A complete styling guide if you're a soft summer.

Picture a misty morning where the soft, cool light shines down on a field of pastel flowers. This is soft summer. 

This colour palette sits in between true summer and soft autumn on the seasonal flow chart and is characterised by muted cool tones, delicate pastels and subtle neutrals, which create an understated aesthetic. 

How to tell if you're soft summer.

Soft summer is categorised as the following: cool hue, medium-light value and medium-muted chroma. 

Cool hue: Colours sit on the coolest end of the hue scale and therefore, have no yellow undertones (the warmest colour of all). Naturally cool hues like blues and greys, dominate the palette.

Medium-light value: The value ranges from light grey to dark brown, however, the majority of colours are lighter rather than darker to eliminate any contrast.

Medium-muted chroma: The colours are greyish and washed-out rather than saturated and bright. There is minimal contrast in clothing, makeup and facial features. 

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What is soft summer's colour palette?

Soft summer's best colours include:

• Gentle cool tones: Soft blue, dusty rose, lavender and slate grey

• Light neutrals: Gentle taupe, cool beige and light grey

• Pastels: Powder pink, mint green, baby blue and light lilac

• Desaturated rich tones: Mauve, dusty plum and soft teal 

On the flip side, the colours to avoid if you're soft summer include:

• Warm and bright colours: Bright orange, golden yellow and warm coral

• Highly saturated colours: Any neon or electric shades that scream vibrancy and intensity 

Building a soft summer colour palette is an easy process when you focus on this season's best colours. Here's an example of what a soft summer's colour palette might look like: 

Base colour: Soft grey

Light neutral: Light taupe

Dark neutral: Dusty slate blue

Main colour: Dusty rose

Accent colours: Soft lavender, muted mint green or light lilac

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Celebrities with a soft summer colour palette.

Some notable people with a soft summer colour palette include Dakota Johnson, Bella Hadid, Rachel McAdams, Ellen Pompeo, Jennifer Aniston, Miranda Kerr, Kate Middleton, Emilia Clarke, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lorde and Katie Holmes. Of course, this is only a guide and their colour palettes will change depending on their styling choices.

Styling tips for soft summer.

Build a subtle neutral wardrobe base: Your wardrobe should include a lot of base pieces in light taupe, cool beige and soft ivory. These neutrals are the building blocks for all your outfits and will complement the softness of your appearance. 

Mix and match pastels: Go crazy with pastels! Pair pastel tops with pastel bottoms, or layer different pastel pieces together — yes, all pastels cohesively work together so don't be afraid to mix and match. 

Opt for soft and flowy pieces: You have a feminine and romantic aura, and you look drop-dead gorgeous in soft and flowing clothing. Prime examples of these include dresses with gentle draping, skirts with soft pleats and tops with billowy sleeves. 

Experiment with prints: Avoid bold, abstract and geometric prints — instead, opt for subtle florals, soft stripes or delicate polka dots that don't overpower your outfits. 

Invest in dainty accessories: Delicate jewellery in silver, rose gold or muted gold will enhance your femininity. A petite pendant, dainty stacking rings and stud earrings are all great examples of true summer jewellery. Other accessories to invest in include scarves in pastel hues and handbags made from soft leather or suede. 

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Beauty tips for soft summer.

Base: Foundation and concealer with a soft matte finish will create a smooth and refined look that complements your delicate features. Skip the heavy contouring and only use subtle highlighter on the high points of your face to create a subtle and natural-looking glow. 

Eyes: Choose eyeliner in a soft brown or charcoal grey over a classic black, as this will define your eyes without adding too much unnecessary intensity. Then, you can add definition with a black or dark brown mascara. When you want to apply eyeshadow, opt for colours in soft, muted cool tones like soft grey, dusty rose and light lavender. 

Blush: With a light hand, apply a soft pink blush with cool undertones — just enough to add a natural flush of colour to your cheeks. 

Lipstick: Forego the bright, bold lip colours and instead, opt for soft pink colours with cool undertones, like rosy pink, mauve and soft berry. 

Final thoughts on soft summer.

Wondering if you're a soft summer? If muted tones and delicate pastels enhance your soft features, you might fall into this colour palette. Of course, this shouldn’t deter you from wearing colours you love but aren’t classified as soft summer. After all, your unique colour palette should naturally uplift your appearance and confidence. 

If you're looking to expand your palette, you can also consider borrowing colours from the sister seasons of soft summer: true summer and soft autumn. 

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