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Chloe Loung

Colour analysis has won fans from across diverse cultures looking to optimise their complexion.
The system, which typically involves draping fabric of different hues across your chest, determines which shades of clothing, make-up, jewellery and hair colour best complement a person’s natural skin, hair and eye tones, matching people to a core season: spring, summer, autumn or winter.
Colour analysis has gained popularity – especially in South Korea in recent years – because it simplifies shopping by immediately eliminating unflattering shades, making building cohesive capsule wardrobes seemingly effortless.
“Many people are overwhelmed by shopping options and want to find boundaries or guidelines for what they buy,” says Sera Murphy, a Singapore-based personal fashion stylist and founder of The Reoutfitter, a wardrobe consulting and e-commerce platform, in an email. “With so much choice out there, it was only a matter of time before consumers wanted to shop for things that work for them on a personal level.”

The limitations of colour analysis
But although the goal of colour analysis is not to restrict what you wear, that is what often happens.
“I don’t practise it because I don’t believe in it,” says Samuel Gilzean, a Hong Kong-based personal stylist for men. “People can wear almost any colour they want, within reason and situation. Limiting people to certain colours – I think it’s very restrictive.”
Gilzean acknowledges that the trend’s popularity is not without reason. With endless shopping options and algorithmic recommendations, seasonal colour analysis offers clear, digestible boundaries.
“A lot of people don’t understand colour and how colours work together, so they’re looking for advice,” Gilzean says. “It sounds very scientific as well – an ‘analysis’ by an ‘analyst’ – so they must know what they’re talking about.”

Murphy, who also avoids rigid colour systems, notes that clients who had previously undergone colour analysis found it had either not worked at all, or they had adhered to it so rigidly that their wardrobes became stale.
“By wearing the same colour tones for years, their wardrobes can feel stale and lack options of ‘newness’,” Murphy says.
“They end up feeling like they can’t shop or can never find anything that ‘flatters’ them, when in reality they just need to change what colours and cuts they are restricting themselves to.”
She also pointed out the practical disconnect: fashion brands do not design collections around your season.
“Fashion designers aren’t thinking about whether the colour of a garment is flattering to a certain skin tone,” she says. “They are designing based on the story they want to tell.”
For Gilzean, a wardrobe stocked entirely with bright colours is just as impractical as one filled with nothing but dark shades.
“It’s unreasonable,” he says, because neither extreme offers the flexibility required for everyday dressing.
A wardrobe of only bold hues makes it difficult to build cohesive outfits without clashing, while one of only dark tones leaves no room for personality or visual interest. The solution, Gilzean says, lies in balance: grounding bright pieces with neutrals and injecting occasional accents into darker palettes, so that every item has a role to play.
The colour pyramid
So what replaces the seasons? Gilzean advocates a different approach: the colour pyramid.
The colour pyramid is a proportional system with three tiers that work with anyone at any time.

At the base – comprising roughly 40 to 50 per cent of a wardrobe – are core colours: black, navy, olive green, khaki, brown, off-white and white. These are earthy, versatile shades that mix effortlessly.
“If you want a professional vibe, go for dark navy,” Gilzean says. “If you want to be relaxed and summery, go for beige or off-white.”
The middle tier – about 35 per cent – is for tonal and seasonal colours: light blues, pastel pinks, heather greys and mustard yellows. These add flavour while still pairing well with the core base.
At the top – around 15 to 20 per cent – are pop colours, prints and patterns: tropical prints, stripes, bold reds and oranges. These are the statement pieces.
“They’re harder to mix and match,” Gilzean says. “If you have too many in one outfit, it can look messy.”
For him, the question is never “does this colour suit my skin?” but rather “what vibe do I want to give off?”
He points to Pierce Brosnan and Hyun Bin: different complexions, similar colour choices.
“They’re not choosing based on being white or Asian,” he says. “They’re choosing based on the vibe – white and blue for summer, brown for warm and approachable, black for impact.”
Murphy similarly encourages clients to treat colour as one tool among many.
“If a person’s outfit fits them well – the cut, the drape, the construction – and is comfortable and represents who they are, all of those can ‘flatter’ someone in ways that are deeper than the surface,” she says.
She also challenges the notion that “allowed colours” build confidence: “Changing clients’ mindsets out of their ‘allowed colours’ can free up so many more options.”

One of Gilzean’s key principles is that bold accents are not reserved for “winters”, referencing a client he styled in a burnt orange suit – a colour that would never appear on a muted seasonal palette.
“I knew he could pull it off,” he says. “He had the personality and confidence.”
What about someone who lacks that confidence? The pyramid offers a gradual on-ramp.
“You build the outfit through core colours,” Gilzean says. “Then you do the swap trick: swap a white shirt for a patterned one, or navy trousers for pastel pink. It teaches people how colours work together, rather than just saying, ‘Here are your colours’.”
Getting started
For anyone ready to abandon the seasons system, Gilzean’s first step is counterintuitive: don’t buy anything.
“You can’t fix style issues just by buying more clothes,” he says. “That complicates the problem.”
Instead, lay out your entire wardrobe. Identify the pieces in core colours. If you lack them, plug the gaps. And crucially, let go of items you do not actually like.
“If a client doesn’t like black, I say: fine. There are plenty of other core colours,” Gilzean says.
For Hong Kong’s humid climate, he recommends prioritising core colours that stay cool – khaki, beige, white and warm browns – and avoiding dark “heatsinks” like heavy navy and black in the summer. Fabrics matter too: linen over cotton for moisture-wicking.
The rise of colour analysis reflects a genuine desire for guidance. But both Gilzean and Murphy argue that the answer is not a rigid palette. It is understanding proportion, texture and – above all – your own preferences.
“I tell my customers: if you like a colour, you like a colour,” Gilzean says. “We’ll incorporate it. If they don’t like a colour, even if it’s a core colour, we won’t wear it.”
Murphy adds: “Dressing one’s body goes way beyond what the colour of the garments is. It’s much deeper – dressing in a way that answers the question: ‘Is this me? Do I like the garment and how it represents me in the world?’”
Gilzean thinks people worry too much about what colours work best for them.
“All this colour analysing, colour wheels and skin tone stuff is needlessly complicated,” he says. “It’s more about what colours you like, and the vibes you want to give off.”


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A customer undergoes colour analysis at Color Society in Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea. Colour analysis is very popular in South Korea, but some stylists find it limiting. Photo: Instagram/color.society

Sera Murphy, a personal fashion stylist and founder of The Reoutfitter, will typically visit clients’ homes to assess their wardrobe. Photo: Sera Murphy 

Samuel Gilzean, a Hong Kong-based personal stylist for men, does not believe in rigid colour systems for outfits. Photo: Samuel Gilzean

Gilzean’s pyramid is split into three sections: core colours, tonal and seasonal colours, and pop colours, prints and patterns. Photo: Samuel Gilzean

Murphy (right) consults with a client. Her styling company has been active since 2021. Photo: Sera Murphy

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Outfits designed by Kit Wan (left) and Zidi at Centrestage. Photo: Hong Kong Fashion Fest 

Looks by Kit Wan at Centrestage. Photo: Hong Kong Fashion Fest

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Lifestyle

Fashion & Beauty

Don’t conform to a rigid palette with colour analysis, style experts say – instead focus on proportion, texture and your own preferences


Don’t conform to a rigid palette with colour analysis, style experts say – instead focus on proportion, texture and your own preferences.


Forget colour analysis – how colour pyramids can help you dress your best

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Don’t conform to a rigid palette with colour analysis, style experts say – instead focus on proportion, texture and your own preferences

Don’t conform to a rigid palette with colour analysis, style experts say – instead focus on proportion, texture and your own preferences