Red is not one colour, it is seven, and most of them are wrong for most people and most seasons. Cherry red and bright red are summer reds because they read energetic and warm. Burgundy and wine and deeper reds are autumn reds because they read serious and grounded. The mistake most people make is buying the wrong season's red and then wondering why it looks wrong no matter what they wear it with. A cherry red in winter makes you look like you forgot the season. A burgundy in summer looks like you are mourning. Know which red you are and stick to it in the season it belongs.

Staud's Ruby dress is a pure cherry red, a statement piece for June and July when the light is golden and everything else feels bright. Cara Cara's Cherry mini dresses are the same energy. Frankies Bikinis' x Jennie Scarlet satin mini works as a night version of cherry red, still bright but a bit more texture. These reds work only in warm months when they harmonise with the light. Wear them when the sun feels hot. Pair them with neutral shoes and a simple bag so the red does all the talking. Cherry red reads expensive and confident, but only if you are wearing it in the season where it looks natural rather than forced.

Cult Gaia's Meira and Boa knit dresses in merlot are the deeper reds that read grounded and polished. Ulla Johnson's Neema draped top and Fiona skirt in claret floral both offer the darker red palette with a bit of pattern to keep it from feeling heavy. These reds work in layers and in fabric that suggests weight. They pair well with black, cream, or chocolate brown. Alohas' Oli Rift and Rosalind flats in burgundy are the shoe that works year-round with both cherry and wine reds, depending on what you wear them with. Anine Bing's Isla slides in red terracotta and Ulla Johnson's Colette kitten heel in crimson are the in-between options.

Red is only easy if you stop thinking of it as one colour. Buy the red that matches the season you are in and the warmth of your own skin. A wrong red, no matter how expensive the piece, will sit in your cupboard. The pieces here work because they are unapologetic about what kind of red they are. Cherry is bright and summer. Burgundy is dark and autumn. Terracotta and crimson are the bridge. If you take one thing away, it is that red only looks good when you have chosen the right one for your season and your skin, and fighting that choice is how you waste money on beautiful pieces you never wear.