convict. In contrast, green creates a calming effect linked to creativity and generosity. Blue, a classic menswear staple, is known for its calming effect and ability to make others feel comfortable around you. 

The Subtle Messages of Neutral and Bold Colors in Style

Purple suggests leadership and sophistication, while pink is associated with sincerity and romance. White embodies qualities like confidence and purity, and too much white can wash you out. Gray is another classic neutral color that exudes sophistication and composure. Finally, black signifies strength, power, and formality, but it can also be overpowering if overused. Each color choice contributes to the overall impression you make on others. 

Color Combinations and Pairings for a Stylish Outfit

When selecting colors for your outfit, it’s essential to consider how each color interacts with others. For instance, red pairs well with blue, pink, gray, and brown, while orange complements blue, black, gray, brown, and green. Yellow pairs effectively with brown, gray, and blue. Green is an excellent match for yellow, brown, and gray. Blue, a neutral menswear color, can pair with many other colors, including brown, pink, red, and orange. 

Purple works well with white, gray, black, brown, red, and blue. Pink harmonizes with red, yellow, green, blue, gray, and teal. White pairs nicely with gray, blue, brown, purple, and red. Gray is perfectly coupled with pink, black, white, red, and blue. Finally, black pairs elegantly with gray, white, red, and its grayscale companions. Your choice of color combinations can elevate your style and create a cohesive look that reflects your personality and mood.

Color Associations and Their Impact on Emotions

The colors you wear can significantly impact your emotions and those of the people around you. Red evokes passion and boldness, but it can also come off as aggressive. Orange suggests creativity and energy, but too much can appear tacky. Yellow creates a happy and positive mood, but it can also convey fear. 

Green conveys relaxation and trustworthiness, while blue exudes calm and trust. Purple implies sophistication and creativity, while pink signifies love and optimism. White exudes confidence and purity, while gray embodies sophistication and neutrality. Black signifies strength and formality, but it can also appear cold and harsh. By understanding the emotions associated with different colors, you can use them strategically to convey your desired mood and personality traits.

Try AI Personal Color Analysis For Free Today

I'm sure you've been there before. Standing in front of your closet, trying to pick out an outfit, only to feel like you have nothing to wear. What if I told you that this dilemma could be easily solved with the help of WhatColors? WhatColors is an innovative app designed to help you determine the best colors to wear based on your skin tone.

Our patented color-match technology lets you discover your season based on your skin tone. By identifying your season, you can find the perfect colors that complement your skin, eyes, and hair. Forget about wearing colors that don't suit you, and say hello to a wardrobe that enhances your natural beauty.

Unlock Your Perfect Nail Colors

Not only does WhatColors help you choose the right clothing colors, but it also extends its expertise to nail colors. Our WhatColors Nail Color Generator considers your skin, eye, and hair color to recommend the ideal nail colors for you. Say goodbye to the days of endless nail color options and hello to the perfect shades that will enhance your overall look.

Download WhatColors Now

If you're ready to transform your style and discover the colors that suit you best, then it's time to download WhatColors. Our AI Personal Color Analysis app is available for free on both the App Store and Google Play store. Start your journey to finding your perfect colors today with WhatColors.

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