Glossary · Soft vs clear
12-season system
Soft vs clear
The chroma axis: soft colouring is muted and blended; clear colouring is bright, saturated and high-contrast.
What it means
Soft vs clear is one of the three axes that distinguish the 12 seasons from each other. Soft people get washed out by neon and look best in dusty, blended tones. Clear people get drowned by muted colours and look best in saturated, vivid ones. Most quizzes ignore this axis entirely, which is why so many people end up with palettes that 'look right on paper' but feel wrong on the body.
How it shows up in your Better in Style analysis
Soft vs clear is what separates Soft Autumn from True Autumn, Soft Summer from Cool Summer, and Bright Winter from Cool Winter. Without this axis, the 12 seasons collapse back into a much less useful four.