Self Care: The 1980s season palette is back — but the rules have changed

I recently reunited with my friend Lori who, unlike nearly everyone else I know trying to hide their greys, was wearing her hair a few shades darker than usual. There wasn’t a speck of black in her outfit either. What’s more, she was wearing mauve. Something was definitely up.

Sign In or Create an Account

“I got my colours done,” she announced, like we were back in the 1980s.

If you were around then, you may remember the fad. You could take a course, buy the Color Me Beautiful book or visit a consultant who would drape you in fabric swatches and declare you a Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter.

The idea was simple. Certain colours were supposedly better suited to your natural colouring. Once you knew your season, shopping became more precise.

Fast-forward 40 years and the idea is still around. The system, however, has been revamped.

Your season has become more specific

The biggest change is the original four-season system has expanded into sub-season categories, such as Soft Summer, Deep Autumn and Bright Spring.

Francesca Cairns, a colour analysis expert with nearly half a million followers on Instagram uses a 12-season system that considers undertone, value and chroma.

This means whether your skin leans warm, cool or neutral, whether your overall colouring is light or deep and whether you suit brighter or softer shades. Instead of simply being told you’re a Winter, for example, you could be a Bright Winter, True Winter or Deep Winter.

The modern approach also puts less emphasis on ethnicity or how light or dark someone’s skin is.

“Today we look at actual undertone, contrast and how colours interact with the skin, not ethnicity or depth of skin,” Cairns says.

Colour analysis has gone digital

The fabric swatches haven’t disappeared, but you don’t necessarily need to sit under a ring light while someone holds 47 scarves against your face.

Cairns does much of her work online. Clients send photos taken in natural daylight, which she uses to assess skin tone, undertone and overall contrast before determining which palettes make the complexion look clearer and features brighter.

In-person draping has advantages, she says, but the quality of the analysis depends on the stylist rather than if the consultation happens in a studio or online.

Your season can change with you

Seasons aren’t necessarily forever, though. Take my sister. With dark brown hair and eyes, she was classified as a Winter during a colour analysis course in the 1980s. Nowadays her hair is considerable lighter, threaded with grey.

“I was a Winter, but I think now I’m more of a Summer,” she says. “I can’t carry those vivid colours so much anymore.”

The undertone generally stays the same, Cairns says, but hair that has gone grey or lighter, along with changes in skin, can affect which shades are most flattering.

“Someone analyzed as a Winter in the ‘80s may still be in the Winter family, but a softer or slightly different sub-season can work better once the hair lightens and greys,” notes Cairns.

Getting dressed becomes easier

The practical appeal of a colour analysis isn’t about building a wardrobe where every garment has been approved. It’s about feeling in control.

“It takes the guesswork out of dressing. The right colours make you look more radiant, hide tiredness and make shopping simpler and cheaper because you only buy what actually works. Most people feel more confident and put together once they know what truly suits them,” says Cairns.

Instead of feeling restricted by her prescribed colour palette, my friend Lori of the mauve outfit (which did look fantastic on her) has found a greater sense of ease when putting outfits together.

“I never thought I could wear certain colours, like yellow,” she says. “Instead of feeling confined by my palette, it opened up new options. It’s a cheat code for easier dressing, feeling more put together and not overwhelmed.”

After all, the goal isn’t to have people notice your outfit. It’s to have them notice you.

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.