Secondary characteristic

The secondary characteristic is the color dimension, hue, value or chroma, that clearly shapes a person's palette but sits in a middle position rather than at an extreme, unlike the dominant characteristic that defines the season's name. A Light Spring, for example, has value, light, as its dominant trait and warmth, hue, as its secondary trait, which is why Light Spring's palette is warm but never as intensely warm as True Spring's. The secondary characteristic is also the basis for the shared characteristic partner, a season on the opposite side of the wheel that happens to share the same dominant or secondary trait, for example Light Spring and Light Summer are both dominant-light even though one is warm and the other cool. Recognising a person's secondary characteristic helps fine-tune a palette once the dominant trait is already settled.

Why it matters

The secondary characteristic is what separates two seasons that share a dominant trait, like Light Spring and Light Summer, both light, but one warm and one cool. Getting it right decides much of every color choice that follows from there.