Soft Summer outfits

How to combine soft summer shades

Contrast means the gap between the lightest and darkest colors you have on. Since your own coloring is low in contrast, outfits flatter you most when the depths of your colors stay near each other. A sage sweater with light denim jeans shows this well, since neither item overpowers the other.

A neutral works as a quiet foundation that mixes with nearly everything else you own. Pewter is the strongest one for you. Alongside it, Stone, Mushroom, Slate and Deep Slate, plus Pale Khaki and Blue Grey, work as easy bases for any trousers, coats or cardigans you choose.

An accent is any deeper, richer shade you use sparingly. Soft Wine, Dusty Plum, Teal and Soft Sapphire are some of yours. They shine as a dress for a night out, or as the single piece that lifts a quiet look.

Everyday muted summer looks

People sometimes call this season Muted Summer: the two names mean the same thing. These 5 everyday outfits stick to your palette colors only:

• Office day: soft rose blouse under a mushroom cardigan, worn with deep slate trousers
• Casual weekend: sage sweater, light denim jeans and stone sneakers
• Dinner out: soft wine wrap dress, pewter heels and a dusty rose clutch
• Summer day: soft teal linen shirt over pale khaki shorts, plus a soft powder blue tote
• Cozy layers: blue grey wool coat over a soft mauve knit top and denim jeans

The same idea runs through all of them. A neutral sits at the base, a main color lands near your face, and an accent appears now and then. Shades like Dusty Rose and Sage belong close to your face because they leave your skin looking smooth and well rested.

Building a soft summer capsule

A capsule means a small set of pieces that all work together, letting you build lots of outfits from a few items. This core list is built from named colors in your palette:

• Trousers in Deep Slate, plus jeans in Light Denim
• A Mushroom cardigan and a Blue Grey wool coat
• A Soft Rose blouse and a Sage sweater
• A Soft Teal linen shirt and Pale Khaki shorts
• A Soft Mauve knit top
• A Soft Wine wrap dress
• Stone sneakers and Pewter heels

Any top here pairs with any bottom, since the bottoms are all quiet neutrals and denim. When you're shopping, it pays to have the 60 named shades of the Soft Summer palette on hand, and the PNG card is free to download.

Prints and patterns

Patterns suit you when their colors sit near each other in depth, much like your palette shades do. A print blending Dusty Lilac and Soft Powder Blue with Pale Peacock holds onto that soft feeling. Bold patterns that place very dark shades next to very bright ones create the sort of contrast your coloring lacks.

Shoes, bags and metals

Pewter, Mushroom, Stone or Rose Brown shoes and bags melt into the rest of what you wear. Carrying a Dusty Rose clutch, or a tote in Soft Powder Blue, brings in a touch of color without dominating.

Jewelry in brushed silver and pewter sits well against your skin. Yellow gold has a way of turning brassy against your skin, which makes silver tones the safer pick for watches, belts and bag hardware.

Keeping clothes in skip colors

Skip-color clothes don't have to leave your closet. Neon brights overpower you, so the shirt gets noticed before your face, and warm orange plus bright yellow can leave your skin looking sallow. You'll mostly notice these issues when the color rests near your face.

So a skirt in true red or trousers in bright kelly green is fine, as long as a palette color sits on top. If the top or dress itself is in a skip color, wrap a Soft Mauve or Dusty Teal scarf at your neck so the kinder shade sits right against your skin.