What Colors Look Best with Gray Hair?
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Are you curious about what colors look best with gray hair? Read on for some tips and inspiration!
Before I decided to transition, I really worried about how my pale skin would look with gray hair.
I have lost a lot of color in my face as I’ve gotten older, and I pictured myself melting away into nothingness if I had white hair, white skin, white lips…all that would be left would be dark eyebrows floating in mid-air, like an even weirder version of the Cheshire Cat!
I should have known better. Mother Nature is one smart cookie and she knew what she was doing when she blessed people with silver hair. The silvers have brightened up my complexion considerably!
But a strange thing happened….
Since my hair dye has faded, and my gray roots take up about 1/3 of my head, I find that I can no longer wear neutral colors (like taupe or beige) next to my face.
When I wear them, it’s like the life has gone out of my face – all the color is gone. I start fading away, as I had feared. But when I wear bright colors like hot pink or red, I look vibrant!
This got me wondering about what colors look best with gray hair. So I’ve spent the past few weeks reading all about it online and in books like Anne Kreamer’s “Going Gray.”
WHY AND HOW TO FIND YOUR UNDERTONE
There is a general consensus that bright, “jewel-like” colors are best with gray hair and that silver sisters should avoid warm (autumn-like) tones.
But I find that a bit simplistic. After all, we all have different skin tones, so it’s not JUST the color of our hair that affects how we look in colors, it’s also the undertones in our skin.
Here’s a great way to find out if you have a cool or warm undertone:
“Look at the inside of your wrist.
from Silver-Style-Life
Do your veins look blue or green?
If they look more on the blue side, you are likely to be cool toned.
If they are more on the green side, you are likely to be warm toned (because blue veins underneath a yellowish skin tone make the veins look green.)
What were you- cool or warm?
Now find a piece of jewelry, one in silver and another in gold?
What looks best next to your skin?
One is likely to look cheap and the other will look expensive and lovely. Do you get more compliments when you wear silver or gold jewelry?
If you suit gold, you are more likely to be warm and if you suit silver, you are more likely to be cool.”
If you really want to dive into it, you can have your colors analyzed by a professional color consultant.
Back in the 1980s, when Color Me a Season was a Big Deal, I had my colors done and found out that, with my pale skin with pink undertones and with my dark brunette hair, I was a “Winter.”
This meant that I would look great in “jewel-like” tones like sapphire blue, ruby red, and emerald green. (Being a rebellious teenager in the mid-1980s, and an art student in the late 1980s/early 1990s, I, of course, ditched those colors and only wore black. For freakin’ decades!)
Since going silver, I have finally started embracing the jewel-like colors the experts recommended to me, and WOW – they do make my silver hair sparklier and my complexion brighter!
And even if I do wear taupe or beige, as long as I wear bright lipstick – I stop fading away!
POPULAR COLORS TO WEAR WITH GRAY HAIR
Let’s take a peek at some of my silver sisters who were kind enough to share their photos with me and see how great they look in various colors (whether clothing, lipstick, or jewelry).
Please note that the colors represented below turned up most often in their Instagram posts, so that does tell us that women with gray hair seem to gravitate towards these colors in particular.
PINK
Pink is one of those colors that works really beautifully with gray hair. Hot pink, dusky rose, light pink – try them out and see how you like them!
PURPLE
Violet, plum, aubergine… there are a number of variations to try!
BLUE
Sapphire blue looks especially striking with white or gray hair, but navy, light, and bright blue are also very lovely.
RED
What color makes more of a statement than red? Whether it’s red clothing, red glasses frames, or red lipstick, give it a shot!
GRAY
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE gray hair with gray, charcoal or black clothing. I think it’s striking!
GREEN
Nobody can beat Monique Parent for looking gorgeous in green (or in any color – she is a knockout)!
Would you like to see my own experiment with trying on different colors? I took a shopping expedition to my favorite local boutique and made this video all about choosing colors to complement your gray hair.
YELLOW
This is not a color that is supposed to complement gray, but I love the way these ladies look in it!
ADVICE FOR WOMEN WITH WARM SKIN TONES AND GRAY HAIR
Many warm-toned women have written to me and explained that their gray hair has profoundly changed their relationship to color. The colors that they wore before (the “Autumn” palette) no longer looked great on them since they went gray.
Carole Jackson, founder of Color Me Beautiful offers this advice in her Letter to Gray-Haired Autumns:
Dear Silver or Gray-Haired Autumn,
Carole Jackson, Letter to Gray-Haired Autumns
If you choose not to color your hair in favor of letting it stay natural, you will find that a few of your Autumn colors may not look as harmonious as they were with your brown, dark blonde or red hair. Guess what! You may now add some Winter and Spring colors to make up for the colors you eliminate.
Eliminate Beige, Mustard, Pumpkin and any color near your face that you feel does not look great with your hair. You may add the colors listed below as guidelines for additional colors.
Be sure you wear lipstick colors that are a tad brighter or deeper than before since gray hair has less contrast with your skin and you don’t want to look “washed out”.
The colors below will be complemented by your normal Autumn makeup. You may now add lip and cheek colors in Mocha, Salmon and Brown-Burgundy.
If your hair is silver, white, or mostly gray, you will find that silver or pewter jewelry will now look great. In fact, your gold earrings may clash with your hair. Two-tone gray hair (with lots of brown or red still mixed in) can wear gold or silver. Earrings of mixed gold and silver are a good investment as silver will pick up the new tones in your hair, while the gold allows you to wear gold bracelets, buttons or other gold accessories. Enjoy the new you!
Terry suggests trying muted or darker tones (darker blue, darker red, etc.) if you are a warm-toned silver sister:
EXPERIMENT WITH COLOR
It’s all a bit confusing, as they say that hair color shouldn’t affect your clothing choices as much as skin tone, but in some cases, it apparently can, judging by the volume of mail I receive on the subject of warm skin tones/gray hair!
What if you hate restrictions or rules and just want to wear whatever color suits your mood, whatever your undertone or hair color? Go for it!
I don’t believe in restricting yourself. My only advice on color would be to hold colors up against your face and see how your skin reacts to that color. Have fun and experiment!
Marci did a great color experiment using bandanas. These little bursts of color really complement her silver hair!
CONCLUSION
Let’s all try a little experiment and add some new colors into our wardrobe and see how they work with our silver (or transitioning to silver) hair.
If you are on Instagram, tag me @katiegoesplatinum and use the hashtag #kgpcolorpop
I’m planning to do more posts on this topic, so if you have any specific questions on color that you’d like me to address, please comment below. You can also follow my new Pinterest board, Colors to Wear with Gray Hair.
Please do me a favor and share this post to social media, as it helps me grow my audience and spread the word about our Silver Revolution! And remember to subscribe to my YouTube Channel and Pinterest Feed for more gray hair tips and product recommendations. Thanks!
Note: All of the Instagram and other photos on this site are used with permission. Please show your support to these awesome gray hair influencers by following them on social media. You’ll be inspired, I promise. ❤️
Please do me a favor and share this post to social media, as it helps me grow my audience and spread the word about our Silver Revolution! And remember to subscribe to my YouTube Channel and Pinterest Feed for more gray hair tips and product recommendations. Thanks!
Check out my Amazon Shop for all your gray hair needs!
Did you enjoy this post? If so, you might also like:
Lipstick Love Affair
How to Make Your Cold Turkey Gray Hair Transition Fun
To Hell with Going Gray Gracefully!
What Does It Mean to Be a Silver Sister?
With all due respect you are ignoring olive skin tones which don’t really go it jewel colors sometimes. Navy and black look great with olive and silver hair. Pastels do not. deep Olive color looks good, just my opinion. Thanks for the article.
Hi, Toni – there’s a whole section about warmer skin tones towards the end of the article. Hope that helps.
Katie,
This article is beyond fabulous!! You have always been my go to during my ditching the dye cold turkey process. You’ve outdone yourself now by doing a deep dive on the possibilities of what to do after the process is over. While I love the shading of my silvers, I love having options available if or when that changes. Thanks for all you do!
You’re welcome, Arlene! I love hearing this.
Katie:
I think you look terriffic, keep it up. I have just let mine go, believe me it gets whiter and whiter everyday, I am just letting it go. I think I take after my Mom, she didn’t even have to dye her hair and she went totally white, so here I am going white naturally, go figure. I never thought it would happen, I thought I would have to dye it white, but no it is naturally do it on its own. Katie, you are such an inspiring person, doing what you are doing, thank you for all your inspiring words and helping all these women to be natural. Actually, Katie it has been fun to watch my hair just go naturally as my mother’s color was. God Bless, keep up the inspiring words and encouragement to all women who are thinking changing their hair color to white. God Bless always Katie.
Carol Duffert
Thanks, Carol! xoxo
I’ve been naturally gray for about 7 year’s after my granddaughter ask me why I dyed my hair. So I told her that you always want to keep yourself looking younger and her response was you just look stupid because everyone knows that’s not your natural color anymore. Out of the mouths of babies so I have embraced my gray hair to the fullest I wear whatever color suits me for the day and I don’t give a hoot what anyone else thinks I do it for me . I I own it. There’s a lot of perks having gray hair just go with it and enjoy yourself. JC
So true, Julie!
Great advice and I couldn’t agree more. I have always been a fan of bold colors, no matter what color my hair has been, be it brown, blue, purple, or red. Going gray was just another color for me, so I didn’t really feel the need to change my color palette. I have heard so many women who have gone gray become worried of what colors they should use on their eyes and lips, and what shades they should use on their cheeks. I always say have fun. Play up the outfit you’re wearing, make your eyes stand out, and no matter what anyone says, every woman looks great in red lipstick. All you have to do is find the right shade.
I agree 100%
You are an inspiration for many of us coming to terms with who we are as we age. I am in my 6th month since deciding to stop coloring my hair. It was weird at first to see lighter hair on my head as I have always had dark hair, the only one of six siblings who were all blonde. My hair turned auburn when I hit puberty, and people who have only known me as an adult call me a redhead or ginger. I am discovering that I feel more authentic since embracing greeting hair. The most difficult part is my hairdresser who added highlights more than the grey that is coming in and she keeps changing the color of toner on my hair. I never know what color my previously colored hair is going to be from salon visit and shampoo to the next! Surprisingly I am being more of a trooper than I thought I could be. I have discovered that the purple shampoo and conditioner my hairdresser recommended (Clairol shimmer lights) is too harsh for my dry skin and hair, so I have stopped using it for now and will only use when I get a buildup of product and need a clarifying shampoo. Thank you for helping those of us trying to embrace our ourselves as God and life have made us.
Pls add me to your list
Ty!
Back in the early 80s as a teenager, my aunt declared I was a Winter. And basically what that meant was any color that really looks good against black, which made shopping so easy. I ditched the pastels and got to wear vibrant pinks and purples, though I thought Day-Glo was ridiculous. Even now, at 51, I still use that little trick, though I find black is still my go-to. Then I just pop on a brighter lipstick instead of my pinky-nude that I wear to my low-key job. I saw someone comment about how Mother Nature knows best, and she’s right. Not only were you born with the coloring you were supposed to have, but she also gifted you with an eye for the colors that work for you. When I learned that little tidbit, I realized I drift to certain colors, whether make up or clothing, often. I don’t own anything yellow outside of a Lakers shirt, and it isn’t a good color for me anyway. My make-up colors are all a variation on a certain color or range of shades. Trust yourself!
Great info! Thanks!
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it.
I was a warm autumn with red hair and green eyes forever. Colors were easy. Now my skin is still warm but has faded some. My white hair is a vanilla color and I no longer use the blue/purple shampoos everyone seemed to recommend because I’ve decided nature really does know best: a warm vanilla white is much better on me than a silver white! In clothing black is more of a no-go now than it was when I had red hair. Many greens don’t work as well as they once did but surprisingly some khaki and deep warm beiges are fine – they make my hair seem almost blonde. The rest is a work in progress and I’m finding experimentation (a la bandanas) working better than hard and fast rules.
I am on the verge of going gray, silver or whatever it will be. I am a Spring – pale peach skin that is more washed out now, green eyes, dyed copper blonde red that I do myself using salon formula. I am SICK of dyeing it. Top roots are silver, lower down seems more mousey brown gray. I just grew it to shoulder length from a pixie (18m mo) so not excited to pixie it again. My biggest fear is my hair is very thin and will it look worse silver or gray showing my pink scalp and looking even thinner, flater. Seems like everyone here has thick and/or dark hair. My hair is wavy, silky fine, thinner after menopause. I wish I could find someone who has similar hair and coloring to advise me!! I am 72 but look 55 (good genes).n Help!!
Dear Patti Buy Great Hair Day at QVC, it will change your life. It is a powder you just brush on your hair where it parts. You will have fuller looking hair and your hair will be healthy looking when you ditch the color. Give it a try Mona
Fab article. Nobody’s got time to read complex colour theory. Don’t over think it. I just hold different pieces of clothing up to my face and hair – its immediate what looks good and what doesn’t.
Right! So easy :-). Thanks!
I’m inspired! The bandana experiment from Marci makes me want to try it.. and your video is great.. I am no fan of clothes shopping.. and never was even close to a fashion diva.. and black was definitely my main ‘mom color’.. because it goes with everything.. especially more black.. and is less likely to show kid spots!
I’ve been working on a capsule wardrobe of sorts. and it’s mostly black.. with some denim, white, tan (bottoms only) and purple.. with one teal top. I think I want more variety.. but it bends my brain.. you make it look more fun. Thanks!
Thanks, Stephanie! I like the idea of a capsule wardrobe. I’ve been trying to work on that a bit myself.
I was having trouble knowing what color to wear and found a sight that helped me dress according to my energy profile. It’s called Dressing your truth by Carol Tuttle. Check it out. There are for energy types. I’m a type four and I can wear black and pure white and they look amazing on me. I can also wear all the colors in saturated jewel tones. I feel and look fabulous with my silver hair. I love shopping I know exactly what colors to look for and don’t waste time looking at everything. I can shop retail or thrift and not waste time or money on clothing that will not be worn because I’m not in love with them. Good luck, Your friend ………Linda
Really interesting! Thanks, Linda!
Today’s seasonal color theory is more nuanced than it was when Carole Jackson introduced it in 1980. Depending on the system, there might be 4-6 different subtypes for each season. Here’s an example:
https://www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk/us/find-your-colours/the-quiz-intro-page
Hi Katie
Thanks for this information…I am a warm autumn and now I’m lost!
I think my skin is the same, but I have salt and pepper on my head.
I just dont know what to buy, I am making up a new capsule wardrobe as I don’t think brown/ beige/ orange suits me anymore?
Thank you x
Carol Jackson, the author of “Color Me Beautiful” back in the 1980s, has revised her advice on going gray for autumns.
https://carolejacksoncolors.com/shopping-with-your-colors-autumn/
Hi, Jackie: I got a lot of helpful information recently from women in my silver sisters support groups. I’ll update the post soon -just keep checking back! I should have it up in the next week or so.
Confidence, good posture and a smile will make your gray hair sparkle no matter what colors you wear!
As a silver sister with a warm undertone and green eyes autumn colors are my favorites. While I wear a wide range black, stark white and gray can wash me out. My hair is more of a “vanilla” color than a silvery gray which can cause it to “yellow “ next to silver.
Interesting! That’s why I think hard and fast rules about color don’t work – we all have to see what works for our particular shade of hair and skin color. Those colors sound fabulous with your “vanilla” hair!
Monique Parent had some good tips I’ve been using to experiment with colored frames! I have black, red, and turquoise so far and it REALLY helps add color to my washed out face and light eyes. A hurdle I’m going thru now is the natural progression of losing thickness and color in my eyebrows! I’m coloring them in but not super confident yet, as I am trying not to look “overdone” for a 64 year old!
Have you tried Benefit Gimme Brow? I love it! It is light, so doesn’t look fake.
Estou feliz com seu blog…gostei de tudo…bom encontrar mulheres assim com você…Adorei as cores em cabelos grisalhos…os meus são grisalhos…vou usar as dicas…obrigada, beijos
Thank you! I’m so glad you are enjoying it!
Thank you for this Katie! It’s very helpful. I’m transitioning from warm autumn to white. I have to call it white as that’s what my hairdresser tells me it is! And it’s a warm white at the moment which is just as well as the rest of my hair still has warmth in it. Nature getting it right again! I have medium/dark brown eyes and a skin with warm undertones (except it seems to be getting pinker so I need to check again). So all the websites have me as soft in colouring but my friends and I all prefer me in bright colours and I’ve been tearing my hair out trying to understand why. I can’t wear black as I’m too warm coloured. You winter ladies do transition so well and keep black as a good colour, lucky you! But with the help of your article I can now be much more sure of my colour choices. Thanks again.
Hi, Judi – I’m so glad! I really think testing out various colors and trusting your instincts is the way to go!
Judi,
WE have a similar problem/ conflict. I spent time trying to “brighten” my hair with silver shampoos which do brighten but still leave it a warm vanilla color rather than silver. When I’m out at night most people think I’m blond because of the lighting. I love warm colors; coral, teal; Marsala, creamy white, yellow, avocado to name a few….
I really like my natural color going grey best desition ever.
Great post! The experiment with bandanas is a very useful one to add some colour to a neutral outfit.
You suggest to avoid autumn colours if you are already grey, I was wondering what would you suggest while one is transitioning. I had black hair and light beige skin and I could wear bright colours because they suited me. Now only my eyes and eyebrows are still black, unfortunately bright colours do not suit me anymore :(. Any further advice?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Hi, Alex: You don’t have to avoid autumn colors, so if they suit you – go for it! I think the main thing to do is to just keep experimenting with clothing and lipstick colors. Have you tried black or gray outfits, too? Or navy blue? Those all seem to be colors that look great with gray hair. I think the main thing is just to keep experimenting. xoxox
Great post Katie! Very informative and I love your writing style too.
All the pictures are lovely examples too!
Thanks, Joie! xoxo
This was great Katie??? I agree you have to experiment,cause we all have different preferences and skintones. We all just have to be open to trying new things. Going gray has definitely help me go out of my comfort zone even more with color.
Thanks, Nina! I agree – it’s so easy to get into a bit of a rut and it’s kind of nice to be forced out of it. My comfort zone is what a comedian called “the bruise palette” – blacks & blues. Trying to add some color in now and it’s kinda fun!
So glad I found you Katie! I’ve only just begun my transition, don’t even have any pictures yet cause I just cannot capture any good patterns of silver/gray/white strands but will hopefully see some good “natural highlights” soon! Thank you for all you do! It keeps me and I’m sure many others going on our journeys!
Thanks, Susan! I bet your highlights will show up soon – mine really came through by about month 3! I’m glad to be of help. That’s why I started doing this – it’s so rare to get positive messages about gray hair online, but I think it’s finally changing!
I would like to thank you for sharing your experience with us. I’ve been colouring my hair for 20 years now, but for some reason my hair started falling off after each treatment. At first I thought it was because of stress, then as a reaction to covid, hormones, but now I think it’s definitely the chemicals in hair dye. I’m in my late 30s and, to be honest, I had so many doubts about letting my greys show but thanks to you and some other wonderful ladies who also shared their stories I actually feel encouraged to go through with it!
That’s wonderful! And I have to tell you that my hair loss stopped once I stopped dyeing. What a relief!