Blog / Benefits
The practical case for a palette: fewer clothes, more outfits
Even setting aside whether colors flatter you, shopping within one palette makes a wardrobe work harder.
Debates about whether a color "flatters" you can go in circles. The practical benefits of shopping within a palette are easier to see, and they hold whatever you believe about the science.
Everything goes with everything
A seasonal palette is built around shared undertone, depth and clarity, so its colors tend to coordinate with one another. That changes the math of getting dressed. If every top works with every bottom, 5 tops and 4 bottoms give you 20 outfits. Add 2 jackets that go with all of them and you have 40. If only half your tops match half your bottoms, the same 9 pieces might give you 5. (These numbers are illustrative, but the multiplication is the point.)
A built-in shopping filter
A palette gives you a quick yes-or-no test in the store: is this color on my list? That cuts down on "orphan" pieces, the items you love on the hanger that don't go with anything you own. It also makes online shopping less of a gamble, since you can compare a product photo with your swatches before buying.
Build it in the right order
- Neutrals first. Pick two or three neutrals from your palette for coats, trousers, shoes and bags. Every palette page lists its best neutrals, such as True Autumn's camel and chocolate.
- Core colors next. Add tops and knitwear in the palette's mid-tones, which carry most outfits.
- Accents last. Save the most striking shades for scarves, accessories and one or two statement pieces.
Where the palette matters most
The colors closest to your face do the most work: tops, collars, scarves and glasses. You can be relaxed about trousers, shoes and bags, which is where a favorite off-palette color can still live.
Put it to work
Snap a photo of anything you're considering and run it through our clothing analyzer. If you've saved your season, it will tell you whether the piece fits your palette.