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Quick answer: Choose dress colors that suit your undertone — warm undertones lean gold, coral, and olive; cool undertones lean jewel tones, blue, and true red. Black and navy work for almost any season or event. Mix prints by keeping one color in common between them and pairing a bold pattern with a plain one. Below, find a guide for each color and print, a quick-reference table, and a print-mixing checklist.

A dress is a color decision before it is anything else. The cut matters. The fabric matters. But color is what people notice first, and it decides whether a dress flatters you or fights you.

Prints work the same way, just with more moving parts. A floral does something different than a polka dot. An animal print does something different than a metallic. Get the coordination right and a print reads as confident. Get it wrong and it reads as noise.

This guide is the starting point for both. It covers how to choose colors for your skin tone, how to wear black, red, and white, how to work with prints and patterns, and how color trends shift with the seasons. Each section links to a deeper guide if you want to go further.

Jump to a section:

• Choosing colors for your skin tone
• Wearing black, red, and white
• Prints and patterns
• Seasonal color trends
• Quick-reference color-pairing table
• Print-mixing checklist
• Key takeaways
• Frequently asked questions

Choosing colors for your skin tone

Every dress color reads differently against different skin. The starting point is undertone, not the color of your skin itself.

Undertone comes in three types: warm, cool, and neutral. Warm undertones have a golden or peachy cast and usually suit gold, coral, olive, and warm red. Cool undertones have a pink or blue cast and usually suit jewel tones, true blue, and blue-based red. Neutral undertones sit in between and can wear both warm and cool shades well.

A fast way to check: look at the veins on your wrist in natural light. Blue or purple veins usually mean a cool undertone. Green veins usually mean a warm undertone. If you cannot tell, you are likely neutral, which is the easiest undertone to dress for since most colors work.

Once you know your undertone, the color choice narrows fast. Warm undertones tend to look best avoiding icy pastels, which can wash the skin out. Cool undertones tend to look best avoiding orange-heavy shades, which can clash against a pink or blue undertone.

Our complete skin tone color guide breaks this down by undertone with specific shade recommendations, plus what to avoid. Start there if you are building a color wardrobe from scratch. Browse the full dress collection once you know your palette.

Wearing black, red, and white

Three colors do most of the work in a dress wardrobe. Master these and the rest of your color choices get easier.

Black

Black is the most forgiving color a dress can be. It works for nearly every event, every season, and every skin tone. The styling comes down to silhouette and finish rather than the color itself — a black dress can be work-appropriate or evening-ready depending on the cut, the fabric, and what you pair with it.

Because black carries no undertone bias, it is the one color where accessories do the most work. A warm gold cuff and a cool silver clutch will both look right against black, which is exactly why it stays a wardrobe constant across seasons.

Our guide on how to style a black dress covers three distinct looks from one dress, from daytime to formal. Shop black dresses to find your version.

Red

Red is the boldest color choice most people make in a dress. It commands attention, which makes it right for events where you want to stand out — a gala, an anniversary dinner, a holiday party.

The undertone rule still applies here. Warm undertones tend to suit orange-reds and tomato tones. Cool undertones tend to suit blue-based reds like cherry or true red. See how to style a red dress for outfit pairings and event guidance, then shop red dresses.

White

White reads differently by season and by finish. In summer, crisp white cotton or linen feels clean and effortless. In winter, an ivory or off-white in a heavier fabric feels intentional rather than out of season.

White is also the color most affected by undertone contrast — a stark white can wash out very fair or very warm skin, where an ivory or soft white tends to flatter more people. Our guide to styling a white dress covers seasonal styling in detail. Shop white dresses.

Prints and patterns

Prints add movement and personality to a dress in a way solid color cannot. They also come with more rules, mostly around scale and balance.

Florals

Florals are the most versatile print in a dress wardrobe. Small, ditsy florals in muted tones read quiet and daytime-appropriate. Large-scale florals in saturated colors read bold and suit evening or statement occasions.

Florals also shift with season. Pastel florals feel right in spring. Deep, jewel-toned florals with dark backgrounds feel right in fall and winter. Our floral dress trends guide covers what is current this year. Shop floral dresses.

Polka dots

Polka dots are the one print that never really goes out of style. They read as classic rather than trendy, which makes them one of the safer prints to invest in.

Scale changes the mood entirely. Small, tightly spaced dots feel refined and work well for daytime or office settings. Large, widely spaced dots feel more playful and graphic, better suited to a night out. See polka dot dresses: a timeless print for how to wear them now.

Animal print

Animal print, leopard especially, is a bold choice that works best treated as a neutral rather than a statement color. Pair it with simple, solid pieces and let the print carry the look on its own.

The most common mistake with animal print is over-accessorizing. One animal-print piece is a strong choice. Two competing prints in the same look rarely work. Our guide to animal print without overdoing it covers exactly how much is enough.

Metallics

Gold, silver, and champagne sit between color and print — they are less about pattern and more about finish and shine. Metallics are the default choice for New Year's Eve and black-tie events, where a bit of shimmer reads celebratory rather than costume-like.

Finish matters as much as shade. A matte metallic fabric reads more subdued and works for cocktail attire, while a high-shine, liquid finish reads more formal and suits a black-tie dress code. If you are unsure which finish fits the event, a matte metallic is the safer choice — it photographs well and dresses up or down more easily.

Warm undertones tend to suit gold and champagne. Cool undertones tend to suit silver. Our guide to metallic dressing covers how to choose between the three and how to style them without looking overdone.

For any print or metallic, browse multicolor dresses or check new arrivals for the newest patterns in stock.

Seasonal color trends

Color trends shift every season, but a few patterns hold steady enough to plan around. Think of seasonal trends as a layer on top of your undertone, not a replacement for it — the goal is to find where a season's palette and your best colors overlap.

Spring leans toward fresh, lighter shades — soft pastels, cream, and the first bold color returns after winter, usually a punchy red or coral. Summer leans toward crisp brights and whites, colors that photograph well in daylight and hold up in heat. Fall shifts toward deeper, warmer tones: rust, olive, burgundy, chocolate brown. Winter leans toward rich jewel tones and metallics, plus the return of classic black for the holiday season.

Trends are worth watching, but they should not override what actually suits your undertone. A trend color that fights your skin tone will always look more like a costume than an outfit. Use the seasonal color as a direction, then find the specific shade within it that works for you — that is what the skin tone guide is for.

Quick-reference color-pairing table

Print-mixing checklist

Mixing two prints in one look is a skill. Use this checklist before you commit to a combination.

• Keep one color in common between the two prints so they read as coordinated rather than random.
• Pair a large-scale print with a small-scale print. Two busy patterns of the same size compete instead of complementing.
• Let one print lead and the other support. A statement floral dress paired with a subtle striped accessory works better than two competing statement pieces.
• Use a solid neutral — black, white, camel, or nude — to break up two prints if a full outfit feels like too much.
• Limit yourself to two prints per look. A third pattern is rarely worth the risk.
• When in doubt, treat animal print and stripes as neutrals. Both mix more easily with other patterns than florals or polka dots do.

Key takeaways

• Undertone, not skin color, determines which shades flatter you most.
• Black, red, and white each have their own styling logic — cut and finish matter as much as the color itself.
• Florals, polka dots, and animal print each carry a different mood, from quiet to bold.
• Metallics follow undertone rules too: gold and champagne for warm, silver for cool.
• Mixing prints works best with a shared color, contrasting scale, and a limit of two patterns.

Color and print are the fastest way to change how a dress feels, without changing the silhouette at all. Start with your undertone, pick the colors that work with it, and use the deep-dive guides above to go further into black, red, white, florals, polka dots, animal print, and metallics.

Explore the full dress collection to shop by color and print, or check new arrivals for what just landed.

Related articles

• What Colors Suit Your Skin Tone
• How to Style a Black Dress
• How to Style a Red Dress
• How to Style a White Dress
• Floral Dress Trends
• Polka Dot Dresses: A Timeless Print
• Animal Print Without Overdoing It
• Gold, Silver, and Champagne: Metallic Dressing

Shop by color and print

• All Dresses
• Black Dresses
• Red Dresses
• White Dresses
• Floral Dresses
• Multicolor and Print Dresses
• New Arrivals

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if I have a warm or cool undertone?

Check the veins on your wrist in natural light. Blue or purple veins usually indicate a cool undertone, green veins usually indicate a warm undertone, and if you cannot tell, you likely have a neutral undertone that works well with most colors.

What is the most flattering dress color for most people?

Black and navy are the two colors that flatter the widest range of skin tones and suit almost any event, which is why they are considered safe, versatile choices.

What color dress should I wear if I have a cool undertone?

Cool undertones tend to suit jewel tones, true blue, blue-based red, and silver metallics, while warmer shades like orange and gold can feel less flattering.

What color dress should I wear if I have a warm undertone?

Warm undertones tend to suit gold, coral, olive, and warm red, and typically look best avoiding icy pastels that can wash out the skin.

Can I wear white in the winter?

Yes. An ivory or off-white in a heavier fabric feels intentional in colder months, while crisp white cotton or linen feels more natural in spring and summer.

How do I mix two prints without it looking chaotic?

Keep one color in common between the prints, pair a large-scale pattern with a small-scale one, and limit yourself to two prints total in a single outfit.

Is animal print considered a neutral?

Yes. Animal print, especially leopard, is typically styled as a neutral and pairs well with solid black, camel, or white rather than another bold print.

What is the difference between a ditsy floral and a statement floral?

A ditsy floral uses small, closely spaced flowers in muted tones and reads as quiet and daytime-appropriate, while a statement floral uses a larger scale and bolder colors suited to evening occasions.

When should I wear a metallic dress?

Metallics are the go-to choice for New Year's Eve, black-tie events, and other occasions that call for a bit of shine, with gold and champagne suiting warm undertones and silver suiting cool undertones.

Do polka dot dresses go out of style?

No. Polka dots are one of the few prints that stay consistently in style, reading as a classic rather than a trend, which makes them a reliable investment.

What shoes go best with a red dress?

Neutral shoes in black, nude, or metallic tones let a red dress stay the focal point of the outfit without competing for attention.

How many prints can I wear at once?

Two is the practical limit. A third print is difficult to balance and usually looks more accidental than intentional.

What is the best dress color for a first date?

Red or a warm jewel tone tends to feel confident without being overly formal, though the right choice ultimately depends on your undertone and the setting.

Should trend colors override my undertone?

No. A trend color that fights your undertone will look more like a costume than an outfit, so it is better to find the specific shade within a trend that actually works for your skin.

Are florals appropriate for fall and winter?

Yes, in the right palette. Deep, jewel-toned florals with dark backgrounds read as fall- and winter-appropriate, while pastel florals feel more suited to spring.