Winter Color Palette
Cool, crisp, high-contrast colors for the three Winter types: Cool, Deep and Bright. Black, white and jewel tones, 24 shades with hex codes.
Tap a color to copy its hex
Cool Winter
Deep Winter
Bright Winter
What is the Winter color family?
Winter is the boldest of the four color families in seasonal color analysis. Its palette is a frozen night under city lights: snow white, ink black and the sharp sparkle of gemstones. People in the Winter family look best in colors that are:
- Cool, built on blue rather than yellow: icy white, blue-red, sapphire and pine green instead of cream, orange and olive.
- Clear and saturated, never dusty. Jewel tones like ruby, emerald and amethyst are the signature of the family.
- High in contrast, able to hold pure black next to pure white. Winters are the only family that wears both well.
In the 12-season system, Winter splits into three types depending on whether coolness, depth or brightness leads. Each of them sits next to another family, which is why Winters are sometimes mistaken for Summers or Autumns.
The three Winter types: Cool, Deep and Bright
All Winters share coolness and contrast. The difference is which quality comes first.
Cool Winter
Cool first, then clear
The iciest Winter. Every color has blue in it, from silver and icy blue to sapphire and blue-red. Anything golden looks off on you.
Often: Dark brown to black hair, often with an ashy cast; dark or icy-blue eyes; pink, neutral-cool or deep cool skin.
Deep Winter
Deep first, then cool
The darkest Winter. Colors are rich and dramatic, like velvet at night: midnight blue, burgundy, eggplant, ruby. Light pastels and pale neutrals make you look faded.
Often: Very dark brown or black hair, deep brown or black-brown eyes, and skin of any depth, often medium to deep.
Bright Winter
Clear first, then cool
The most electric Winter. Colors are vivid and almost neon in their clarity: hot pink, electric blue, lemon, emerald. Muted or earthy shades drain your face.
Often: Dark hair, very clear and striking eyes (bright blue, green or sparkling dark brown), and strong contrast between hair, eyes and skin.
Winter is common on deep skin with dark hair and eyes, where the natural contrast is high; many people with dark skin are Deep or Cool Winters. Our guide to dark skin tones explains how to read undertone at that depth. When you sit near an edge, a photo color analysis settles it.
Not sure which Winter you are?
Upload a selfie to our free seasonal color analysis. It reads your undertone, depth and contrast and tells you which of the 12 seasons you are, with a basic palette. It runs in your browser, so your photo never leaves your device.
Winter color palettes for each type
Eight core colors per type, each with its hex code. Black, white or a dark neutral anchors every palette; jewel tones do the rest.
Cool Winter color palette
Icy and blue-based. Pure white, black and silver are all yours.
- Pure white
#FFFFFF - Black
#000000 - Silver
#C0C0C0 - Alice blue
#F0F8FF - Sapphire
#0F52BA - Pine green
#01796F - Crimson
#DC143C - Medium violet red
#C71585
Try: Pure white with sapphire, or black with crimson. The classic Winter combinations.
Deep Winter color palette
Dark and rich. Charcoal and midnight blue are softer everyday alternatives to black.
- Ghost white
#F8F8FF - Charcoal
#36454F - Midnight blue
#191970 - Hunter green
#355E3B - Teal
#008080 - Burgundy
#800020 - Eggplant
#614051 - Ruby
#E0115F
Try: Charcoal with ruby, or midnight blue with teal. Keep at least one dark color in every outfit.
Bright Winter color palette
Vivid and clear. Use jet as your dark base and let one bright do the talking.
- Jet
#343434 - Electric blue
#7DF9FF - Lemon
#FFF700 - Hot pink
#FF69B4 - True red
#FF0000 - Amethyst
#9966CC - Emerald
#50C878 - Deep sky blue
#00BFFF
Try: Jet with hot pink, or emerald with electric blue. Two brights together work for you.
Winter is one of four families and 12 seasons. To compare it with all the others, see the seasonal color palette guide.
Colors that suit Winters, and colors to avoid
These rules hold for all three Winter types, with small differences noted.
What works
- Neutrals: black, pure white, charcoal, navy and cool grey. Deep Winters lean on charcoal; Bright Winters on jet and white.
- Metals: silver, white gold and platinum, ideally polished. Yellow gold tends to look brassy on Winters.
- Makeup: blue-red, berry, fuchsia or plum lips; cool pink blush; grey, navy or plum eye shadow and a black liner.
- Hair: natural dark brown, black and blue-black, or cool, icy tones; avoid golden highlights, copper and warm caramel.
What to avoid
- Camel
#C19A6BWarm and soft; it melts into your skin. Use charcoal or cool grey. - Rust
#B7410EEarthy orange-red fights cool skin. Use crimson or burgundy. - Mustard
#FFDB58Golden yellow makes you look sallow. Use lemon instead. - Peach
#FFE5B4Too warm and too soft. Use Alice blue or a cool pink. - Khaki
#C3B091Dusty and beige, with no contrast. Use silver or pure white. - Moss green
#8A9A5BMuted and yellowish. Use emerald or pine green.
Winter color palette FAQ
What colors are in the winter color palette?
Cool, clear, high-contrast colors: pure white, black, charcoal and silver as neutrals, plus jewel tones like sapphire, emerald, ruby and amethyst, and icy tints like Alice blue.
How do I know if I'm a Winter?
Winters usually have a cool or neutral-cool undertone and high contrast between hair, eyes and skin. Black and pure white look sharp on you rather than harsh, and silver suits you better than gold. A photo analysis can tell you which Winter you are.
What is the difference between Cool Winter and Deep Winter?
Cool Winter is led by coolness: icy, blue-based colors in every depth. Deep Winter is led by darkness: rich, deep colors like midnight blue, burgundy and eggplant, slightly closer to neutral.
Is Bright Winter the same as Bright Spring?
No. Both love vivid color, but Bright Winter is cooler, with hot pink, electric blue and true red, while Bright Spring is warmer, with coral, orange and golden yellow.
Can Winters wear black?
Yes. Winter is the only family where black sits naturally near the face. Cool and Bright Winter wear it with white or a jewel tone; Deep Winter can wear black head to toe.
Is dark skin usually a Winter?
Often, but not always. Deep skin with dark hair and eyes has high natural contrast, which suits Deep and Cool Winter. Warmer deep skin can be a Deep Autumn instead, so undertone decides.
Can I find out which Winter I am for free?
Yes. Upload a selfie to our free seasonal color analysis. It needs no email or sign-up and shows your season, including whether you are a Cool, Deep or Bright Winter, with a basic palette.
Are these hex codes exact?
Each hex is the standard value of the named color. Screens show colors differently, so use them as a guide and compare fabric in daylight.