Holiday Outfits
for Cool Undertones
Cool undertones — the pink, rosy, or blue-tinted quality in your skin — have a specific set of holiday colors that make them look striking. While warm undertones gravitate naturally toward the earthy, golden end of the holiday palette, cool undertones come alive in the crisp, jewel-toned, and icy shades that most people are afraid of. Icy silver, vivid fuchsia, cool emerald, and electric blue are where cool complexions genuinely shine at the holidays.
Discover Your ColorsWhy the Holiday Season Suits Cool Undertones
Cool undertones are created by the dominance of blue, pink, or purple pigments in the skin. These undertones respond best to colors that have a cool, blue-based quality — colors that harmonize with the pink or blue coolness in the complexion rather than fighting it. Conveniently, the holiday color palette has a rich cool register that goes largely untapped.
The festive palette most people associate with the holidays — warm reds, gold, warm green — is actually more naturally aligned with warm undertones. But the other half of the holiday palette — cool jewel tones, icy metallics, rich blue-based reds, and vivid fuchsias — is a natural home for cool-undertoned coloring. These are the shades that create the dazzling, high-contrast look that makes cool complexions look vibrant and striking.
The key for cool undertones at the holidays is to lean into the cool end of the festive spectrum rather than defaulting to the warm holiday norms. A cool raspberry rather than warm crimson. A silver or rose-gold rather than yellow gold. A cool emerald or sapphire rather than forest green. These specific choices within the holiday palette are the ones that make cool complexions look intentional and luminous.
Your Best Holiday Colors with Cool Undertones
True Red and Cool Crimson
Red is universal at the holidays, but the right red for cool undertones is specifically the blue-based red rather than the orange-based red. Cool crimson, raspberry-red, and true scarlet all carry enough blue in their warmth to harmonize with pink-cool undertones rather than clashing with them. These reds make cool complexions look vibrant and festive rather than clashing or sallow.
Cool Emerald and Jewel Green
Cool emerald — the blue-green, jewel-toned version — is one of the best holiday colors for cool undertones. It has a vivid, high-contrast quality that works beautifully against pink and rosy complexions, and its blue-green temperature harmonizes with cool undertones. Teal and jade are excellent alternatives that bring the same cool-green energy with slight variation. These are the greens that make cool complexions look rich rather than fighting them.
Icy Silver and Cool Metallics
Silver is the definitive cool-undertone holiday metallic. The cool grey-blue quality of sterling silver and platinum harmonizes perfectly with pink and blue-tinted complexions, creating a dazzling, luminous effect. Rose gold — with its pink-cool quality — is an excellent alternative for those who want something slightly warmer but still cool. Icy champagne works for a softer occasion look. All of these create the glow for cool undertones that yellow gold delivers for warm ones.
Vivid Fuchsia and Cool Pink
Fuchsia and cool hot pink are some of the most powerful holiday colors for cool undertones — and they're drastically underused. The cool, blue-pink quality of fuchsia harmonizes with pink-undertoned skin in a way that creates vivid, high-contrast glamour. For an alternative to the traditional red-green holiday palette, a fuchsia or hot pink dress with silver jewelry is one of the most striking holiday looks for cool complexions.
How to Dress for the Holidays with Cool Undertones
The classic cool-undertone holiday look
The definitive cool-undertone holiday look is vivid, cool-toned color with silver jewelry. A cool crimson or raspberry red dress with sterling silver jewelry, a vivid fuchsia gown with platinum accessories, or a cool emerald velvet suit with silver shoes — these combinations make cool complexions look their most striking and seasonal. Replace warm gold accessories with silver across the board.
Holiday parties
For holiday parties, silver sequins or silver metallics are the most flattering option for cool undertones. A silver sequined dress or blazer with cool red or fuchsia accessories creates a genuinely dazzling party look. Alternatively, a vivid cool-emerald silk slip with silver jewelry is a sophisticated, high-contrast option. Both looks photograph beautifully against the warm ambient lighting of most holiday parties.
Casual and daytime holiday events
For casual holiday gatherings, cool jewel tones in comfortable fabrics work beautifully. A cool raspberry or blue-red cashmere knit, a teal velvet blazer over crisp white, or a cool emerald green midi skirt with a white blouse — all of these create a festive, seasonal look that's easy and comfortable without sacrificing the color accuracy that makes cool undertones look their best.
Office holiday events
Professional holiday contexts call for polished versions of the same cool-undertone palette. A cool jewel-toned blazer — emerald, sapphire blue, or rich raspberry — over a white or cool ivory blouse is the most reliably flattering work holiday look for cool undertones. These colors read as festive without being costumy, and they look authoritative and polished under office lighting.
Holiday Colors That Fight Cool Undertones
Warm orange-red and tomato red
Warm, orange-based reds are the traditional holiday red — and they're among the most unflattering choices for cool undertones. The yellow-orange quality of tomato red and warm crimson clashes with the pink-blue coolness of cool complexions, making skin look red, flushed, or washed out. Cool undertones need the blue-based reds, not the orange-based ones.
Yellow gold and antique gold
Yellow gold is the holiday metallic of choice for warm undertones but works against cool ones. The yellow-warm quality of gold jewelry and gold clothing creates a clash with the pink-cool quality of cool complexions — rather than harmonizing, the yellow and pink fight each other. Swap for silver, platinum, or rose gold, which all have the cool quality that flatters cool undertones.
Warm forest green and olive green
Warm, yellow-toned greens — the forest green, olive green, and hunter green of the traditional holiday palette — carry too much warmth for cool undertones. They harmonize with warm, golden skin but clash with the cool pink quality of cool complexions. Cool undertones need the blue-green emerald and teal rather than the yellow-green forest and olive.
Warm camel and golden beige
The warm golden neutrals — camel, warm beige, golden cream — that often anchor holiday outfit building are wrong for cool undertones. They have a yellow warmth that clashes with cool pink complexions and creates a sallow, washed-out appearance. Cool undertones need crisp white, cool ivory, or light grey as their neutral foundations.
Holiday Color Swaps for Cool Undertones
Trading the festive colors that fight your coolness for ones that make you dazzle.
Warm orange-reds clash with cool undertones. Cool crimson and raspberry red have the blue base that harmonizes with pink-cool complexions.
Yellow gold fights cool undertones. Silver and platinum harmonize with pink-cool skin and create a dazzling, flattering effect.
Forest green's yellow warmth clashes with cool complexions. Cool emerald and teal have the blue-green temperature that flatters cool undertones.
Antique gold creates a warm-cool clash. Silver harmonizes with cool undertones; rose gold bridges both with a cool-pink quality.
Warm earthy tones fight cool complexions. Fuchsia and magenta have the cool pink base that makes cool undertones look vibrant rather than clashing.
Golden beige fights cool undertones with yellow warmth. Crisp white creates clean contrast; cool grey harmonizes with the cool quality of the complexion.
Which Cool Season Might You Be?
Cool undertones span several color seasons. The exact holiday shades that work best depend on how cool, deep, and saturated your overall coloring is.
Cool Winter
Learn moreIf your cool undertones are vivid and high-contrast — very fair or very deep skin with strong pink or blue undertones, vivid eye color, dark or very light hair — Cool Winter is likely your season. Your holiday palette includes the most vivid cool shades: electric fuchsia, icy silver, cool emerald, and sharp blue-red. High contrast and vivid color are your natural territory.
Cool Summer
Learn moreIf your cool undertones are softer and more muted — medium-fair skin with soft pink undertones, softer eye color, medium-value hair — Cool Summer may be your season. Your holiday palette is cooler and more understated: soft raspberry, dusty rose, muted teal, and soft silver rather than the vivid jewel tones of Cool Winter.
Bright Winter
Learn moreIf you have cool undertones with vivid, high-contrast coloring and respond particularly well to clear, bright colors (rather than muted or icy ones), Bright Winter may be your season. Your holiday palette includes vivid, clear jewel tones: true red, bright fuchsia, vivid emerald, and electric blue.
Find Your Exact Holiday Palette
Cool undertones and the crisp, jewel-toned end of the holiday palette are a powerful combination — but the exact cool holiday shades that work best depend on the depth, contrast, and specific quality of your cool coloring. A personalised color analysis identifies precisely where within the cool spectrum your complexion sits and gives you the holiday colors that make you look most striking.
Get Your Color AnalysisFrequently Asked Questions
What holiday colors suit cool undertones?
Cool crimson, raspberry red, cool emerald, teal, silver, platinum, fuchsia, and vivid rose are the most flattering holiday colors for cool undertones. These shades carry enough blue in their base to harmonize with pink-cool complexions. Avoid warm orange-reds, yellow gold, and warm forest green, which fight cool undertones.
Should cool undertones wear red at Christmas?
Yes — but the right red. Cool undertones need blue-based reds: cool crimson, raspberry red, and clear scarlet rather than orange-based tomato red or warm crimson. The blue undertone in cool crimson harmonizes with pink-cool complexions, while warm red creates an unflattering clash.
What holiday jewelry suits cool undertones?
Silver, platinum, and rose gold are the best holiday jewelry choices for cool undertones. Sterling silver and platinum have the cool grey-blue quality that harmonizes with pink-cool complexions. Rose gold works well too — its pink quality aligns with cool-undertone complexions better than yellow gold. Avoid yellow gold and antique gold.
Can cool undertones wear green at the holidays?
Yes — but the right green. Cool undertones look best in the blue-green shades: cool emerald, teal, and jade rather than warm forest green or olive green. The blue-green temperature of emerald and teal harmonizes with cool complexions; the yellow-green temperature of forest and olive fights them.
What is the best holiday look for cool undertones?
The most flattering holiday look for cool undertones is a vivid cool-toned color — raspberry red, cool emerald, or fuchsia — paired with silver jewelry. A cool crimson dress with sterling silver accessories, or a fuchsia gown with platinum jewelry, are both striking, intentional holiday looks that make cool complexions look luminous and vivid.