Back to basics - neutrals for Summers

You're a Summer: your palette is full of effortless cornflower blues, delicate blush pinks and dusty jade greens. Neutrals should come naturally to you, but sometimes it can be surprisingly tricky - is that navy too bright, too dark? Is that grey sufficiently bluey?

Knowing your best neutrals will make your accent colours harmonise effortlessly, pulling your entire outfit together into a glorious bouquet of colour with no jarring colour pops. Knowing which version of each neutral works best for your skin tone is vital in making this work:

Summer's navy is a very particular dark smoky navy, often known as French Navy. Winter and Spring's brighter navy shades can look overpowering on summers, you need your navy to have that slightly softened grey tone to look your best. However, if it comes to compromise, go for Winter's navy rather than giving into the lure of black, which will look so harsh and stark against your skin.

Items shown:Lace Camisole and Davina Tee in Sultry Navy, Long Linen V Neck and Linen Asymmetric Top in Night Sky, Alpaca Shawl in French Navy and Marie Trousers in Light Navy

Brown and beige are not exactly the first colours that come to mind with Summers, but they can be a useful stopping point if you want a change from all the grey and blue shades. Your browns and beiges all have a slightly pinkish rose undertone, never a warm golden shade.

Items shown: Diane Swing Top in Mole, Sleeveless Cowl in Rose Taupe, Florence Infinity Scarf and Sleeveless Cowl in Mink, Tassel Necklace in Savannah, Marie Trousers in Stone

Rather than stark white or golden cream shades, Summers have a slightly softened grey white, known as soft white or (somewhat confusingly) winter white.

Items shown: Silky Tee, Cotton Jersey Shirt and Long Vest in Soft White, Cashmere Gauze Stole in Ivory, Classic V in Primrose and Sasha Belted Cardi in Oyster marl

Summers actually look good in most shades of grey, but your absolute best greys will always have a slightly bluey undertone, like barbecue smoke or steel. Don't shy away from other shades though, as they will also harmonise with your palette - everything from soft light grey marl through to a grey almost as dark as charcoal. Just make sure you don't choose greys with a warm yellow or green undertone, which belong to the warm seasons.

Items shown: Cotton Jersey Shirt in Light Dove Grey, Milan Knit Crossover in Light Silver, Cotton Blazer in Grey Melange, Faux Wrap Long Sleeve in Soft Grey, Mid Cascade in Charcoal and Marie Trousers in Silver

To see neutrals for other seasons, click on the links below: