Light Spring vs True Spring
Both are warm, fresh Springs. Light Spring lifts its warmth toward peach and buttercup; True Spring wears full-strength tangerine and marigold.
Light Spring · Light first, then warm
True Spring · Warm first, then clear
Top band: each season's 16 best colors. Lower band: its 6 neutrals.
What they share, and why they get mixed up
Light Spring and True Spring share a sunny, warm palette. Both glow in peach, coral, aqua and golden yellow, both prefer ivory or cream to stark white, and both look grey in dusty or blue-based colors. Camel and warm browns work as neutrals for both, and both look a bit overpowered by black.
The split is depth and intensity. Light Spring is light first and warm second, so its colors are lifted toward pastel: peach sorbet, buttercup, mint leaf and camellia. True Spring is warm first, and its colors are fuller and more saturated: tangerine, marigold, Kelly green and poppy. People who know they are warm and fresh often get stuck here, because a mid-strength coral or warm aqua looks good on both.
The deciding differences
| Light Spring | True Spring | |
|---|---|---|
| Warmth | Moderately warm | Very warm |
| Depth | Light | Medium-light |
| Clarity | Gently clear | Clear |
| Neutrals | Ivory, golden beige, light camel, warm stone, milk cocoa | Cream, camel, golden brown, milk chocolate, warm grey |
| Oranges and yellows | Apricot, peach sorbet, buttercup | Tangerine, marigold, daffodil |
Compare peach with tangerine, or buttercup with daffodil. On a Light Spring the lifted color looks fresh and the full-strength one can feel like too much, pulling attention down to the fabric. On a True Spring the full-strength color looks energizing and the lifted one can look a little washed out.
How to tell at home
- Daylight, a mirror, a plain ivory top and your hair pulled back.
- Compare peach or apricot with tangerine.
- Compare buttercup with daffodil or marigold.
- Compare mint with Kelly or leaf green, and light camel with golden brown.
- If the lifted colors win, Light Spring is likely; if the saturated ones win, True Spring. Strong orange feeling like too much is one of the most reliable Light Spring signs.
Still split? That's common.
Plenty of warm, fresh colorings sit between these two. The free quiz tests light against deep and clear against soft with drapes on your own calibrated photo and shows your top two seasons with a confidence level.
Take the free quizQuestions
Can Light Spring wear coral?
Yes, especially lighter corals like coral blush or warm poppy. Very saturated, deep coral leans True Spring.
Is Light Spring close to Light Summer?
Yes, on the cool side. If peach and powder pink look about the same on you, read the Light Spring and Light Summer comparison too.