What to wear to a baby shower
Most baby showers are daytime parties at a home, in a garden or at a restaurant. Wear something comfortable and a little dressy, in soft colors, unless the invitation says otherwise. Below: outfits by place and soft colors for each of the 12 color seasons.
By Jane MitchellCertified color analystPublished
The short answer
- Read the invitation for a theme or a color. Some showers ask guests to wear pink or blue.
- Wear a casual dress, a skirt, or trousers with a nice top. Men: chinos with a shirt or a polo.
- Pick soft, light colors for a daytime party.
- Wear shoes you can stand in, and clothes you can sit on a low sofa in.
- Skip sequins and evening dresses. The parent-to-be is the guest of honor.
Baby shower outfits by place
- At home: A casual dress, or jeans with a nice top.
- In a garden: A sundress or linen, flat shoes for the grass, and a light layer.
- At a restaurant or tea room: A day dress, or smart trousers with a blouse or a shirt.
Soft daytime colors for your color season
Light, soft colors from each season's own palette. The skip line names the near-blacks of that palette, which look heavy at a daytime party.
Soft daytime colors
- Apricot#F7A76C
- Bud green#B7D97F
- Warm rose#FFA6BE
Nothing to skip in this palette.
Soft daytime colors
- Warm sky blue#42A5F5
- Turquoise#00BCD4
- Warm beige#D6B98C
Nothing to skip in this palette.
Soft daytime colors
- Bright jade#00BFA5
- Electric turquoise#00E5FF
Skip: dark warm brown.
Soft daytime colors
- Rose pink#D98BA5
- Pale citron#D6D9A8
- Periwinkle#A6A9D6
Nothing to skip in this palette.
Soft daytime colors
- Soft rose#E091AE
- Soft teal#6DA9B5
- Soft sage#A3BCA0
Nothing to skip in this palette.
Soft daytime colors
- Sage#8FA88B
- Soft olive#C0BFA0
Nothing to skip in this palette.
Soft daytime colors
- Salmon#D98A76
- Soft gold#C4A76A
- Soft peach beige#DCC0A8
Nothing to skip in this palette.
Soft daytime colors
- Amber#D9A066
- Camel#C9A87C
Nothing to skip in this palette.
Soft daytime colors
- Dark camel#A08963
- Burnt amber#C0703C
Skip: dark mahogany.
Soft daytime colors
- Icy pink#F8BBD0
- Icy blue#B3E5FC
- Icy aqua#B2DFDB
Skip: royal purple, blue charcoal, true black, midnight navy.
Soft daytime colors
- Cool emerald#00BFA5
- Cool turquoise#00B8D4
- Icy pink#F8BBD0
Skip: navy, true black.
Soft daytime colors
- Electric turquoise#00E5FF
- Icy pink#F8BBD0
- Icy lilac#E1BEE7
Skip: deep navy, true black, bright navy.
Another daytime party: what to wear to a bridal shower. For the christening later, see what to wear to church.
How we picked the colors
Each season card reads that season's own palette and neutrals on this site, 300 named colors across the 12 seasons, measured in CIELAB: lightness (L*), chroma (C*, how strong the color is) and hue angle. A shade is on the card when it is light, soft colors (L* 65 to 90, C* 15 to 50), 35° of hue apart, for a daytime party. When fewer than two shades fall in that range, the card adds the shades of the same chroma closest to it in lightness.
The skip line lists the near-blacks of the palette (L* under 20), heavy for a daytime party. Where a palette has too few shades that far apart in hue, the gap narrows to half, then to 12°. No color is typed by hand, and no brand or store is used. The same rule runs on every season, so two cards can be compared.
What this page cannot do
This page lists soft colors from each season's palette. It cannot tell you which season you are, and it cannot know the theme of the shower: the invitation can. Our free analysis reads your season from one selfie, in your browser, and gives you your own palette.
How this is different from other color analysis tools
- 01
Your photo stays on your device
Many photo apps upload your selfie and read it on their server (see our comparison). Ours measures it in your browser. There is no upload.
- 02
The result is free
Your season and palette, with no account and no email. At least one app in our comparison takes payment before you see any result.
- 03
A close call says so
Every result names the runner-up season and how close the call was. Borderline is a result we print.
- 04
We publish our accuracy
We tuned the method on faces that experts had labelled by season, then tested it on 410 celebrity photos we collected. The results, misses included.
Questions
Can you wear jeans to a baby shower?
Yes, at most showers in a home, with a nice top. For a restaurant or a tea room, a dress or smart trousers fit better.
What colors should I wear to a baby shower?
Soft, light colors fit a daytime party. If the invitation names a color or a theme, wear that.
Can I wear black to a baby shower?
You can, but it looks heavy at a daytime party. A soft color from your own palette fits the mood better.
Which soft colors suit me?
Pick from your own season. For example, a Light Spring can wear apricot, bud green, warm rose, and a Soft Summer sage, soft olive. This page lists soft colors for all 12 seasons.
What you can do on this page
This page explains what to wear to a baby shower as a guest: a comfortable daytime outfit, soft colors, any theme on the invitation, with outfits by place (home, garden, restaurant). It then lists, for each of the 12 color seasons, light, soft daytime colors from that season's palette with hex codes, picked by a stated CIELAB rule, and the near-blacks to leave for the evening. The free photo analysis finds a season from one selfie in the browser, with no upload and no account.