soft summer

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characteristics

Soft Autumn sits between Warm Autumn and Soft Summer on the seasonal flow. As an Autumn subtype, these individuals retain the warmth of the season but is dominantly muted. This means their colours are warm tints, which are mixed with grey to soften as well as yellow to warm. They have a neutral value but, as their hierarchical season is influenced by depth, they tend to have more depth than their Summer counterparts. This gives them a slightly higher contrast level.

CONTRAST

Though they belong to a season influenced by depth, Soft Autumn features tend to be on the lighter side. Their skin, hair and eyes are similar in value and can nearly blend. This level of contrast is reduced by their soft chroma as they generally have powdery complexions, grey pigmentation in their eyes and a glistening hair shine.

SKIN TONE

Skin is fair to tan in depth and has a neutral or yellowish undertone, like sand, which makes their veins either green or purple. These individuals look best in gold but, as they border Summer, can make use of cool metals if properly balanced with warm neutrals or accents in their clothing. They may have freckles but tend to burn before they tan. Their complexions are also powdery or matte with little to no natural shine.

EYES

We see blue, green, light hazel and brown eyes in Soft Autumn. These colours are softly greyed, which reduces the individual’s contrast level. Whilst the outer edge blurs gently into the surrounding whites giving them the soft separation synonymous with muted seasons, they may also have swirling erratic borders on the inner section and an Aztec sun shape around their pupil. Iris freckles are also common. These patterns tend to have gold etched into them, which gives them some warmth.

HAIR

Soft Autumn hair can be blonde, brunette or auburn and is typically golden or reddish in hue. These colours are likely to develop natural highlights when exposed to sunlight. As this season is influenced by depth, blondes tend to be on the darker end of the scale. However, those leaning towards Summer, may see lighter variations. Brunettes and auburns, on the other hand, are light to medium depth. Anything darker pushes the individual further into Autumn. Due to their muted chroma, Soft Autumn hair has a glistening finish. This means individual flecks reflect the light rather than one glossy strip.

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colour palette

If golden hour was a subtype, it would be Soft Autumn. This is reminiscent of the turn of Summer when we see the earth begin to relax and let go. Colours become muted and gradually get warmer as green foliage fades and crinkles into a delicate golden brown. Skies become hazy as the air cools and nuts and seeds are in abundance as we approach the harvest. We may also take influence from the soft fur of wild rabbits, squirrels and fennec foxes.

metals

Generally, Soft Autumn looks better in warm metals such as gold, bronze and brass. However, as they border Summer, they may also be able to wear cool metals if they balance this with a warm clothing colour. Metals should be brushed or hammered as polished and chrome finishes are not harmonious with their delicate appearance. Please note, this advice applies to jewellery as well as finishings and hardware such as belt buckles, zippers and fastenings.

neutrals

Whilst this season is influenced by depth, Soft Autumn has a low contrast level. This means black is too dark for them and reflects green on their skin. Instead, we see dark dusty browns and inky greens. Similarly, white is too clean and can overemphasise warm undertones making them look yellow. They need softer variations such as Irish linen. They can also wear a wide range of greys due to their dominant soft chroma.

accents

As they belong to a warm season, the Soft Autumn palette contains more reds, oranges and yellows. They border Summer though, so there are also some beautiful blues, greens and purples. However, these naturally cool colours contain a hint of yellow to give them some warmth. Generally, Soft Autumn accents are reminiscent of dried flowers. Think rose pinks, haystack golds and soft indigos.

combinations

Due to their low to moderate contrast level, Soft Autumn individuals need to combine colours which complement each other. In the first two examples, we demonstrate how light and dark neutrals are an effective pairing. Medium contrast accents using opposing hues of similar values are also suitable, as shown in the second two examples. The final two examples show how monochromatic looks can be created using different depths of one colour.

colours to borrow

Soft Autumn individuals leaning towards Warm Autumn can make use of the lighter, cooler colours on that palette. Above we have used a medium depth blue, purple and green. These are more effective on Willow as she falls on the border. Alternatively, those flowing towards Summer can use the warmer colours from that palette. Please note, the colour codes marked with an asterisk in the examples above are taken from the Warm Autumn and Soft Summer sample palettes respectively.

colours to avoid

As a muted and warm subtype, Soft Autumn’s worst colours are bright and cool, such as those seen in Bright Winter. In the colours above, we see the colour before we see Willow. This indicates that they don’t balance her image. Again, the colour codes marked with an asterisk in the examples above are taken from the Bright Winter sample palette.

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