Colour · Summer season
Soft Summer color palette.
Soft and slightly cool. Dusty, greyed colours with low contrast. Six illustrative swatches with hex codes, their measured lightness, chroma and warmth, and how Soft Summer differs from the seasons next to it.
Soft Summer swatches
| Swatch | L* | C* | b* | h° |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #9FA8B8 | 68.6 | 9.3 | -9.3 | 271 |
| #B58B97 | 62.1 | 17.8 | -0.2 | 359 |
| #8FA79C | 66.4 | 11.0 | 2.9 | 165 |
| #A89BB5 | 65.8 | 15.3 | -11.7 | 310 |
| #C7B5A6 | 74.8 | 10.7 | 10.0 | 68 |
| #6F7F91 | 52.5 | 11.8 | -11.6 | 262 |
Measured profile
| Lightness L* | 65 |
| Chroma C* | 12.6 |
| Warmth (mean b*) | -3.3 |
| Hue angle h° | 314.2 |
How Soft Summer differs from its neighbours
The three seasons whose reference points sit closest to Soft Summer in this tool's warm-cool, light-deep, soft-clear space:
- Soft Autumn (compare): warmth (b*) differs most, Soft Summer is cooler by 20.1 units.
- Cool Summer (compare): chroma (C*) differs most, Soft Summer is more muted by 14.1 units.
- Light Summer (compare): lightness (L*) differs most, Soft Summer is deeper by 18.3 units.
Compare any two seasons side by side
How the numbers are computed
- Each swatch's hex value is converted from sRGB to linear light, then to CIE XYZ under D65, then to CIELAB (L*, a*, b*).
- Average lightness is the mean L* of the six swatches (0 is black, 100 is white).
- Average chroma is the mean C* = sqrt(a*² + b*²) of the six swatches. Higher means more saturated.
- Warmth is the mean b* of the swatches: positive is toward yellow, negative toward blue. The hue angle h° is the angle of the mean (a*, b*) point.
- ΔE*ab (CIE76) is the straight-line distance between the two palettes' mean (L*, a*, b*) points.
These numbers describe TNAADO's illustrative swatches, not skin, hair or any person. Other sites draw the same season names with different colours, so their numbers would differ.
Sources
- CIELAB and its LCh form: CIE 15, Colorimetry, and ISO/CIE 11664-4:2019, Colorimetry, Part 4: CIE 1976 L*a*b* colour space.
- sRGB to XYZ: IEC 61966-2-1, Multimedia systems and equipment, Colour measurement and management, Part 2-1: sRGB, with the D65 white point (Xn 95.047, Yn 100, Zn 108.883).
- The season system itself has no scientific source. It is a stylist tradition and this tool treats it as one. The palettes are TNAADO's own illustrative values, not copied from any consultant's deck.
Cite this page: TNAADO Tools, “Soft Summer Color Palette,” tools.tnaado.ca/color/soft-summer-color-palette/. A style guide, not a validated instrument.
Soft Summer palette FAQ
What colours are in a Soft Summer palette?
In this tool, Soft Summer is shown as six illustrative swatches: #9FA8B8, #B58B97, #8FA79C, #A89BB5, #C7B5A6, #6F7F91. Soft and slightly cool. Dusty, greyed colours with low contrast. These are TNAADO's own values, and other sources draw Soft Summer with different colours.
How is Soft Summer different from Soft Autumn?
The biggest separator is warmth (b*): Soft Summer is cooler than Soft Autumn by 20.1 units. Next is chroma (C*): Soft Summer is more muted by 8.4 units. The full side-by-side is on the compare page.
Is Soft Summer also called something else?
The name Soft Summer is widely used, though some sources use different labels for neighbouring seasons. Naming is not standardised.
Do I have to wear only Soft Summer colours if I am Soft Summer?
No. A season is a style-guide suggestion, not a rule. Colours near your face matter most, so a shade outside the palette is easier to wear as trousers, shoes or a bag. Taste, occasion and what you own count for more than a label.
How do I find out if I am Soft Summer?
Hold swatches from the palette near your face in daylight, ideally next to a neighbouring season's palette, and see which looks healthier. This page cannot confirm a season; the system is a style tradition, not a measured fact.
What this is, and what it is not
This is a popular style guide, not a scientific test. No peer-reviewed research validates the 12-season system, and results vary with lighting, screens and the system used. The palettes are our own illustrative hex values and will look different on different displays. Use them as a prompt to try colours in daylight, not as a rule.