I'm a Summer - now what?!

Congratulations on your beautiful soft, cool toned colour palette! Here's everything you need to know in order to get started on your colour journey, in seven easy to manage steps.

1 Explain my palette, please!

Your analyst likely gave you some information about your palette, but much of it can get forgotten in the excitement of discovering your palette for the first time.

The Summer palette is cool (which means every colour has a blue undertone to it), soft (all of the colours are muted to a degree with the addition of grey - some are noticeably soft and smokey, others are rich and deep with only a hint of that muted finish), and vary from very light (your version of White is a soft chalky shade) to moderately deep and dark (Soft Navy, Charcoal and Burgundy all feature).

At first glance, Summer can feel like it's made up almost entirely of just three colours - pink, blue and grey - but a little more inspection shows that not only do you have an enormous range within those shades - everything from Ice Blue to deepest Navy, for example - but you also have Cherry Reds, Primrose Yellow, Jade and Sea Greens to play with.

Whichever colours your choose from your palette, the cool, soft Summer colours will give you that smokey, timeless glow that epitomises Summers at their best.

2 Add a splash

A 'splash' makes us think bold and bright, but stick to your Summer colours and you won't go wrong. This is always the easiest starting point when it comes to adding colour. Try a Florence Infinity Scarf or a simple tee to bring a dose of one of your new wow colours to your outfit. Don't worry too much if the rest of the outfit isn't perfect - now is the time to start getting those compliments in as you get some of your best colours up near your face.

3 I'm ready for more

Wearing Summer colours top to toe isn't as scary as it is with some of the other palettes - denim blue sits perfectly within your palette, after all! - but start gently if the palette marks a significant change to the colours you were wearing previously. Opt for tonal looks, with a few versions of the same colour (for instance, denim, Navy and Sky Blue) with a dash or two of another colour in layers or accessories. Summers generally look amazing with four or more colours from their palette in any one outfit, creating a blended, tonal look.

4 What about prints?

Prints have the advantage of feeling less intimidating than big solid blocks of bright colour, and can also help you play with more unexpected colours without needing to commit to a whole piece in that colour.

Our prints are carefully chosen so that the entire print suits your personal colour palette, making prints totally effortless. But if you're shopping elsewhere use the 50%/75% rule of thumb - if 50% of the pattern is in your colour, it will be wearable and tie in with your colouring and outfit, while if it's 75% or more, the 'wrong' colours will virtually disappear and you'll look and feel amazing.

It's always going to be good to avoid your most jarring colours though - black, really vibrant golden yellows and sludge greens will make you look sallow, whereas a splash of a stronger red or pale peach isn't going to detract from a great print.

4 Can I play with bold colours too?

Short answer: yes!

If you feel at your best with contrast and a bolder colour scheme, don't be afraid of it simply because of your Summer diagnosis. If your style personality is one of those that suits colour blocks and more brightness, wearing colours in a bolder way will make you feel amazing.

Try out a 'bright season' (Winter and Spring) way of wearing colours; start with a dark neutral, a light neutral and a colour pop in one of your stronger colours, like Cherry Red. Or try colour blocking with two bright shades and let your neutral exist only in accessories or outer layers.

6 What can I do with all my non-Summer colours?

It can feel underwhelming still having to wear your 'wrong' colours while you gradually swap your wardrobe over to sit entirely within your palette. While you make the transition, try adding a colour from the Summer palette to any outfit that feels flat and drab - even better if you can add that colour near your face to reflect that soft Summer glow onto you.

Focus on gradually replacing items in your wardrobe with ones in your best colours - donate or sell anything that's being replaced before its lifespan is up. The best way to do this is to separate your wardrobe into the right and wrong colours, and simply promise yourself that from now on, you will only add to the 'right' side.

Focus on switching the colours which go under your chin first - scarves, tees, vests, knitwear - then the classic pieces that you wear time after time, then expand outwards from there. Don't forget that it will make mixing and matching your clothes easier if eventually even your shoes sit within your colour palette!

7 Will my colours suit my style?

It's important, once you've had your colours done, not to get so fixated on the colour of a garment that you forget to look beyond that. Does it fit well? Does it reflect your unique personal style? Don't compromise these things in your excitement at finally finding something in the elusive shade of Cornflower you've been hunting for, or you'll simply end up with a new variety of expensive mistake in your wardrobe. The aim of colour analysis is to add the power of colour into your own unique personal style, not turn you into a colour clone!

Don't forget, if you're feeling a little lost with style, our Personal Style Quiz will set you off on the right foot.

To see the other seasons, use the links below: