Colour combinations
What colours go with black
This is your palette
Black goes with nearly everything – but it does not suit every face. In our palettes, pure black near the face belongs to the three Winters: Bright Winter, True Winter and Deep Winter. Their colouring has enough contrast to hold it, and black makes their eyes and skin look clearer. The other nine palettes keep true black away from the face and have a dark of their own instead: dark chocolate and espresso for the Springs, soft charcoal and slate for the Summers, dark cocoa and bronze-brown for the Autumns. Black still works for them lower down – trousers, a skirt, shoes. Below, the Winters’ black and what to wear with it.
The palettes that carry it, and what to wear it with
Bright Winter
Your versionTrue Black
Wear it with
- Optic White
- Clear Cerulean
- Royal Blue
- True Violet
True Winter
Your versionJet Black
Wear it with
- Pure White
- True Blue
- Cool Cobalt
- Royal Purple
Deep Winter
Your versionNight Black
Wear it with
- Winter White
- Deep Sapphire
- Emerald
- Burgundy Wine
Harder near the face for
For these palettes it fights the face. Lower down, or as a small accent, it can still work.
Pieces in these colours
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TrousersTrue BlackAmazon ↗
TrousersNight BlackAmazon ↗
ShirtClear CeruleanAmazon ↗
DressRoyal BlueAmazon ↗
ScarfTrue VioletAmazon ↗
ShirtTrue BlueAmazon ↗The photo shows the colour and the cut, not the product the search finds.
Tips
- Black and white is the sharpest pair there is, and it is the Winters’ own: optic white for Bright and True Winter, a clean winter white for Deep Winter. If your palette is softer, swap the white for ivory or cream and keep the black for trousers or a skirt.
- Black makes a jewel colour glow. True Winter wears it with cherry red, cobalt or royal purple; Bright Winter with hot cerise, vivid turquoise or emerald; Deep Winter with sapphire, burgundy wine or emerald.
- For a quieter look, pair black with cool grey, steel or silver. Black, grey and a white shirt make an easy everyday outfit, and silver jewellery finishes it better than gold.
- Black with camel or warm beige is a classic, but the warm half belongs to the warm palettes. If camel is yours, wear it near the face and put the black lower down: black trousers under a camel coat, not a black polo neck.
- Not sure black is yours? In daylight, hold something black and then something charcoal or dark brown under your chin. If black casts shadows under your eyes or makes your skin look grey, your dark is the other one.
- If black is hard near your face, keep it for trousers, skirts, shoes and bags, open the neckline, or wear your palette’s own dark on top: charcoal, navy, dark chocolate or espresso.
How to find your palette
Colour analysis reads three things in your colouring: warm or cool, light or deep, clear or soft. The quiz asks about your eyes, hair and skin, looked at in a mirror by a window in daylight. It never photographs or scans your face, and the palette it finds is yours to keep.