What color suits me? How to pinpoint the most flattering shades for you

What color suits me is an age-old fashion dilemma that crops up every season regardless of the time of year. If you've found yourself wondering this very thing, don't worry, we've got the answers. We've spoken to experts in color analysis to help you find your perfect color match and how to wear them in the months ahead.

We don't believe in hard and fast fashion rules, and you should always wear what makes you feel great. However, asking what color suits me, will help you find the shades that work with your natural complexion best and give you an instant boost. When it comes to bold hues, dopamine dressing remains a key fashion color trend for the months ahead, and these mood-boosting brights are unlikely to go anywhere, anytime soon.

Investigating 'what color suits me' will help you easily navigate every new fashion season, giving you the tools to build a color and print palette that ensures you feel confident in every look you buy. According to research from online personal styling service, Stitch Fix UK, a third of Brits (29%) say their mood is lifted when wearing bright shades, and 35% experience a boost in creativity when dressed in colorful clothing.

"Wearing bright colors such as yellow, red, pink, and blue come with genuine psychological and physiological benefits," explains Shakaila Forbes-Bell, fashion psychologist and founder of Fashion is Psychology.

"Red and yellow, for example, have been found to increase blood pressure, heart rate, and eye movement, causing us to feel more alert, aroused, stimulated, and energetic. Blue, by comparison, produces calming bodily responses, making us feel more relaxed and serene.”

And when it comes to working out 'what color suits me' there are heaps of hues to choose from this season, from sunshine yellow to soft lilac and gorgeous blues of all varieties, you’re bound to find a shade to suit you. And don’t worry if your favorite color doesn’t typically match your skin tone, you can always introduce it through your accessories. Both the handbag trends 2023 and shoe trends 2023 were packed with vibrant pieces, so try adding a pair of heels in a bold hue to inject your favorite color into your outfit. Far enough away from your face, it doesn't matter if the color of the shoes doesn't technically 'suit you', so there is no need to sacrifice on the colors you love.

What color suits me?

When it comes to what color suits you best, it's really about finding the right shade or a particular color. According to experts, you can wear nearly any color, but placement (as in where and how you wear it) alongside the exact hue is the real trick. 

While darker colors have historically been seen as slimming, they can also be quite draining. Go too dark and your clothing will throw black onto your face, which "tends to widen and drop the jawline," explains Polly Holman, an associate lecturer at the London College of Fashion.

Meanwhile, "a color that is too light will throw white up onto your face and make you look washed out." The darker your eyes, hair, and skin, the bolder you can go. The lighter your natural coloring, "the paler and closer to pastels you should go," she advises. However, knowing which color family you belong to can help you to figure out exactly which hues will flatter you. Wearing one of ‘your' colors close to your face will light you up and make your hair and eyes 'pop'. Further down, your body though? Anything goes! This means you're mainly concerned with colors that will be closest to your face.

But if you're desperate to keep hold of all your black clothing (which can cause shadows to pool in lines and crevices when worn too close to the face), inject color and brightness through colorful scarves or bold colorful jewelry. This styling trick means you can keep wearing black and dark hues on the top part of your torso, without draining your face. These colorful accessories should become wardrobe essentials. 

Read on to find out which shades you should be looking out for to bring out the best of your specific coloring.

What is color analysis?

Color analysis is a surefire method of answering what color suits me?, because it determines which colors of clothing and which makeup shades harmonize with a person's skin complexion, eye color, and hair color. It will also help you figure out the finer details, like what color of jewelry suits you (*starts filling a basket with jewelry gifts to self.*)

There are two areas to consider when analyzing your color - your base skin tone and your overall coloring. Your base skin tone will be either warm or cool, while your overall coloring takes your eye and hair color into consideration.

Anthony McGrath, a celebrity stylist, and lecturer at London's Fashion Retail Academy advises that it can be useful to "have a color analysis with a stylist or professional color analyst," however there are ways to figure out your coloring by yourself.

"In a nutshell, you can use your skin tone (skin, hair, and eyes) to determine whether you are warm or cool-toned, and your overall coloring - so how dark your skin is and the color of your natural hair - to determine whether you are light or dark."

What skin tone am I? 

The first step of using color analysis to determine the best shades to suit you is to first figure out whether you have a warm or cool skin tone. A couple of color analysis tests can help you figure your skin tone out quickly and easily.

Arm test

"Look at the underside of your arm in natural daylight, if you have a pink or rosy undertone and blue-tinted veins you have a cool skin tone," explains personal stylist Elaine Davies. "If you have a golden or apricot undertone and green-tinted veins you have a warm skin tone."

Fabric test

Still not sure? Try holding a piece of gold fabric under your chin (or trying on a gold necklace).

Now do the same with a piece of silver fabric or jewelry. Which shade lights up your complexion and makes your eyes pop? If it's silver, you're cool. If it's gold, you're warm.

What color suits my skin tone?

Now that you've worked out your base skin tone, you can start to choose fashion and makeup colors based simply on whether you are cool or warm-toned.

Cool skin tone

If you have pink or rosy undertones (like Angelina Jolie, Renee Zellweger, Oprah Winfrey, Lupita Nyong'o, Lucy Liu or Halle Berry), your skin tone is cool.

These skin tones usually burn easily in the sun and either don’t tan, struggle to get a tan or go red in the sun, as the skin will usually contain less pigment. Cool skin tones will usually have a pink or bluey-red undertone. This skin tone is also more likely to blush easily.

People with cool skin tones usually look best wearing clothes or makeup with blue undertones. Bright greens, deep purples, pinks, and both pale and bold blues will suit this skin tone well. If you have a cool skin tone you might want to check out how to wear the Pantone Color of the Year 2023, Vivid Magenta, as this will look wonderful on you. Cool skin tones also tend to suit silver jewelry or even rose gold better than yellow gold jewelry.

Warm skin tone

If you have golden undertones (like Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viola Davis, Heidi Klum or Beyonce), your skin tone is warm.

Warm skin tones will usually be able to tan quite quickly and easily and don't tend to get burnt very much, as usually they will have more melanin in their skin. Warm skin tones will usually have a yellowish or an olive brown undertone.

People with warm skin tones tend to look best in yellow-based colors, as they bring out the natural undertone more. Greens, browns, warm reds or oranges, peach, coral, and gold also suit this skin tone well. Gold jewelry will also help to bring out the warm undertone of the skin and help you look more glowy and is a great accessory to add to a minimalist capsule wardrobe to add in texture and newness each season.

Color analysis based on your overall coloring

If you want to pinpoint more precise colors that will suit you, you need to look at more than just your skin tone and consider your overall coloring.

You might have heard friends referring to themselves as spring, summer, autumn, or winter types. But what does it all mean? Well, if your skin tone is cool, you belong to the summer or winter family. If it's warm, you have spring or autumn coloring. Some people span multiple groups, but one tends to be primary.

Summer coloring

If you have a cool skin tone, naturally ash-toned blonde or light-mid brown hair (with no red or gold highlights), and pale blue, green or grey eyes, you have summer coloring.

What to wear if you have summer coloring

Teresa Chambers, a lecturer at London's Fashion Retail Academy advises, "summer types look best in soft pastels with blue undertones. Think light blues, pinks, yellows. Grey and blue hues (from pastel blue to navy) will also look great." These shades will all look good in dress styles, whether it's the best dresses for spring, or best shirt dresses for work. Look out for new season knits in soft ice cream hues that will instantly brighten your look. 

"However, yellow-based colors such as orange, tan, mustard, coral, and salmon pink are less flattering, and pure white may wash you out, so opt for soft off-white tones instead."

Fashion editor’s picks…

Winter coloring

If you have a cool skin tone, ash-toned medium to dark brown or black hair with no red or gold highlights, and deep blue, green or brown eyes, you belong to the winter family.

What to wear if you have winter coloring

Winter coloring calls for the boldest and richest of blue-based hues. This means that a bold top with your favorite jeans should be a go-to look. 

Teresa Chambers said, "Vivid, icy, cool, and clear primary colors are great. Vivid blues, reds, and golden yellows will compliment your skin tone. Think scarlet red, fuchsia pink, royal blue, emerald green, and deep purple. You can also get away with black, charcoal grey, pure white tones, and deep purple."

The spring/summer 2023 runways were a riot of color, making this year, your year. Embrace your ability to wear bold hues and make the most of standing out from the crowd. Inject into everything from the best cashmere sweaters to striking summer dresses. 

However, you should try to steer clear of muted pastels and yellow or orange-toned shades, including rusty browns and brick reds.

Fashion editor’s picks…

Spring coloring

If you have a warm skin tone and golden blonde or light-medium brown hair with golden highlights, you have spring coloring. Spring types may have a mixture of warm and cool elements to their coloring.

What to wear if you have spring coloring

Spring types suit warm ‘true' brights such as brick red, coral, salmon pink, and true blue. Beige and ivory hues will also flatter. However, icy pastels, deep tones, or muted shades may drain you.

Anthony McGrath said, "Warm and delicate with yellow undertones are good for spring types. Dusky pinks, soft greens, neutral light greys are great. Although these types can also wear burnished oranges and deep purples and look fabulous."

With color really making a comeback this season, you can take some key silhouettes to the next level. These bright tones will offer instant mood-boosting abilities so don't be afraid to pack a stylish punch. Look for the best blazers in pinks and reds that will instantly refresh your look, or get occasion ready and nail what to wear to a wedding with a brightly colored flattering jumpsuit.

Fashion editor’s picks…

Autumn coloring

If you have a warm skin tone and red, auburn, dark brown, or black hair with red, gold, or chestnut highlights, you belong to the autumn color family. If you are pale, you probably have freckles.

What to wear if you have autumn coloring

Anthony McGrath advises, "rich autumnal colors flatter autumnal skin most, often with a warm/golden undertone, so think earthy reds, bronzes, rich browns, chocolate, and burnished golds. Warm muted tones like olive and dark greens, terracotta red, and burnt orange enhance autumnal complexions." 

This means that autumn dressing is where this skin tone gets to shine. Invest in earthy hues for your best winter coat and enjoy these rich tones in sumptuous roll necks and chunky cardigans as they will really light up your face.

Luckily for those with autumn coloring, earthy reds, bronzes, olives and burnt orange colors tend to be available year through, meaning that even though insipid pastels wash you out, you don't need to panic when warmer months roll around. Make the most of gold accents and tones in the summer months, injecting this into some layered necklaces from the best jewelry brands and gold-framed sunglasses or reading glasses to tap into the eyeglasses trends 2023 to really brighten your complexion. When it comes to blues, you can get away with navy, but other blue-toned hues might not work so well.

Fashion editor’s picks…

Can my color change?

It is possible that you had a color analysis years ago but feel now that your color has changed over time. Although your primary color remains the same throughout your life there are things that can alter how flattering certain shades might appear. For example, dying your hair, going grey or even getting a tan can change how things seem and sit against our skin tone. 

Getting a tan may mean that 'spring brights' appear more flattering than usual, whilst your usual 'summer' pastels suddenly start to wash you out. If this happens, you might want to think about a warmer hair color to complement your holiday glow. 

It is true however that as we age, skin and hair begin to lose pigmentation. But this does not change our natural coloring. With this in mind, it highlights the importance of knowing which color family we belong to so that we can choose shades that enhance, rather than drain, our complexions. If you've found that your coloring has changed as you've gotten older, you may want to think about decluttering your closet to create an over 50s capsule wardrobe.

What clothes colors will look best on me?

Once you've worked out what color family you belong to it's time to inject this new knowledge into your wardrobe. With spring cleaning on the horizon, the first stage should really be a full analysis of your existing clothing. We've got a great guide on how to organize your closet, which should make this a breeze. But keep in mind as you're going through your clothing, do they match your color family profile. If they don't that doesn't mean you need to get rid of them, but you might need to reassess how you wear them. If the item is part of a group of colors that drain you, can you add jewelry, a scarf or even a cardigan to readdress the color balance? If it's a dark top, can it be reworked under a bright blazer so that the largest amount of color near your face is more flattering? 

And just remember, there are very few colors you won't be able to wear, it's just working out the styling to make them enhance your face.