Colour Analysis
The key to confidence, vibrancy, and a wardrobe you love that works for you.
What is Colour Analysis?
Colour analysis is the process of identifying your personal colour palette, based on the unique combination of your skin tone, hair, and eye colour. Colour analysis is not about trends or fashion, although it can help you access both in the best way for you. Instead, it is about discovering the colours that naturally highlight your best features and brighten your complexion.
History of Colour Analysis
Colour theory – the foundation of colour analysis – has been around for over 200 years, first explored by portrait artists seeking harmony with natural skintones. Modern colour analysis grew through the 20th century, reaching new popularity in the 1980s and again in the 2020s.
The Kettlewell Colour System builds on over 20 years of expertise, designed for real life and inclusive of every ethnicity and background – bridging the gaps left by earlier systems.
The Kettlewell Colour System: How It Works
Our analysis system is based on the four seasonal palettes: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. These are further refined into 16 possible sub-types to reflect the scope of human individuality. Classifying into sub-palettes such as ‘Soft Autumn’ or ‘Clear Winter’ allows for greater accuracy and personalisation.
Colour Theory: The Logic Behind Colour Analysis
At Kettlewell, colour theory is the backbone of the analysis process. Understanding just a few essential principles makes it easy to see why certain colours feel harmonious and others distracting. Every colour can be described by three features, and their interaction forms the basis of the seasonal palettes: hue, value, and chroma.
The three elements - hue, value and chroma - are at the heart of Kettlewell’s colour analysis system, and can be described very simply as three colour pairings:
Warm & Cool | Light & Dark | Clear & Soft
Each of the four seasonal palettes has one characteristic from each pair, so three characteristics describe a season:
Spring – Warm, Light, Clear | Summer – Cool, Light, Soft | Autumn – Warm, Deep, Soft | Winter – Cool, Deep, Clear
When performing a colour analysis, the goal is simply to identify the set of characteristics which matches your natural colouring. This is done by draping comparative colours and seeing which one best highlights your natural colouring and features, making you look younger, fresher, clearer skinned, more confident, and more vibrant.
Hue
Hue means the basic colour itself - red, blue, green etc. This seems simple, but each hue also has a temperature which refers to how warm or cool the colour appears. A warmer colour appears more yellow and sunlit, while a cooler hue has a fresh, crisp feel.
Value
Value describes how light or dark a colour is, and can also be called depth. The addition of white to a hue makes a colour lighter and is described as a tint. Adding black makes the hue darker and deeper, and is referred to as a shade.
Chroma
Chroma, or clarity, refers to how clear, pure or bright a colour is. When both black and white are added to a colour, the effect is to add grey, which softens a colour. This is referred to as a tone, and chroma refers to how much grey is present in a colour.
The Sub-Seasons
Once the basic season is established, further drapings are used to identify the sub-season.
Spring & its Sub-Seasons
The three characteristics of the Spring palette are that it is warm, light, and bright. Think of the time of year – new leaves, bright sunlight, and fresh flowers. Springs shine in clear, lively shades that make their skin glow and their eyes sparkle.
Within the palette sit the four Spring sub-seasons:
True Spring
An equal balance between lightness, warmth, and clarity—most of the Spring colours work perfectly.
Light Spring
Lightness is predominant, with clarity and warmth still present, and often shares overlapping colours with Light Summer
Warm Spring
Warmth is most pronounced, with clarity and lightness also present. Think clear, golden hues that often meld with Warm Autumn’s.
Clear Spring
Clarity dominates, although lightness and warmth still matter. Bold, fresh colours that lean towards the vibrant Clear Winter palette.
Summer & its Sub-Seasons
The Summer palette blends three characteristics – cool, light and soft. Blended tones of hydrangeas, sea mist and delphinium blue build into this harmonious, timeless palette.
Within the palette sit the four Summer sub-seasons:
True Summer
An equal blend of lightness, coolness, and softness makes nearly every Summer shade just right.
Light Summer
Lightness is most important, with coolness and softness still present. Colours often lean into the Light Spring palette
Cool Summer
Coolness leads, with softness and lightness taking a back seat. Colours always have a blue tone, and often increase in intensity as they blend into Cool Winter.
Soft Summer
Softness dominates, although the light and cool characteristics still matter. A lower contrast look with multiple blended, greyed tones, leaning towards Soft Autumn
Autumn & its Sub-Seasons
The three characteristics of the Autumn palette are that it is deep, warm, and soft —think autumn leaves, woodland berries, and spiced pumpkin. Autumns glow in rich, muted, and golden-based shades.
Within the palette sit the four Autumn sub-seasons:
True Autumn
Depth, softness, and warmth sit perfectly in balance—most Autumn colours look natural and harmonious.
Deep Autumn
Lightness is predominant, with clarity and warmth still present, and often shares overlapping colours with Light Summer
Warm Autumn
Warmth is most pronounced, with clarity and lightness also present. Think clear, golden hues that often meld with Warm Autumn’s.
Soft Autumn
Clarity dominates, although lightness and warmth still matter. Bold, fresh colours that lean towards the vibrant Clear Winter palette.
Winter & its Sub-Seasons
The three key components of the Winter palette is that it is cool, clear and deep. Jewel tones, icy brights and the deepest inky depths bring those in this bold, high contrast season to life.
Winter’s sub-seasons:
True Winter
A perfect balance of depth, coolness, and clarity—classically crisp Winter shades shine here.
Deep Winter
The deepest colours dominate, with coolness and clarity stepping back a little, and plenty of crossover with Deep Autumn.
Cool Winter
Cool blue-tones take the lead over clarity and depth. High contrast, and icy crisp tones bring this palette close to Cool Summer.
Clear Winter
Clarity dominates over coolness or depth in this vivid, dramatic sub-type which shares both characteristics and colours with Clear Spring.
Kettlewell | The Colour Experts
Experts in colour analysis, style analysis and seasonally colour coded clothes.
The Colour Blog
Discover a more colourful way to dress with the Kettlewell Colours blog - your go-to destination for inspiration, expert guidance, and feel-good style advice that truly works for you.
Find Your Colours
Ever wondered why some colours make you glow while others fall flat? Our Colour Quiz is the easiest way to discover the shades that truly suit you.
Start your colour journey today and see how the right shades can make all the difference.
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It’s quick and easy to book your personal colour analysis. Wherever you are on your colour journey, friendly support and expert advice await, along with the right clothes to bring your dream wardrobe to life.