Color Palette
Seasonal color wheel chart
See all four seasonal color palettes on one chart. Compare Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn swatches by temperature and intensity.
Quick Answer
The seasonal color wheel organizes all four palettes by temperature and intensity, showing how Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn colors relate to each other.
Seasonal color analysis divides every wearable hue into four palettes based on two axes: temperature (warm vs cool) and intensity (clear vs muted). The result is a color wheel where each season occupies its own quadrant.
Below you can see all four palettes with their full swatch sets, then compare how temperature and clarity create the differences between them.
Winter palette
Cool and vivid. Winter colors are the most saturated of the cool seasons, with high contrast between darks and lights. Think jewel tones, icy pastels, and true black and white.
Winter colors
Spring palette
Warm and clear. Spring colors glow with golden warmth and minimal grey. They are fresh, bright, and energetic, from coral and turquoise to canary yellow and leaf green.
Spring colors
Summer palette
Cool and muted. Summer colors are softened versions of Winter, with a dusty or powdery quality. Powder blue, lavender, rose, and soft navy define this gentle palette.
Summer colors
Autumn palette
Warm and rich. Autumn colors carry earthy depth with golden and bronze undertones. Olive, terracotta, saffron, and forest green create a grounded, natural palette.
Autumn colors
How the seasons differ
Temperature divides the wheel in half. Winter and Summer are cool (blue-based), while Spring and Autumn are warm (yellow-based). This is the most fundamental split and usually maps to your skin undertone.
Intensity divides the wheel the other way. Winter and Spring are clear and saturated, while Summer and Autumn are muted and softened. This is why a cool-toned person can be either Winter or Summer depending on whether vivid or dusty colors look better.
Colors that sit on the border between two seasons can sometimes work for both. For example, raspberry appears in both Winter and Summer palettes, but the Winter version is brighter while the Summer version has more grey.
Finding your quadrant means answering two questions: does your coloring harmonize with warm or cool shades, and does it look better in clear or muted versions? Those two answers point to your season.
Frequently asked questions
Which season has the most colors?
All four seasons have roughly the same number of colors. The difference is in temperature and saturation, not in the total count of usable shades.
Do all seasons share any colors?
A few colors appear in similar forms across two seasons, like raspberry in Winter and Summer, or geranium in Spring and Autumn. However, the exact shade usually differs in warmth or clarity.
How do I know which palette is mine?
Start by determining your undertone (warm or cool), then test whether vivid or muted versions of those colors flatter you more. Season Approved can help with a guided analysis.
Can colors appear in multiple seasons?
Some color names overlap, but the specific hex values differ. A Summer blue has more grey than a Winter blue, and an Autumn coral is warmer than a Spring coral.
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Last updated February 18, 2026