Blog · August 31, 2026 · Andrea Lakeberg
Classic seasonal color analysis divides people into four groups: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. What matters is your skin's undertone, your hair color and your eye color. The system can be explained in a few minutes, and that is exactly why it is so popular. But it doesn't answer the more important question: whether a piece of clothing really suits you.
The four color types at a glance
The system is based on two axes: warm or cool, and light or dark. Together they create four fields.
- Spring: warm and light. Golden blonde to light brown hair, fair complexion with a yellowish undertone. Warm, clear shades work: coral, apricot, warm green, cream.
- Summer: cool and light. Ash blonde hair, rosy complexion. Soft, cool shades work: dusty rose, dove blue, mauve, soft white.
- Autumn: warm and dark. Auburn to dark blonde hair, golden complexion. Earthy shades work: rust, olive, mustard, terracotta.
- Winter: cool and dark. Dark hair, clear contrast between skin and hair. Clear, cool shades work: black, pure white, fuchsia, icy blue.
So much for the theory. There are versions with eight or twelve sub-types, but the basic principle stays the same.
Why I don't work by this system
Because the right color alone doesn't make a good piece of clothing. There may well be Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter types. But a piece in the theoretically right color can still be a complete miss: the wrong cut, the wrong length, wrong for your figure.
The reverse is just as true: if a dress fits you beautifully, it is the better choice even in a less than ideal color. A dress that fits beats a color chart.
I have been doing this work since 6 January 2013. In that time, I have seen it happen too often: women go home with a color swatch booklet and still get it wrong afterward, because nobody told them which shapes suit them. The booklet ends up in the wardrobe, and so does the bad buy.
How do I find out which colors suit me?
Most reliably with your own clothes, in daylight, in front of your own wardrobe. You don't need fabric drapes from a suitcase. You need your face, a top and a window.
Hold different pieces up to your face one after the other, and don't look at the garment, look at your face. You will notice three things:
- With some colors, the shadows under your eyes look deeper.
- With some, your complexion looks sallow or yellowish.
- And with some, you simply look more awake, without being able to say why.
That is the whole point. You don't need a system to see the difference. You just need to pay attention to it once. And one important thing: don't do this under artificial light. Artificial lighting distorts colors so much that the whole exercise becomes pointless.
What about the pieces that are theoretically wrong?
They can stay if they work. In almost every wardrobe I open, there is a piece that would be wrong according to any color chart, and still looks good every single time. Usually because the cut is right, or because it is worn far enough away from the face.
That is why I never sort by rules, only by effect. A pair of trousers sits at your hips, not next to your face. There, color matters far less than with a blouse or a scarf.
Is a professional consultation worth it, then?
Yes, but not to be assigned a season. It is worth it because someone from the outside sees what you no longer see yourself. After fifteen years with the same wardrobe, you stop seeing it clearly. That is completely normal.
That is why, with me, color analysis is not a separate appointment but part of the consultation: either during the wardrobe check at your home or out and about on the shopping tour in Berlin. If you are only visiting the city, the shopping tour is the natural place for it. Color, cut and proportion belong together. Looking at them separately would only give you half the answer.
What you take away afterward is not a folder, but the ability to shop on your own in the future without getting it wrong again. You can read more about how it works on the page about color analysis in Berlin.
Frequently asked questions about color types
Can my color type change over the course of my life?
Yes. When hair turns gray or is dyed, the contrast between skin and hair shifts considerably, and with it what suits you. Many clients come to me for exactly this reason: what worked for twenty years suddenly doesn't anymore.
Is an online test enough?
For a first impression, yes. But online tests work with screen colors, and those are not accurate on any device. What looks warm on a monitor often isn't in real life.
Do I have to get rid of everything that doesn't match my type?
Absolutely not. Keep what suits you and what you like to wear. When I sort a wardrobe, I go by effect and usefulness, never by a scheme.
