How to Shop Spring and Summer Colour Seasons in Autumn and Winter

At the time of year when the nights start to draw in, the clothes in the shops seem to turn to rust, brown and black; but your own colour season has not changed. Here is how to find cold-weather clothes in your palette and put together outfits that feel right for this time of year.

The first autumn collections arrive and suddenly everything seems to be chocolate brown, burnt orange, olive or black. Those colours can be beautiful, but if you are a Spring or Summer, it may feel as though the shops have forgotten you. Where do you find a coat in a lighter colour, a knit in a fresh Spring shade or winter layers in the softer colours of Summer? How do you embrace that cosy Autumn feel when you look your best in pastels?

Your colour season describes the colours that work with your colouring; the fashion season describes the clothes currently arriving in shops. A Spring does not have to dress as an Autumn from September onwards, and a Summer does not need to spend winter in dark charcoal. You can dress for the weather in colours that still feel like you.

Why autumn and winter shopping can feel difficult

Fashion collections often take their colour cues from the time of year. As the weather cools, richer browns, earthy greens, burgundy, charcoal and black become more prominent. You may love the shapes and fabrics of the new collections but struggle to find a colour you want to wear near your face.

The answer is not to avoid autumn and winter clothes. A cosy jumper, wool coat or pair of boots can belong in any colour season. Look beyond the familiar seasonal shorthand: burgundy is not always an Autumn colour, blue is not reserved for Summer, and a light colour can look wonderful in winter. Undertone, depth and clarity matter more than the name on the colour label. A clear cranberry and a dusty wine, for example, will behave very differently in an outfit.

How to build a cold-weather outfit in your colours

Start with one colour you know you enjoy wearing near your face, then add a neutral and a third shade that gives the outfit some interest. The fabric and styling can provide the autumn/winter feel: ribbed knitwear, brushed wool, corduroy, velvet, scarves and substantial boots all make a colour combination feel ready for colder days.

You do not need to buy an entire outfit at once. If your coat is already a useful neutral, a jumper or scarf in a better colour can make a noticeable difference. And if the only available dark trousers are slightly outside your palette, you may still prefer to wear them below the face with colours you love on top. Colour analysis is a guide for making choices, not a requirement to replace a wardrobe that already works for you.

If you're interested in how to build a successful wardrobe for your colour season, you might enjoy reading our article on Why Your Capsule Wardrobe Doesn't Mix And Match (And How To Fix It).

Here are ideas for each of the six Spring and Summer colour seasons. The colours we mention are descriptions rather than exact colour specifications, so check the item in natural light where possible: retailers often use the same name for very different colours.

Autumn and winter colour combinations for Spring palettes

Spring colours can look wonderful in cold-weather clothes. The trick is to keep their warmth and freshness, even when choosing deeper shades and heavier fabrics.

Light Spring: warm lightness with a little depth

Light Spring does not need to abandon its light colours just because the days are darker. Warm ivory, light camel and soft peach make an inviting base for wool, cashmere or quilted layers. Add a slightly deeper accent for contrast without letting the outfit become heavy.

• Warm ivory + light camel + coral: Try an ivory knit, camel coat and coral scarf. The textures make it feel wintry while the colours stay fresh.
• Peach + warm cream + soft teal: A peach jumper with cream trousers and a teal accessory brings colour to a grey day without overpowering a light palette.
• Light camel + clear turquoise + ivory: Camel gives turquoise a cosy setting; ivory keeps the whole look airy.

If a dark coat feels too dominant, try camel or a light warm neutral and carry it across several outfits. Light Spring can borrow the idea of a rich winter accent, but it usually works best in a lighter or clearer version rather than a murky wine shade.

Light Spring can stay fresh through autumn and winter with warm ivory, light blue, soft yellow, peach and gentle pink. Outfits from Nobody's Child, MuthaHood, hush, Sugarhill Brighton, Finisterre, and Never Fully Dressed.

Warm Spring: golden warmth with lively colour

Warm Spring has plenty of options beyond the rusty, muted shades commonly sold in autumn. Look for golden camel, warm cream, clear greens and energetic reds. A bright, warm burgundy or cranberry can be especially lovely for winter; choose one with a lively red quality rather than a dusty purple or brown cast.

• Golden camel + warm cranberry + cream: A camel coat over a clear cranberry knit feels festive and warm, with cream lifting the combination.
• Leaf green + tan + ivory: Try a leaf-green jumper with tan corduroy and an ivory scarf for an outdoorsy look that still has Spring clarity.
• Tomato red + warm navy + gold: Navy makes a practical darker base, while tomato red brings the outfit to life. Gold accessories echo its warmth.

This is a useful palette for anyone who enjoys an autumnal feeling but finds conventional autumn colours too subdued. Choose the clear, golden version of a shade: fresh leaf green in place of dull olive, or bright cranberry in place of muted wine.

Warm Spring’s lively greens, orange and warm tan feel right at home in autumn knitwear and winter layers. Outfits from TBCo, Kiltane, Sugarhill Brighton, Never Fully Dressed, and Nobody's Child.

Shop the Warm Spring collection →

Clear Spring: bright colour against a clean neutral

Clear Spring can feel particularly overlooked when shops fill with soft brown and muted khaki. Winter is actually a great time to wear its vivid colours: a bright knit beneath a coat, or a punchy scarf against a simple neutral, makes an outfit feel deliberate and joyful.

• Warm navy + bright aqua + ivory: A navy coat or trousers ground a vivid aqua knit; ivory keeps the contrast clean.
• Clear red + camel + warm white: A red scarf or jumper gives a camel coat energy without losing warmth.
• Bright turquoise + chocolate brown + cream: Brown can work as a supporting piece when the turquoise is clear and prominent, especially away from the face.

Look for crisp colour rather than a softened or greyed version. A vivid red or aqua is often easier to find in accessories, print or occasionwear than in a winter coat. You can also use a smaller amount of bright colour in a hat, scarf or top beneath an open jacket.

Clear Spring brings energy to colder days with vivid pink, turquoise, red, cobalt and sunny yellow in cosy knits and layers. Outfits from Passenger, Scamp & Dude, Nobody's Child, Sugarhill Brighton, and Peregrine Clothing.

Shop the Clear Spring collection →

Autumn and winter colour combinations for Summer palettes

Summer palettes can have a beautiful cold-weather mood. Think soft wool, cool berry, gentle navy, blue-grey and muted pink. The goal is to give the outfit enough seasonal richness while keeping the coolness and softness that suit your particular Summer palette.

Light Summer: cool, airy colours with winter texture

Light Summer often encounters a wall of black, deep brown and dark olive in autumn shops. Instead of trying to make those shades the foundation of every outfit, consider light grey, soft navy, pale blue and cool pink in substantial fabrics. Light colours can look especially striking on a crisp winter day.

• Pearl grey + powder blue + cool rose: A grey coat, blue knit and rose scarf make a soft, polished cold-weather outfit.
• Soft navy + icy pink + light grey: Navy provides a little depth, while the pink and grey preserve Light Summer's airy quality.
• Blue-grey + lavender + soft white: Layer a lavender knit beneath blue-grey outerwear, with a soft white scarf to brighten the face.

For evening, a gentle berry accent can add depth, but keep the rest of the outfit light enough to maintain the balance. Dark colours need not disappear; a softer navy often feels more integrated than head-to-toe black.

Pale blue, cool pink and soft grey bring Light Summer’s airy colours into autumn and winter through cosy knitwear, scarves and a light mint coat. Outfits from TBCo, Aspiga, Nobody's Child, and hush.

Cool Summer: cool colour with elegant depth

Cool Summer can embrace some of winter's more dramatic mood without moving all the way into Winter's stark contrast. Blue-based berry, cool raspberry, slate and cool navy offer depth while remaining connected to the palette.

• Cool navy + raspberry + soft white: Navy tailoring or a coat gives a dependable base; a raspberry knit makes it feel less predictable.
• Slate blue + cool berry + silver: Slate outerwear and a berry scarf create a rich, distinctly cool combination, finished with silver jewellery.
• Charcoal blue + mauve pink + light grey: This is a quieter option for work or everyday wear, with enough variation to avoid a flat dark outfit.

When shopping burgundy, look closely at its undertone. A cool, blue-based berry may be an excellent winter accent; a browned or orange-red wine will create a different effect. The colour beside your face is a useful place to be selective.

Slate grey, navy, blue, teal and cool berry create a richer cold-weather wardrobe while keeping the colours distinctly cool. Outfits from hush, Nobody's Child, Aspiga, Baukjen, TBCo, and Peregrine Clothing.

Shop the Cool Summer collection →

Soft Summer: muted colour that feels at home in winter

Soft Summer can find autumn/winter shopping promising at first, because shops often carry muted colours. The complication is that many of those muted shades are warm: camel, rust and earthy olive. Look instead for gentle coolness in smoky blue, mushroom, muted berry and soft blue-green.

• Mushroom + dusty rose + soft navy: Mushroom knitwear and a dusty rose scarf add warmth of feeling without introducing a strongly warm undertone.
• Smoky blue + muted plum + cool taupe: A soft plum accent gives winter depth while the surrounding shades stay blended.
• Soft blue-green + grey + muted berry: This creates a little colour without the sharp contrast that can overwhelm a softer palette.

Choose colours that look gently blended rather than bright and separate. If a burgundy seems too dark or intense, a muted berry, rosewood or soft plum may give you the same cosy effect in a more wearable form.

Dusty rose, smoky blue, plum and soft teal give winter layers depth without losing Soft Summer’s gentle, blended feel. Outfits from Finisterre, Seasalt, hush, and Nobody's Child.

Shop the Soft Summer collection →

Where to look when the new collections favour other colours

Shopping by colour season can take patience if you browse one retailer's autumn edit and hope it contains everything. Check across brands, look at knitwear and accessories as well as coats, and revisit a colour you love in different fabrics. A fresh blue that feels summery in linen can feel entirely different in a chunky winter knit.

Shopping brand by brand can be time-consuming and frustrating. This is why we created Shop My Palette. We bring together clothing from different brands and organise it by the twelve colour seasons, so you can look for pieces in your colours throughout the year. You can browse your own season's collection instead of working through every rust jumper or black coat on a retailer's site.

If you have a Spring palette, we often find the most promising pieces at Never Fully Dressed, Scamp & Dude and Sugarhill Brighton. Their colourful prints and knitwear can bring some welcome brightness to an autumn/winter wardrobe. Look for the particular qualities of your Spring season: lighter and gentler colour for Light Spring, golden warmth for Warm Spring, or crisp, vivid contrast for Clear Spring. A cheerful print or colourful jumper can make familiar jeans and a practical coat feel much more like you.

For Summer palettes, we regularly look at Seasalt, Nobody’s Child, hush and Aspiga. Between them, we find softer blues, pinks, berries, teals and gentle neutrals that can feel especially lovely in winter fabrics. Light Summer might look for pale blue or cool pink knitwear; Cool Summer can explore blue-based berry and slate; Soft Summer may find smoky blues, muted rose and softened teal. As ever, it is worth checking the individual shade rather than assuming every piece from a favourite brand will suit your palette.

If you're interested in which brands work best for each of the 12 colour seasons, you might enjoy reading our guide to the Best Clothing Brands for Each Colour Season.

Your palette belongs to you all year

Autumn and winter dressing can still mean warm layers, practical coats and rich-looking outfits. The colour combination simply starts with your Spring or Summer palette. A coral scarf against camel, a cool berry jumper beneath navy or a soft blue coat over grey can look every bit as appropriate for the colder months as the familiar rust and black on the rails.

Choose a combination you would genuinely enjoy wearing, then look for one piece that helps you build it from what you already own.

Shop your colour season

Explore clothing chosen for your palette, whatever the time of year.

Light Spring Warm Spring Clear Spring Light Summer Cool Summer Soft Summer Soft Autumn Warm Autumn Deep Autumn Deep Winter Cool Winter Clear Winter