Our Method
A detailed colour analysis, beyond the seasonal label
At Iroha Style, we use a Japanese approach to personal colour analysis.
Japanese colour analysis is known for its structured and detailed way of comparing colour. Rather than focusing only on whether a person is warm or cool, it also considers differences in lightness, depth, clarity, softness and contrast.
Using 120 colour drapes based on the PCCS colour system, we observe how each colour affects your complexion and identify the colour qualities that create the most balanced and flattering result.
The aim is not simply to give you a seasonal label. It is to help you understand which colours work for you, why they work and how to use them in everyday life.
Discover the Japanese method
The Japanese method begins with careful comparison.
During the consultation, different colours are placed close to the face so that we can observe changes in the skin, facial contours and overall impression. Some colours make the complexion appear clearer and more even. Others may emphasise redness, shadows or unevenness.
These differences are not judged from hair or eye colour alone. They are assessed directly through draping under consistent lighting.
A major strength of the Japanese approach is that it combines a clear seasonal framework with detailed tone analysis. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter provide an easy starting point, while the comparison of light, bright, soft, muted, deep and vivid tones makes the result more individual.
This creates a method that is both structured and practical.
Your personal colour balance
Japanese colour analysis places strong emphasis on balance.
We examine whether your features are supported best by lighter or darker colours, soft or vivid colours, and low or high contrast combinations.
This affects much more than clothing colour. It also influences how you wear patterns, makeup, accessories and jewellery.
A person who suits soft contrast may look more harmonious in blended colour combinations. Someone who supports stronger contrast may carry clearer differences between light and dark.
The result is therefore not a fixed list of permitted colours. It is a guide to the balance that works best for you.
The advantage of 120 colour drapes
Our 120 drapes allow us to compare a wide range of colours in a systematic way.
Because the colours are organised according to the PCCS system, we can evaluate not only colour families, but also specific differences in tone.
This makes it possible to compare, for example, a bright pink with a soft pink, or a light blue with a deep blue, rather than treating all versions of one colour as equivalent.
The benefit is a more precise result. You may discover that blue suits you very well, but only when it is light and clear. Or you may find that warm colours work best when they are soft rather than vivid.
This level of comparison is one of the strongest features of the Japanese approach.
Practical guidance for everyday life
A personal colour consultation should make shopping easier, not more complicated.
We therefore discuss how your result can be applied to clothing, makeup, hair colour, jewellery, glasses and accessories.
You will learn which colours are easiest to wear near your face, which neutrals are most useful for your wardrobe and how to combine your colours in a way that feels natural.
We also explain how to wear colours outside your ideal palette. A less suitable colour may still work as a skirt, bag, shoe or accent, or it may be balanced with a better colour near the face.
The goal is flexibility and understanding, not restriction.
More than one season
Most people do not fit perfectly into one narrow category.
You may have a clear main season but also share qualities with another palette. Your best neutrals may come from a slightly different direction than your strongest accent colours. You may also find that one characteristic, such as softness or lightness, matters more than the seasonal boundary itself.
The Japanese method is valuable because it provides structure without ignoring these individual differences.
You receive a clear result, but also a more personal explanation of how your colouring works.