True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (2024)

Contents

  • I. Characteristics
  • II. The Colour Palette
  • III. Styling
  •  Shop True Winter
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True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (1)

True Winter is the original Winter season in the four seasons colour analysis and sits between Dark Winter and Bright Winter on the seasonal flow chart.

Its opposite season is True Summer. And in contrast to the latter, True Winter’s appearance is brilliant and highly contrasted.

I. Characteristics

Please note: Do not worry too much if one characteristic of your appearance deviates from the below descriptions. You may still fall into this colour season if your overall appearance matches the profile.

You are a True Winter if the primary colour aspect of your overall appearance is cool, and the secondary aspect is bright.

When you look in the mirror, the first thing you notice about your colouring is its frosty coolness. There is no warm quality in any of your features, and blue undertones dominate your skin, hair, and eyes.

In addition, your skin, eyes, and hair have a brilliant and clear appearance – there is no muddiness or softness in them. Overall, the contrast between your features is high.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (2)

Wardrobe Building Essentials

Everything you need to build a True Winter wardrobe.

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The Features

I. Eyes

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (3)

True Winter eyes are cool with blue undertones. They come in a variety of shades, ranging from cool blue to icy hazel, cool browns and black. Characteristic of Winter eyes, you may notice a border defining iris and possible spokes on the iris.

II. Skin

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (4)

True Winter skin has clear cool, blue undertones. This means that while silver makes the skin look healthy, gold makes it look off. Regardless of its colour, True Winter skin always stands in contrast to hair and eyes or the whites of the eyes and the teeth.

III. Hair

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (5)

The hair is typically dark, ranging from dark ash brown to black. This colour season's hair does not have any natural highlights, and the hair is either neutral or ashy.

IV. Contrast

True Winter has a stark contrast between the features. There is also a high contrast between the iris and whites of the eye. So even if the skin is dark, a contrast between the whites of the eyes, the teeth and the rest of the features remains. In the images below, you can see the clear differences in shades in both cases.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (6)

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (7)

True Winter vs True Summer

True Winter and True Summer share the same primary colour aspect – cool. The difference lies in their secondary aspect – True Winter is bright and True Summer is muted.

True Summer is muted with a somewhat lower contrast between the features. It has a high content of grey pigments mixed into its colouring, which tones down a True Summer's appearance.

True Winter colouring, on the other hand, contains blue, dark grey and black-blue pigments. This season has a very high contrast between the features and appears crisp. ​Because of this, True Winters can wear black, handle a lot of colour, and they look better in highly contrasting colours than True Summers do.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (8)

The Wardrobe Guide

Want to see more examples of True Winters? Check out the wardrobe guide.

Learn More

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (9)

II. TheColour Palette

True Winter is the colour season reminiscent of winter in its prime. White, snowy landscapes contrast with bare trees and the darkest of nights.

These colours play at the extremes of light, dark and bright. True Winter colours are also present in the moonless night sky and at the Earth’s poles.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (10)

The Palette

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (11)

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (12)

Bright Spring Colour Palette

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True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (13)

True Winter Colour Palette

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True Winter is the original Winter season of the four seasons colour analysis and is the ‘standard’ Winter palette. The other two Winter palettes have been modified to accommodate the respective Autumn and Spring influence.

True Winter colouring combines coolness with brightness. This season falls at the coolest, iciest end of Winter. Therefore, the colours are cool with a clear blue undertone. They are quite harsh and seem to be covered with frost.

The True Winter palette contains a broad range of colours, from icy pinks and purples to frosty blues. And even though the contrast between the colours is high, the dark tones are balanced with brighter and much lighter accent colours.

Colour Dimensions

On the three dimensions of colour, True Winter has the following settings:

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (14)

Hue

True to this season’s primary aspect, the colours are very cool, meaning they contain blue undertones but no yellow undertones. So even if you choose yellow (which is the warmest colour of all), you will find only cool shades. In addition, there are very few yellow-based colours on the palette and more shades of blue and icy pinks, which are naturally cool-based.

Value

The palette ranges from the lightest value (true white) to the darkest (true black). Overall, the palette is on the darker side because bright blue – the undertone of this palette – is medium-dark.

Chroma

The colours are fairly high in chroma, meaning they are saturated, bright and vibrant – in keeping with this season’s secondary colour aspect.

Sister Palettes

True Winter sits between Dark Winter and Bright Winter on the seasonal flow chart. It is the heart of the Winter palette, and the colours are brighter, cooler and slightly lighter than those of Dark Winter.

With its opposite season True Summer, the colours share the same cool value but are darker and brighter. And unlike True Summer, the colours are cleaner and mixed with blue and black. The contrast between them is much higher.

Compared to the third Winter season, Bright Winter, the palette is cooler, slightly darker and not quite as bright. This is because Bright Winter turns the saturation up to the maximum.

As sister palettes, Dark Winter and Bright Winter both share True Winter’s aspects of cool and bright, respectively. Depending on where you fall on the True Winter spectrum, you can borrow some colours from your sister palettes since they are close enough to the True Winter colour palette.

If you lean more towards Dark Winter, opt for the lighter colours on the Dark Winter palette – such as Marine Green, Splish Splash and Ibis Rose. Whereas if you lean more towards Bright Winter, select the less intense colours on the Bright Winter palette – such as Dazzling Blue, Blue Iris and Everglade.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (15)

Wardrobe Building Essentials

Everything you need to build a True Winter wardrobe.

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III. Styling

Neutrals

True Winter is the original Winter season. As such, the palette contains both true black and white. You also have dark blues and browns, which you can use as dark neutrals.

And apart from true white, you have light beiges and greys, which can act as light neutrals.

On that note, black and white is the classic True Winter combination and will look truly striking on you.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (16)

Colours to Avoid

Since True Winter’ main colour aspects are coolness and brightness, your worst colours are warm and muted.

Avoid warm, earthy colours, such as golden browns and rusty oranges, as they will clash with your naturally cool colouring.

Soft, muted colours, such as dusty blues and lavender, will wash you out since they are not intense enough.

If you want to wear pastel colours, use the icy versions on your palette as accent colours and combine them with dark neutrals.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (17)

Colour Combinations

Technically, you can combine any of the colours on the True Winter palette with each other. But certain combinations will look much better than others. Those are the combinations that repeat the contrast level that is naturally present in your appearance.

The classic colour combination of True Winter is black and white. No other season can pull this combination off.

But you can also pair other darker neutrals with lighter accent colours, such as dark blue and bright blue. Or you can combine lighter neutrals with brighter accents, such as light grey with bright pink.

A True Winter will also look okay in an all-dark or all-light monochromatic look. However, contrast is always the better option.

Another thing to bear in mind is that even though your natural colour contrast is high, it is not as extreme as that of a Bright Winter. So pairing colours that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as yellow and purple, can be overpowering. Instead, always opt for a neutral and an accent colour.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (18)

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (19)

True Winter Outfit Combos

True Winter

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True Winter Wardrobe Palettes

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Patterns & Prints

If you are thinking of incorporating some patterns and prints into your wardrobe, consider the following:

The best patterns are those that only contain True Winter colours – like in the first example below.

If a pattern contains some but not much colour from a disharmonious palette – like in the second example, you can also wear it.

The last example contains too much of a disharmonious colour (a True Autumn orange, which is warm and muted). Avoid this pattern.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (21)

Since your natural colouring is highly contrasted, opt for patterns that reflect this natural high contrast level rather than ones which blend too much together.

In the example below, both patterns are in True Winter colours and wearable. However, the second pattern displays a higher contrast between the elements and is therefore more flattering.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (22)

Great patterns for True Winter are bold, highly contrasted, black and white, and neon coloured – in keeping with the bright, saturated colours on the palette.

Look for geometric patterns or round and rectangular shapes mixed together. Abstract prints are also great.

Natural floral patterns – like in the first example, are best avoided. If you want to wear floral patterns, opt for highly stylised flowers.

Also avoid small prints as well as anything faded or blended (watercolour prints).

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (23)

Metals & Accessories

Since True Winter requires absolute coolness, your best metals are silver and platinum. Gold, on the other hand, will clash with your cool appearance and make you look off.

Shiny metals usually go better with your intense, bright colouring rather than antiqued, matte or brushed metals.

Diamonds, rubies and sapphires are great stone choices for True Winter, as their colouring is bright and cool.

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (24)

True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (25)

True Winter Wardrobe Bundle

True Winter

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True Winter: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe (2024)

FAQs

What undertones are true Winter? ›

True Winter skin has clear cool, blue undertones. This means that while silver makes the skin look healthy, gold makes it look off. Regardless of its colour, True Winter skin always stands in contrast to hair and eyes or the whites of the eyes and the teeth.

What color hair goes best with true Winter? ›

Dark brown or black with blue or ash tints, deep ash, blue-black, or black-brown are some of the most flattering shades you can dye your hair with. Even if it seems like the slightest change, it greatly enhances your true winter features.

What lipstick shades look best on true Winter? ›

The best lip colours for True Winters are blue-based pinks, reds and purples. Even though these colours may at first glance seem bold, they will look very natural on you because they mimic the intensity of your appearance. Again, avoid warm oranges, yellow-based reds, brown tones and peachy pinks.

What is the difference between bright Winter and true Winter? ›

Bright Winter sits between True Winter and Bright Spring on the seasonal flow chart. It falls at the Spring end of the Winter palette. Therefore,, the colours are brighter, lighter and warmer than those of True Winter. Compared to Bright Spring the colours are similarly bright, but cooler and slightly darker.

Can you be true Winter with brown eyes? ›

Winters often have heavy, dark eyebrows and can have a range of eye colors including hazel, blue, green, brown and very dark brown (almost look black). In terms of skin tone, they often have a translucent look to their skin and may or may not tan.

What colors should you avoid in the Winter? ›

Colours to Avoid

Since Dark Winter's main colour aspects are depth and coolness, your worst colours are light and warm. Very warm, earthy colours, such as golden oranges and browns, will make you look unhealthy. Warmer pastel colours may also make you look off, so stick with the icy light colours on your palette.

What 2 hair colors go well together? ›

5 hair colour combinations that pair well!
  • Black and burgundy. Black hair color has a reputation for being boring and bland. ...
  • Brown and red. This is an apt hair color combination, that lightens your appearance while looking vibrant. ...
  • Brown and golden highlights. ...
  • Dark roots with light ends. ...
  • Black and brown.

Can a true winter go blonde? ›

Hair colour

Most are dark — True Winters usually only go light when they go grey, which looks perfect on them, and definitely better than yellowed-blonde.

What hair color is not high maintenance? ›

A balayage is a great low-maintenance hair color option if you're looking for a subtle refresh in your hair. Ask your stylist for their opinion on what highlight colors would best suit your natural color. A balayage with a deeper root color will grow out seamlessly without harsh lines.

What is Meghan Markle's favorite lipstick? ›

One of her all-time favorites? Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution lipstick in Very Victoria, (opens in new tab) a gorgeous brown-pink tone that complements a wide range of skin tones and hair colors.

What is Kim Kardashians favorite lipstick? ›

one of her favorite lipsticks was max angel, and I actually used to wear this lipstick all the time.

Can True winter wear orange? ›

No, orange is not in the Winter colour palette!

Orange is a warm colour best worn by those with Spring or Autumn colouring. Although there are ways to bend the 'rules' that can make orange work for other colour categories as well (more on this below), if someone really wants to wear orange.

Can bright Winter wear grey? ›

Bright Winters can often look like Springs with clear blue eyes and blonde hair, or like Summers, with their brightness only appearing when they wear their bold Bright Winter colours. Your best Bright Winter colours are shocking pink, Chinese blue, icy greys and acid yellow.

Can deep Winter wear turquoise? ›

Winter – make sure your turquoise is clear and bright, without too much yellow to turn it into a warm colour. Alternatively, go for a very pale iced turquoise, just scarcely there at all, and pair with charcoal or navy for high contrast chic.

What colors look best in a clear Winter? ›

If you are a CLEAR WINTER, your best colours are: (L-R) Medium grey, charcoal, black, pewter, black brown, pure white, icy grey, taupe, icy blue, icy violet, icy pink, hot pink, clear red, true red, fuchsia, raspberry, aubergine, icy yellow, bright golden yellow, hot turquoise, clear teal, emerald turquoise, pine, ...

What is the rarest shade of brown eyes? ›

Hazel/amber is the next rarest of these. Blue is the second most common and brown tops the list with 45% of the U.S. population and possibly almost 80% worldwide. Black is not an eye color.
...
Gray: The Rarest Eye Color.
EYE COLORU.S. POPULATIONWORLD POPULATION
Brown45%55% to 79%
4 more rows
Nov 23, 2022

Can true Winter wear red? ›

Red colors for Cool Winter women

Cool Winter women can successfully wear cool and brighter red shades like crimson, American rose or Spanish carmine red. Just look at these two pretty dresses. Pair it with your best neutral shade – black and white or some other cool one like this shiny silver to emphasize your look.

What are the three types of Winters? ›

Like the other three color seasons, there are three subgroups of winter: bright winter, cool winter, or deep winter. Each one is different from the others, so be sure to read through each section to find out which one fits you.

What colors should you avoid in bedroom? ›

Avoid bright blue, greens, pinks, oranges, and yellows and instead opt for muted pastel versions of the color, as these will work to encourage sleep. Easy rule of thumb: the brighter the hue the worst for sleep, the softer the hue the better a calming bedroom paint idea.

What color repels the most heat? ›

It is commonly said that white is the most appropriate colour for summer temperatures because it keeps the body cool, unlike black which tends to absorb heat.

What jewelry for deep winter? ›

The best metals for Dark Winter are silver and pewter. Gold also works, and is especially useful to warm up an outfit which is slipping into True Winter territory. The best gold has some depth to it, but is closer to yellow than orange.

What are the 3 best colors that go together? ›

If you're looking for a few basic but perennially popular 3 color combinations to kickstart your color palette, think about combinations like:
  • Yellow, red, and blue.
  • Green, orange, and purple.
  • Teal, magenta, and gold.

What two colors should not be seen together? ›

That's because, even though those colors exist, you've probably never seen them. Red-green and yellow-blue are the so-called "forbidden colors." Composed of pairs of hues whose light frequencies automatically cancel each other out in the human eye, they're supposed to be impossible to see simultaneously.

What is the most appealing color combination? ›

Best 25 Appealing Color Combinations
  1. Peach and Royal Blue. For the first entry on our list, we'll go with a color combination that's currently popular: Peach and royal blue. ...
  2. Black and Yellow. ...
  3. Pink and Blue. ...
  4. Yellow and Red. ...
  5. Off-White and Cherry Red. ...
  6. Electric Blue and Lime Green.
  7. White and Baby Blue. ...
  8. Hot Pink and Cyan.
Jul 1, 2022

What is an unprofessional hair color? ›

Essentially, anything that isn't blonde, brown, black, or gray is a no-go.

What hair colour is less aging? ›

Caramel, honey, gold, copper, and strawberry give a healthy brightness that makes us look and feel younger. (Framing your face with lighter shades draws the eye away from any complexion concerns, as well.)

What hair color is in for 2023? ›

All shades of red will be popular in 2023, ranging from fiery reds and deep burgundy to warm auburn, “ says Petty. “In particular, copper will be the standout colour. It can act as a midpoint for blondes and brunettes who are not ready to go fully dark or light - and it's a great colour to brighten up your locks.”

What face cream does Meghan Markle use? ›

SHOP NOW. Meghan has long professed her love for Tatcha skincare products, so we weren't surprised to see Tatcha's luxurious 'The Essence' skin-boosting treatment as well as the brand's oil-free, pore-minimising 'Water Cream' moisturiser on her makeup counter.

What mascara does Meghan Markle use? ›

During their time working together Meghan raved about one product in particular - her go-to affordable mascara. "Meghan actually introduced me to a drugstore mascara, Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious Mascara," she told us.

What kind of mascara does Meghan Markle wear? ›

Meghan's eyes are one of her most famous features, and in order to accentuate them, she told Allure that she swears by this Diorshow Iconic mascara to adds volume and definition to her lashes.

What was Marilyn Monroe's favorite lipstick? ›

Marilyn Monroe's signature red lips were famously achieved with five coats of Guerlain's Rouge Diabolique lipstick. Although the original lipstick is no longer sold, many people report this red beauty from Besame to be a pretty close dupe. You'll find it to be a flattering shade of red for you too.

What type of lipstick looks most natural? ›

Here's A List Of Top 10 Lipstick Shades For A Natural Makeup Look
  • Perfect Curves Matte Lip Crayon Old - Debutante. ...
  • Perfect Curves Matte Lip Crayon - Spice. ...
  • Ultimatte Long-Stay Matte Lipstick - Showgirl. ...
  • Manish Malhotra Soft Matte Lipstick - Eternal Rose. ...
  • MyGlamm Ultimatte Long-Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick - Mocha Icon.
Dec 22, 2022

What lipstick does Gigi Hadid wear? ›

Gigi Hadid Calls the Maybelline Lip Crayon Her "Favorite"

What are the characteristics of true Winter? ›

  • TRUE WINTERs have icy, cool blue undertones. There is no warm quality in any of your features. The overall appearance is clear and bright.
  • There is a HIGH CONTRAST between your skin, eyes, and hair. Your skin stands in contrast with your hair and eyes. ...
  • Your skin has cool blue undertones. It ranges from fair to deep.

What colours are in fashion Winter 2022? ›

Fall / Winter 2022-2023 Colour Trends
  • Red Molten Lava and Lava Falls. A classic fall color, red tones are present in all the fashion weeeks of the season. ...
  • Tangerine Tones. ...
  • Yellow Spicy Mustard and Samoan Sun. ...
  • Abundant Green and Martini Olive. ...
  • Pastel Pink and Rose Violet. ...
  • Meadow Violet. ...
  • Blue Hues. ...
  • Gray.

Can a true Spring wear grey? ›

Colours to Avoid

True Spring's main colour aspects are warm and bright, so your worst colours are cool and muted. Very cool colours, such as icy blues and greys, will clash with your natural warmth and will make you look unhealthy.

What eye makeup for bright winter? ›

Since Bright Winter is influenced by the lighter Spring season, anything too dark will look out of place on you. Opt for a shimmery or frosted finish on eyeshadows. Avoid warm, yellow-based colours as well as muted colours and matte finishes. Both will clash with your bright appearance.

Is it better to wear black or white in winter? ›

We prefer white coloured clothes in summer because white colour is poor absorber of heat and so they keep us cool during summer. On the other hand, during winter we prefer black and dark coloured clothes because black colour is good absorber of heat and thus they keep us comfortably warm during winter.

What lipstick goes best with clear winter? ›

The Clear Winter palette has some very pale, icy shades in it, plus neutral reds, and a very dark red blues like aubergine. Clear Winter best lipstick shades: Soft reds like true red and light true red. Deep blue pinks like raspberry, azalea, fuchsia and shocking pink. Very dark, saturated red blues like aubergine.

What color palette is true Winter? ›

A true Winter color palette is full of cool based jewel-tones like ruby red, sapphire blue, and emerald green. Winter types also get such classic neutrals – they look beautiful in black, crisp white, and navy to name a few. A true Winter palette is full of colors that lean crisp, cool, and highly saturated.

How can you tell true Winter? ›

True Winter colours are sharp, cold, bright, powerful and crystalline. They completely lack ambiguity. In our 12 tone chart, True Winter is the tone of complete coolness and clarity, which influences the two Bright tones (Bright Winter and Bright Spring) and the two Dark tones (Dark Winter and Dark Autumn).

What does it mean to be a true Winter? ›

True Winters are high contrast, bold and bright, and often have high contrast in their colouring, perhaps in the form of very dark hair with fair skin or bright blue/green eyes. Your best colours as a True Winter are holly berry red, emerald green, cobalt blue and stark black and white, all worn in high contrast.

What is my true undertone? ›

Flip over your arm and take a look at the inside of your wrist. If your veins appear to have a blue or deep purple tint, you likely have cool skin undertones. If they look more greenish, you likely have warm or olive undertones. If you can't tell one way or the other, you may have neutral undertones.

What is the color trend for Winter 2022? ›

Martini Olive, Orange Tiger, and Rose Violet: just three of the hues in Pantone's color trend report for Autumn/Winter 2022.

Can a true Winter have blonde hair? ›

In some instances a Winter can have blonde hair, but it is very cool and almost white looking. Within the overarching Winter category there are three subcategories, cool, deep and clear.

Can true Winter wear orange? ›

No, orange is not in the Winter colour palette!

Orange is a warm colour best worn by those with Spring or Autumn colouring. Although there are ways to bend the 'rules' that can make orange work for other colour categories as well (more on this below), if someone really wants to wear orange.

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