The best neutral knits to buy for your complexion

Once upon a hectic shopping trip for other people’s presents, I decided I deserved a break. This had nothing to do with the fact that I happened to be walking past Sézane’s Marylebone store at the time, and everything to do with recently discovering my knitwear drawer lacked a camel jumper.

This sartorial gap suddenly seemed like an urgent (okay, semi-urgent) shopping priority. I went in, located a couple of knits in an appealing caramel tone, pulled the first one over my head, looked in the mirror and… realised I resembled a slab of cardboard.

My skin looked sallow, the grey streaks in my hair had gotten greyer, my eyes appeared more tired than usual. I wondered if a freak lighting or atmospheric malfunction had suddenly struck my fitting room? What else could explain this allegedly easy-to-wear colour – a classic! – wash me out to such a dramatic degree?

But it turns out rude awakenings in neutral knitwear are more common than you might expect. A friend told me she wore a trusty black jumper to the office the other day and felt she “looked like a hideous wraith” (she is not a hideous wraith) – a condition exacerbated by her envy of a colleague’s “glorious oatmeal funnel-neck”. Another friend recently swore off the colour cream, saying the last time she wore an ecru jumper her teeth looked yellow.

These are stylish, adventurous dressers – women who know their way round a print-clash and don’t shy away from bold colour combinations; women you’d never imagine would be demoralised by an inoffensive knit. Yet, experts agree that neutrals are often the hardest (non) colours to get right.

“Not all neutrals are equal,” says Manina Weldon, colour consultant and co-founder of Red Leopard style consultancy, based in Battersea. “Neutrals have warm or cool undertones, just as colours do.” As a result, beige can be a cool, pebble hue or a warmer honey/oatmeal tone. Greys can be silver or slate (cool), or elephant or mole (warm). Black is more straightforward: “Black is always cool, so people who need warmth can look horribly washed out or under the weather in black.”

Get these neutral pieces right and you’ll want to wear them again and again, year after year; get them wrong and the ill-chosen knits will sit in your wardrobe unloved and unworn.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Weldon states that there’s no substitute for a colour consultation. Beyond that, her advice is not to be distracted (or “fooled”) by eye colour. “Look at the effect colours have on your skin. Does oatmeal turn you yellow? Does black make you look ashen?”

Knitwear experts are all too aware of the importance of the ‘right’ neutrals. “You have to be careful to choose a neutral that works with your skin tone, especially as you get older,” says Frankie Davies, founder of Charl Knitwear. “It’s almost trickier with natural-toned or undyed knitwear, especially if you’ve gone grey, as certain tones of white, cream or grey can really clash.”

Davies agrees that black, cream and bright white can be some of the hardest tones in the neutral spectrum to wear. She says the neutrals that are flattering to most people are warm browny greys (Charl Knitwear’s ‘Betty’ cardigan in rye “works well with blonde, grey or brunette hair – it’s really easy to wear”). She’s also getting a lot of wear out of her ‘Salter’ tank top and cardigan in toffee apple – a hue that looks as delicious as it sounds.

There are guidelines to remember before hitting the fitting room though: there are more ivory knits than white styles on the market because white can be too stark; creams tend to work well with blonde and brunette, but can look yellowy next to grey hair; and oatmeal tones suit pretty much everyone, so consider it a safe option. For grey, a very pale melange will look particularly good with silvery-grey hair and blue eyes. Brown isn’t going anywhere this winter, so it’s worth finding a shade you like (cue mocha mousse, Pantone’s colour of the year). Also: warm browns and off-blacks look particularly elegant on women with darker hair and complexions.

“I tend to go for richer, darker colours,” says stylist and writer Karina Marriott. Her current favourites are COS’s oversize cashmere jumper in navy and black, and &Daughter’s bestselling ‘Ada’ cardigan in dark brown. Marriott wears neutral knitwear almost every day through winter, but it took her time to figure out how to make these pieces feel right for her style.

“I know navy, black and grey jumpers are core wardrobe pieces, but they’ve never felt that fun. You don’t look at these pieces and think, ‘That’s going to make me feel happy today’,” she says. She’s found that adding a silk neckerchief with a red stripe at the edge over a navy jumper, or wearing a plain black jumper with a bright coat instantly “transforms a basic piece into something more joyful and expressive of personality.”

If, like Marriott, you find darker neutrals look too severe, give them a lift by wearing a white or off-white T-shirt that can be seen at the neckline, adding a pearl-necklace-inspired hit of light near the face. Alternatively, find a jumper with a little something extra built in – I have a black roll neck from Gap with contrasting cream stitching around the neckline and hem, which makes all the difference.

Then again, it could be worth reconsidering what counts as a neutral. Hannah Lawrence launched Hera – a premium knitwear brand – with just two capsule collections: scarves and sweaters that came in natural, oat, teal and marine (an off-navy tone). The surprise bestseller? Teal. “For blondes, it’s always super-flattering, but a very dark-haired lady came in and put it on, and it just lifted her,” Lawrence says.

Davies agrees that something with even a subtle pigment to it often “adds rather than drains”. She recommends dark purple, aubergine tones – a “kind of a non-colour if you’re shy of colour” – or navy.

To her credit, Lawrence couldn’t believe I’d had such an adverse response to camel jumpers. “Oh, I’m sure you looked fine. If you want to wear it, just make sure you wear a lovely red lipstick. It’ll make all the difference.”

Choose your neutral: More advice from a colour expert

Colour consultant Jules Standish offers more tips on finding the right shade for you

Spring skins

Spring skins are yellow/golden based and have a warm undertone. They can vary from pale to dark but have the ability to tan a light golden colour often with freckles apparent.  Sometimes they may burn before tanning. There is a tendency to blushing or a high cheek colour in this complexion.  Natural hair colour can be blonde or brunette (sometimes black) but will have a warm gold or red to it.  (You may be able to see green veins on the inside of your arms).

Ideal neutrals are: Cream, ivory, peach, camel, tan, stone, warm mid grey and bright navy blue.

Classic spring celebrities: Kate Winslet, Amy Adams, Emma Stone, Scarlet Johansson , Lauren Ambrose 

Autumn skins

These also have a yellow/golden warm base but the complexion has the ability to tan a dark golden colour. Unlike spring this skin-tone won’t tend to have a high cheek colour and the overall appearance is richer and warmer, suiting muted earthy tones with brown being a key colour for autumns. Natural hair colour will be auburn, red, chestnut (sometimes black) or dark blonde, with a golden warmth to it. (You may see green veins on the inside of your arms).

Ideal neutrals: Oatmeal, honey, caramel, chocolate, coffee cream, green-grey, khaki green, dark marine blue.

Classic autumn celebrities: Zendaya, J-Lo, Julia Roberts, Debra Messing

Summer complexions

Summer complexions have a cool blue base and can have an overall pinkish look (but won’t blush) and rarely tans well or a golden colour. This skin tone has a soft, delicate appearance and is normally on the lighter side and really suits pastel shades. Hair colour is naturally ashy blonde or brunette without warmth or gold. Cool grey and soft white coloured hair can look fabulous on ‘Summers’. (You may see blue veins on the inside of your arms).

Ideal neutrals: Soft white, oyster, taupe, cool beige, almond, dove grey, buff (nude), light navy blue.

Classic summer celebrities: Tilda Swinton, Agnetha Falstog, Queen Elizabeth II, Claire Foy

Winter complexions

Winter complexions have a cool blue base with a strong dynamic look to the features. This skin-tone tends be either very light or very dark and can be a cool olive. (No blushing or high cheek colour). The skin can tan and deeply but it won’t be a golden hue.  Being able to wear black well up against the face is the key to discovering the winter season. Hair is naturally cool ash blonde or platinum, black or very dark brown with no warmth. Going white and grey looks stunning on winters! (You may see blue veins on the inside of your arms).

Ideal neutrals: Black, brilliant white, charcoal grey, navy blue, icy grey, black-brown, pine green.

Classic Winter Celebrities: Cynthia Erivo, Nigella Lawson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Michelle Yeoh, Simone Ashley

Jules Standish Colour Consultancy colourconsultancy.co.uk

Emily wears: Merino cashmere silk jumper, £295, Me+Em; Merino wool and super kid mohair jumper, £115, Sezane