What to wear to a celebration of life
Read the invitation first. Many families ask for color, the person's favorite color or a theme. If nothing is asked, dress as for a smart, calm daytime event. Below: how it differs from a funeral, and soft and dark colors for each of the 12 color seasons.
By Jane MitchellCertified color analystPublished
The short answer
- Check the invitation, the obituary or the family’s post for a dress request.
- If they ask for color, wear soft, happy colors or the person’s favorite color.
- If they ask for nothing, wear smart, calm clothes. Dark colors are always safe.
- Dress for the place: a park or a beach needs comfortable shoes and a layer.
- Skip party clothes and anything that draws attention to you.
How a celebration of life differs from a funeral
A celebration of life looks back on the person's life more than it mourns. It can take place weeks or months later, in a home, a garden, a restaurant or on a beach, and it is often less formal than a funeral. That is why the dress code changes from one to the next, and why the family's request matters most.
If the family asks for a favorite color, wear it in the shade that suits you: a soft version if you have soft coloring, a clear one if you have clear coloring. The season cards below show which shades those are.
Soft and dark colors for your color season
Soft colors for when the family asks for color, and dark, quiet ones for when it asks for nothing, from each season's own palette.
If the family asks for color
- Salmon#FF9E93
- Light violet#C9A8E0
- Cornflower#5FAEDB
If no color is asked
- Soft denim navy#5C6B8A
- Light taupe#9E8C74
Skip unless the family asks for bright colors: buttercup.
If the family asks for color
- Golden tan#B5854A
- Turquoise#00BCD4
- Warm teal#26A69A
If no color is asked
- Warm denim#4E6E82
- Warm mushroom#A1887F
Skip unless the family asks for bright colors: bright tangerine, golden yellow, terracotta.
If the family asks for color
- Warm cocoa#8D6E63
- Electric turquoise#00E5FF
If no color is asked
- Dark warm brown#3E2723
- Bright navy#1A3A5C
Skip unless the family asks for bright colors: bright violet, vivid orchid, bright orange.
If the family asks for color
- Soft raspberry#C2739A
- Soft denim#6C97BF
- Soft lilac#B8A4CC
If no color is asked
- Soft navy#4A5C78
- Soft plum#8E7C9E
Nothing to skip in this palette.
If the family asks for color
- Periwinkle blue#7986CB
- Dusty pink#C97B9B
- Teal blue#4A8FA8
If no color is asked
- Cool navy#2F4058
- Cool aubergine#5D4E6D
- Soft plum#7E5A82
Skip unless the family asks for bright colors: rose red, cool raspberry.
If the family asks for color
- Soft berry#A5677A
- Dusty lilac#8E7C9E
- Sage#8FA88B
If no color is asked
- Soft navy#3F4A57
- Muted aubergine#6B5E70
Nothing to skip in this palette.
If the family asks for color
- Muted rust#B5654A
- Soft gold#C4A76A
- Soft mulberry#A86F7E
If no color is asked
- Soft olive brown#57503F
- Slate blue#5F7386
Nothing to skip in this palette.
If the family asks for color
- Amber#D9A066
- Fern green#4F7942
- Warm plum#A0637C
If no color is asked
- Coffee#5A4632
- Deep olive#4A5340
- Forest teal#2E5E4E
Skip unless the family asks for bright colors: rust, goldenrod, burnt orange.
If the family asks for color
- Dark camel#A08963
- Cinnamon#8A5A44
If no color is asked
- Dark mahogany#3E2A1E
- Deep olive#2F3325
- Deep petrol#154360
Skip unless the family asks for bright colors: deep amber.
If the family asks for color
- Icy lavender#E1BEE7
- Icy pink#F8BBD0
If no color is asked
- True black#1C1C1C
- Midnight navy#12243D
- Blue charcoal#263238
Skip unless the family asks for bright colors: indigo, deep violet, true red.
If the family asks for color
- Cool turquoise#00B8D4
- Pine teal#00897B
If no color is asked
- True black#000000
- Charcoal#37474F
Skip unless the family asks for bright colors: vivid purple, royal violet, cobalt.
If the family asks for color
- Icy lilac#E1BEE7
- Icy pink#F8BBD0
If no color is asked
- Bright navy#0D1B3E
- True black#212121
Skip unless the family asks for bright colors: bright violet, electric purple, vivid orchid.
For a formal service, see what to wear to a funeral. For a memorial in a church, see what to wear to church. For a viewing before the funeral, see what to wear to a wake.
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 for color: soft, mid colors (L* 45 to 80, C* 15 to 45), 35° of hue apart, gentle rather than loud. When fewer than two shades fall in that range, the card adds the shades of the same chroma closest to it in lightness. If no color is asked: dark and quiet (L* under 45, C* under 30), as for a funeral.
The skip line lists up to three of the strongest colors of the palette (C* 60 or more), unless the family asks for bright clothes. 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 and dark colors from each season's palette. It cannot tell you which season you are, and it cannot know what the family wants: 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 color to a celebration of life?
Yes, if the family asks for it or the invitation suggests it. Without a request, a dark or calm color is the safe choice.
Can I wear jeans to a celebration of life?
Dark, clean jeans are often fine at a casual celebration in a home, a park or on a beach. For a service in a church or a funeral home, wear trousers, a skirt or a dress.
What does "wear bright colors" mean on an invitation?
The family wants the day to feel happy. Wear a color you like, from your own palette, instead of black.
Which colors suit me for a celebration of life?
Pick from your own season. For example, a True Summer can wear periwinkle blue, dusty pink, teal blue when color is asked, and a Soft Autumn muted rust, soft gold, soft mulberry. This page lists both soft and dark colors for all 12 seasons.
What you can do on this page
This page explains what to wear to a celebration of life: follow the family's request (often color or the person's favorite color), otherwise smart, calm clothes, and dress for the place. It then lists, for each of the 12 color seasons, soft colors for when color is asked and dark, quiet colors for when it is not, from that season's palette with hex codes, picked by a stated CIELAB rule. The free photo analysis finds a season from one selfie in the browser, with no upload and no account.