Color in
recorded closets.
In this Cladwell sample, 89% of recorded digital closets contained an item tagged black and 86% contained an item tagged white.
A look at familiar wardrobe colors and saved quiz results, with the methods behind the percentages.
Back to the color guideFamiliar colors, already there.
Black and white were the most common base color tags in the recorded closets we studied. The table shows the share of those closets with at least one item carrying each tag.
| Color tag | Share of recorded closets |
|---|---|
| Black | 89% |
| White | 86% |
| Gray | 81% |
| Tan | 77% |
| Brown | 75% |
| Denim Blue | 74% |
| Navy | 71% |
| Blue | 68% |
Whole percentages, rounded independently. Color categories overlap: a closet can contain several colors, and an item can carry more than one tag. These are not shares of all clothing or measurements of how often a color was worn.
For getting dressed, a familiar piece can be a useful place to begin. Our color guide’s outfit examples show how to try a palette with clothes already in your closet. That is practical guidance, not an outcome measured by this study.
A separate look at saved quiz results.
Deep Autumn was the most frequent latest result in the eligible quiz sample, at 32%. This is a classification produced by our question-only quiz, not an estimate of how common Deep Autumn is in the population.
See the rounded quiz-result distribution
| Quiz result | Share of eligible accounts |
|---|---|
| Deep Autumn | 32% |
| Deep Winter | 13% |
| Soft Summer | 11% |
| Warm Autumn | 8% |
| Cool Summer | 7% |
| Clear Winter | 6% |
| Cool Winter | 5% |
| Clear Spring | 5% |
| Light Summer | 4% |
| Light Spring | 4% |
| Warm Spring | 4% |
| Soft Autumn | 3% |
The percentages are rounded independently and may not add to 100%.
How we counted.
This is a fixed research snapshot, not a live dashboard. We publish rounded aggregate percentages. Account totals, raw counts and individual records are not published.
- The quiz sample
- We selected one latest retained question-only color result per registered Cladwell account before October 25, 2026 at 2:15 PM Eastern. We excluded staff, accounts marked inactive, anonymous sessions and additional saved versions. An active account flag does not mean someone used the app recently. The selected result dates span October 2–25, 2026.
- The closet sample
- We then selected accounts in the quiz sample with nondeleted items outside storage in their whole-closet records. 58% of the eligible quiz sample had items recorded. We did not treat the rest as people with empty real wardrobes. Closet contents were read at approximately 2:19 PM Eastern on October 25.
- The color percentages
- For each base color, we counted each account once if its recorded closet had at least one eligible item with that primary color tag, then divided by the accounts in the closet sample. We combined shade variations under their base tags. Shared catalog garments may appear in different accounts. Fewer than 1% of recorded account/item pairs lacked a primary color tag.
- The quiz percentages
- For each seasonal classification, we divided the accounts with that latest result by all eligible accounts in the quiz sample. Each account contributes to one classification. The modern quiz asks about current hair; the earlier Typeform forms asked about natural hair.
- The validation
- We independently resolved the saved answers against the versioned quiz contract and checked them against the saved classifications. The answers followed the expected branches and matched their saved results. This checks consistency with the algorithm, not accuracy against a professional color analysis.
- The selection check
- First retained and latest results differed for 10% of eligible accounts after rounding. Deep Autumn remained the most frequent result at about 32% under either choice. A changed saved result does not establish that someone’s coloring changed or that one attempt was more accurate.
What these figures don’t tell us.
- The sample is self-selected. It does not represent everyone who uses a color quiz, every Cladwell customer or the population as a whole.
- A digital closet may be incomplete. Recorded items do not verify purchases, all the clothes someone owns, or actual wears.
- A broad tag such as black or blue is not an exact seasonal shade. We did not score garments for seasonal suitability.
- We did not measure whether using a palette caused a change in shopping, confidence or wardrobe use.
- Historical Typeform submissions are outside this sample. Form wording, versions and branch routing differ, and submission counters do not reconcile with every question-summary denominator.
Keep the sample definition attached when sharing a figure. A percentage describes this selected group and this snapshot.
The tables and the citation.
These downloads contain the same rounded percentages and definitions shown here. They contain no account totals or individual records.
Cite this research
Cladwell. Cladwell color research: findings and methodology. October 25, 2026. Release 2026-10-25.v1. cladwell.com/color-quiz-research.
Research and publication by Cladwell. The aggregate figures were checked against the source queries; no independent clinical or professional color-analysis validation is claimed.
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