Cool Summer Color Palette

Cool Summer has the most distinctly blue undertone of the summer seasons, at moderate depth. Skin looks pink, rosy or neutral-cool; hair runs ash blonde to mid ash brown; eyes are grey, blue, blue-green or soft brown with a cool cast. Contrast between features is medium and quiet, so the effect is composed instead of dramatic.

Raspberry versus pumpkin-orange in daylight is the quickest sorting round. Raspberry evens the skin, while orange brings out redness and shadows. Blue-grey versus camel brown is round two. Whichever feels harmonious tells you which side of the wheel you live on.

Your strongest shades are blue-based and softly dusted: harbor blue, delft blue, raspberry rose, lavender, cool jade and slate. Navy with rose is a particularly flattering pairing, as is denim with lavender. A Twilight Navy blazer over a Cool Pink Pearl shirt with Silver Mist trousers looks polished without any warm color.

Monochrome dressing works brilliantly. Layer Glacier Sky, Misty Denim and Lake Blue in one outfit and it looks deliberate. For depth, add Cool Burgundy or Blue Pine. Keep orange, yellow and rust out entirely; even a small accessory in those colors spoils the cool harmony.

Lips belong to blue-leaning pinks and berries: rose, raspberry, cranberry, cool mauve and soft wine, in cream or satin finishes. Blush should be a cool rose or soft pink-berry. Choose a foundation with a pink or neutral-cool undertone, since golden bases cause a flat cast. For eyes, think grey-blue, navy, slate, plum, rosy taupe and silver; a navy or charcoal-brown liner is softer than black. Skip bronze, copper and orange-brown shadows.

Ash and cool-toned shades complement this season: ash brown, mushroom brown, cool dark blonde, soft taupe and pearly beige. Blue-leaning dark brown works if it stays soft, not inky. Aim for a calm, matte-looking color with subtle lowlights rather than streaky contrast.

Golden blonde, copper, auburn and warm caramel pull the face toward redness, and very strong jet black can feel heavy. When lightening, ask for a cool or neutral toner to keep brassiness out, and use a blue-violet shampoo once a week to hold the balance between salon visits.

Silver, white gold and platinum are natural, with rose gold as a gentle alternative. Polished and brushed silver both work, so choose by outfit. Yellow gold feels warm against cool skin, though a pale satin gold in a small piece sits acceptably beside grey-blue.

Gems that echo your colors are ideal: sapphire, aquamarine, amethyst, blue topaz, pearl, moonstone, iolite, rose quartz. Layered thin chains, a pearl pendant or a sleek watch on a slate strap suit the polished mood. Avoid amber, citrine and tiger's eye.

Poplin versus corduroy: poplin, silk, wool crepe, fine knit, cashmere, jersey and chambray give the composed look, while thick rustic cords and heavy brown tweeds feel off. Pinstripes, ticking, small geometrics, hydrangea florals and navy-and-white patterns versus gold-brown animal prints and orange florals: the first group belongs to you, the second fights the palette.

Compare two workdays. In the first, a Deep Fjord skirt with a Cool Pink Pearl knit and a Slate Fog cardigan carries a long meeting and still looks fresh at six. In the second, a Graphite Blue suit with a lavender shirt wins an interview. Denim should be blue or grey-blue, never khaki-brown.

Why do camel, rust, mustard and olive look so wrong when they are everywhere in fashion? They carry yellow, which casts shadows on cool skin and lowers the quality of the complexion. Dusty rose and blue-grey do what those colors were trying to do, without the cost.

Is brighter better? Not here. Fire-engine red and kelly green overshoot, because Cool Summer needs a hint of grey in each color. Raspberry rose beats tomato; spruce beats kelly. On the commute, a Twilight Navy coat does more for you than a neon jacket.

And pale for everything? No. Cool does not mean baby pastel. If every outfit is powder pink, you lose the medium-depth richness that suits you. Mix in Lake Blue, Cool Burgundy or Deep Spruce for a client call or a conference day, and save black-and-white contrast for people it flatters.