Spring vs Summer
Light Spring vs Light Summer
Light Spring is warm; Light Summer is cool. Both are pale, both are low contrast, and both are overwhelmed by dark colors. Undertone is the only real difference, and it is the cleanest teaching example in the whole system.
Still not sure?
Run the analysis — it names both when two seasons are close.
Runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
Side by side
| Light Spring | Light Summer | |
|---|---|---|
| Undertone | warm | cool |
| Value | light | light |
| Chroma | clear | soft |
| Contrast | low | low |
| Metal | yellow gold, rose gold | silver, rose gold |
Why these two get confused
If you want to understand what undertone actually means, this is the pair to study, because everything else is held constant. Both seasons are light. Both have low contrast. Both look wrong in black and in heavy dark neutrals. Both suit pastels.
The pastels are where they part. Light Spring's are warm and clear — peach, buttercream, warm aqua. Light Summer's are cool and slightly softened — powder blue, soft rose, lilac. Put a peach next to a soft rose and the difference in temperature is visible even without a face in the frame.
The other split is clarity. Light Spring's colors are clear; Light Summer's have a little grey. So a dusty pastel that flatters a Light Summer will look faintly faded on a Light Spring, and a clear pastel that flatters a Light Spring can look slightly synthetic on a Light Summer.
The test that settles it
Gold against silver, at the jaw, in daylight. Light Spring looks warmer and healthier in gold. Light Summer looks cleaner in silver. This is a clearer read here than in most pairs, because there is no depth or chroma noise to confuse it.
Then the pastel test. Cool powder blue against warm peach. Watch the skin, not the fabric. One will even out your complexion; the other will bring out redness.
Both seasons should fail the black test, and if black actually suits you, neither of these is your season — look at the deeper end of the system instead.
Full palettes: Light Spring · Light Summer