colormatch

The deep autumn color palette

Autumn at its deepest, with three cold winter shades let in.

Deep autumn, or dark autumn, is the corner of autumn that sits closest to winter. The warmth remains — brown still beats black, cream still beats pure white — but depth is what decides: warm aubergine, brick red, forest green and rust suit this coloring far better than the lighter, softer end of the season.

Because it borders winter, three genuinely cold shades work here that no other part of autumn can carry: deep violet, pine green and sapphire. They are dark enough to match the rest of the palette, and they are why a deep autumn can wear a cold color without looking drained.

Also known as dark autumn.

Deep autumn colors to wear

Seven shades from the autumn palette, chosen for the quality this subtype is named for, and three borrowed from winter — the season it leans towards.

  • Warm Aubergine#5A3540
  • Brick Red#93342C
  • Forest Green#3B5C3B
  • Rust#8F3D1E
  • Deep Teal#255F60
  • Olive Green#6B6B2F
  • Terracotta#A9552C
  • Deep Violet#4A2A7A
  • Pine Green#14483C
  • Sapphire#15487D

Deep autumn neutrals

The quiet shades to build around. These are shared with the parent season, because neutrals shift far less between subtypes than the colors do.

  • Cream#F0E4CC
  • Chocolate Brown#4E3424
  • Khaki#A08E63
  • Bronze#8A6A3A

Shades to be careful with

Cold, icy colors can clash with golden warmth in the skin and often make the face look washed out.

  • Icy Pink#F0CDD8
  • Fuchsia#C2247D
  • Pure White#FFFFFF
  • Cool Gray#9AA0A6
  • Black#000000

Signs this is you

  • Dark, rich colors suit you, and pale ones look insubstantial next to you.
  • Your hair is noticeably darker than your skin, giving clear contrast.
  • Cream and off-white sit better on you than any cool white.
  • Light, dusty shades leave your face looking unfinished.

The one it gets confused with

Deep winter is the neighbour, and both wear very dark colors, so depth will not separate them. Warmth will: hold mustard at the neckline in daylight. On a deep autumn it warms the face rather than draining it; on a deep winter the skin goes sallow and slightly gray around the eyes.

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Wearing it

  1. Dark with dark, rather than dark with pale

    Forest green with chocolate brown, or warm aubergine with deep teal, gives the richness this coloring holds well. A very pale shade next to a very dark one splits the outfit and takes attention off your face.

  2. Use the cold shades as the strong note

    Deep violet, pine green and sapphire are the only cold colors you have, so they stand out even at the same depth as everything else. One of them near the face, with warm neutrals around it, is a useful change from another brown.

Questions about deep autumn

Is deep autumn only for people with dark skin?

No. Skin depth and undertone are separate questions, and every season occurs across all skin tones. Deep describes the contrast and weight in your coloring as a whole — usually dark hair and eyes against your own skin — which appears on fair skin as often as on deep skin.

Do these dark colors work in summer clothing?

Yes, and the fabric does most of the work. Forest green linen, brick red cotton and a rust shirt read as light for the season while keeping the depth your face wants. Depth is a property of the color, not of the weight of the cloth.

Should I wear black or not?

Chocolate brown, deep olive and forest green all do the job better. Black is not a disaster on a deep autumn the way it is on a light coloring, but it stays a little harder than your own contrast. If you wear it, break it at the neckline with cream or a warm shade.

Where this sits