Let’s Get Neutral, Baby
This post has been updated for 2024 to include more detailed insights and styling tips for each season’s best neutrals.
When it comes to style, neutral colors sometimes get a bad rap. Not that there is anything “bad” about neutrals, they just have a reputation of being, well, boring. The word neutral literally designates the lack of a strong opinion or characteristic. So, when we think about dressing in neutral colors, it is generally to make sure we are not making a statement of any kind. Images of board room meetings, blank canvases, and bread crust comes to mind. Not a great first impression.
Re-frame Your Brain
However, we are here to reframe the way we think about neutrals. Especially in the context of your specific season. If you are familiar with the four different seasons in color analysis, you know that they are either warm or cool and clear or muted. (If you need some visual clues, check out our Pinterest page – we have a board for each season with plenty of examples to look at.) As with any other color in your palette, wearing the correct neutral colors has a way of giving you magical powers. Your skin looks clearer, your eyes and lips look brighter, and you present an overall harmonious vibe.
The Right Neutrals are the Best Foundation
The right neutrals provide an excellent foundation for incorporating beautiful accent colors into your outfit. The colors in your palette will generally always play nicely together, but it is worth noting that some will play better together than others. With neutrals, you don’t really have to worry about this because they will play with ALL of the other colors in your palette. If you work in an environment where “neutral” clothing is expected, you can embrace your seasonal neutrals while incorporating some of your more “fun” colors in small doses for an overall look that is NOT boring.
True Navy: The Universal Neutral
True navy is one of the rare neutrals that works across all seasons. Its depth and cool undertone make it a versatile, wardrobe staple that pairs seamlessly with the colors in any palette. While true navy is universal, each season has its own variations that align with the overall tone and quality of their specific palette. For example, Spring’s navy is lighter and brighter, while Winter’s navy is bold and deep, perfectly complementing the other colors in the seasonal spectrum.
Spring: warm, splashy, bright
The Spring palette is light, clear, and warm. Therefore, the neutrals that fall into this palette don’t really have any darkness to them. You will not find black (a Winter-only color), dark blues, or dark grays. Instead, those with this season get neutrals that are bright and have a sort of airy quality to them. There is some minor crossover with some Autumn neutrals, such as camel and gingernut, as they are both warm palettes.
Springs generally shine in lighter colors like cream and honey. The navy that resonates best with this season is bright navy, as it does not bring the lightness of this palette down whatsoever.
Styling Tip: Pair warm beige trousers with a coral blouse for a look that feels polished yet lively. Light neutrals like ivory are also perfect for layering, providing balance when styled with more vibrant hues from the Spring palette. Mixing neutrals with accessories, like tan sandals or a camel belt, can tie an outfit together while keeping the overall look light and fresh.
Summer: cool, light, ethereal
The Summer palette is soft, cool, and ranges from very light to moderately dark. Generally, these colors look as though they have had their volume turned down and speak at a whisper. But, that does not make them any less powerful. Summers should opt for soft white rather than Wintery true white, as the latter would look too severe. Light to dark grays are an excellent neutral as long as it has those cool, blue undertones.
The Summer palette does contain a few brown shades like taupe and rose brown, but again, they have cool tones and an extremely soft look to them.
Styling Tip: Opt for dove grey as a foundation for casual summer looks—think a grey skirt paired with a soft blue blouse. Light navy works well as a versatile neutral, adding structure when worn as a jacket or trousers. Rose beige and soft taupe offer understated warmth that can soften the cooler, serene colors of the palette, creating a refined, cohesive look without overwhelming the overall softness of the palette.
Autumn: warm, earthy, vibrant
The Autumn palette is muted, deep, and warm. As with the Spring palette, all of the colors have a yellow undertone. But here, there is a deep quality, differing from the brightness of the Spring colors. Autumn neutrals encompass all of those rich browns that leaves take on as the temperature cools down, like copper, ganache, and rich chocolate.
Marine navy really vibes with this palette as it has a particular depth to it, like deep ocean water. Lizard gray is essentially the only gray that resonates with this season, as grays tend to have cooler qualities to them naturally. Adding in those yellow tones transforms it into an appropriate neutral for Autumns.
Styling Tip: Pair a camel trench coat with an olive sweater and rust accessories for a harmonious, grounded look. Deep browns, like chocolate or mahogany, can be used as a strong base for layering autumnal jewel tones. The key with Autumn neutrals is layering—use multiple warm-toned neutrals together to create a rich, textured outfit that feels cozy and sophisticated.
Winter: cool, brilliant, intense
The Winter palette is clear, cool, and extreme. It ranges from light and bright colors to the darkest tones of gray and black. Unlike the whispery quality of Summer, Winter colors often come off as a little intimidating. But on a Winter, they have balance and cohesion.
Grey tones from medium to dark are an excellent way to go here, as long as they are not too muted, as with Summer grays. Surprisingly, cocoa brown is a fantastic neutral for this season, as it has the coolest undertone of any brown.
Mole is more unique neutral, and honestly not seen as much in real life. But if you can find it, go for it! It is one of my personal favorites. It is a perfect balance between these Winter grays and dark browns. And as far as navy goes, opt for a deep navy that embodies the cool, deep tones of arctic winter waters.
Sidebar
Winter is the ONLY season that has black in its palette. We know that black tends to be a default choice for neutral among all seasons, but does not complement any other season the way it does with Winter. We aren’t saying you have to break up with black if you aren’t a Winter, but we would strongly encourage you to opt for your best navy or other dark neutral instead.
Styling Tip: A crisp white blouse under a charcoal blazer paired with cobalt trousers creates a sharp, polished look perfect for Winter’s high-contrast colors. Dark neutrals like navy or black work well as outerwear or basics, allowing the bright jewel tones of your wardrobe to stand out. Incorporate icy greys and crisp whites for a lighter, striking touch that contrasts beautifully with Winter’s deeper, cooler colors.
What about sub-seasons?
As you can see, each season has its own unique spin on neutral colors, and it really does make a huge difference when you wear the neutrals that love you back. These collections of neutrals are a great jumping off point, but if you’re interested in learning more about the best neutrals for your specific sub-season, we have great news for you! Flourish now has Sub-Seasonal Palette Guides available as a digital download! We discuss not only your best neutrals, but introduce you to your whole palette, best metallics, jewel and gem tones, and so much more!
Virtual Color Analysis
If you don’t yet know your season or sub-season, we also offer Virtual Color Analysis. We have taken our in-person process for Color Analysis and perfected it as a virtual offering so that you can work with us no matter where you’re located! Our process for color comparison is actually more thorough than an in-person analysis, because we have a digital swatch for every single color in our color palettes – meaning we compare between over 300 colors! We are also able to spend more time looking at these comparisons, really honing in on what colors we feel best suit each client. Additionally, your results are verified by not just one, but two color experts, as both Shelly and Audrey verify each other’s results.
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