A foreign friend overheard the conversation at the next table in a café and asked me. "What's a 'spring warm'? What kind of spring?" In Korea, many people check their 'personal color' first before buying clothes. It means calling the colors that suit your skin by the names spring, summer, autumn and winter. ## A method only those in the know use There's a way to use it without getting a diagnosis. You hold the clothes up under your chin in front of the mirror in the store. Look only at your face, not at the whole piece of clothing. If your face looks bright, it's a color that suits you. If your face looks dull or tired, it's not the right color for you. It's easier to tell if you wear light makeup and look in a bright place, like by a window. Plenty of people try on gold and silver necklaces back and forth. ## Why won't anyone tell you? Koreans don't learn this separately. While shopping with a friend, they hear something like "That color makes your face look a bit dull," and pick it up naturally. It's so obvious to them that it never occurs to them to explain it. ## Why pay so much attention to skin tone? In Korea, there's a general sense that what matters is not the clothes themselves but how your face looks when you wear them. You also end up taking a lot of photos. So people look for "the color that suits me" rather than "pretty clothes." That said, it's more a matter of taste and experience than science, so many people try it just for fun. If you want a professional diagnosis, the price and method differ from shop to shop. Check directly on a booking app or social media.