Soft Summer Color Palette for Men: A Guide

Welcome back to my blog! Today we’re continuing my 12 Seasonal Color Palettes series for men and diving into the Soft Summer color palette.

Understanding Soft Summer vs. Adjacent Seasons

Before we begin, let’s briefly compare Soft Summer with its adjacent seasons. If you need more background on seasonal color analysis, I’ve linked relevant videos in the description.

• True Summer is cooler and crisper, while Soft Summer is more muted.
• Soft Autumn shares a muted quality with Soft Summer, but Soft Summer is cooler since Summer is a cool season, whereas Autumn is a warm season.

It’s important to remember that even within a sub-season, there’s a spectrum, and color should be assessed on a personal level.

The Soft Summer Man: Features and Characteristics

The Soft Summer man has a gentle contrast level and a soft, ashy quality in his hair, skin, and eyes. Imagine using a contrast filter in a photo editing app and turning it down—it creates that muted, harmonious look.

Undertones and Secondary Traits

• Soft Summers lean cool and typically have neutral to neutral-cool skin tones.
• Their ashy undertones can appear rosy beige or blue.
• Their cool undertones are often more noticeable when they are not tanned.

Soft Summer Color Palette

This generic Soft Summer palette is based on the overall concept of Soft Summer, not an individual’s personal variations.

• Muted and moderate in value, with lighter and darker shades.
• Dominated by cool colors such as blues, pinks, grays, and soft yellows.

Celebrity Examples of Soft Summer Men

Wentworth Miller

His hazy, misty beauty is enhanced by dusty, stormy cool colors, which blend seamlessly with his features. However, dark brown and bright colors (like vivid greens and yellows) look separate and harsh against his complexion.

Rami Malek

Rami is a great example of a cooler olive skin tone, which can be tricky to assess because it reflects surrounding colors—similar to how blue eyes change shades.

• Muted, cool colors suit him best.
• Warm olive green and rich browns appear disconnected from his skin tone.

Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe’s creamy Soft Summer appearance is complemented by dusty colors.

• Dark, heavy blues overwhelm his features.
• Coral and peach tones clash, making his skin look blotchy.

Patrick Dempsey

Patrick’s dreamy look is enhanced by muted cool tones, especially blue and gray.

• Bright yellow and black are too overpowering for him.
• While Soft Summers can wear black better than Autumns, it should be kept lower on the body and away from the face.

Soft Summer Styling Tips

1. Choosing the Right Gray: If a gray looks too cool, opt for a slightly warmer tone.
2. Incorporate Texture: Ribbed or textured fabrics can add depth and soften overly cool tones.
3. Multi-Tone Shirts: Keep the better color closer to your face, especially if one of the colors is black.
4. Wearing Black: While Soft Summers can handle black better than Autumns, avoid wearing it too close to the neck.

Conclusion

That’s it for today’s guide on Soft Summer for men! In the next post, we’ll explore True Summer. If you need personalized styling or color analysis, don’t forget to check out my services.

See you next time!