colormatch

The warm autumn colour palette

Autumn in the middle, golden all the way through, with nothing borrowed at either edge.

Warm autumn — true autumn in most books — sits at the centre of the season. Golden warmth decides everything here, and it shows in the shades that suit best: terracotta, rust, mustard, moss and pumpkin, colours that look as though they have been left in the sun.

Ten shades, all of them autumn’s, and not one taken from summer or winter. Borrowing is what a subtype does when it leans towards a neighbour, and this one does not lean, so there is nothing to borrow. That makes warm autumn the clearest example of the season rather than a weakened one — in practice it means anything sold as an autumn colour is worth trying on, which is not true of its two siblings.

Also known as true autumn, pure autumn.

Warm autumn colours to wear

The autumn palette at its most typical. Nothing is borrowed from a neighbouring season, which is what makes this the clearest example of the season rather than a diluted one.

  • Moss#7C8A43
  • Olive Green#6B6B2F
  • Brick Red#93342C
  • Rust#8F3D1E
  • Terracotta#A9552C
  • Forest Green#3B5C3B
  • Pumpkin#C2662A
  • Deep Teal#255F60
  • Warm Aubergine#5A3540
  • Mustard#C8971F

Warm autumn neutrals

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

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

Shades to be careful with

Cold, icy colours 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 Grey#9AA0A6
  • Black#000000

Signs this is you

  • Warm, earthy colours suit you across the range, mid-depth and dark alike.
  • Your skin has a golden or olive cast rather than a pink one.
  • Gold, copper and bronze all suit you, and silver looks cold.
  • Cool pastels such as icy pink leave your face looking washed out.

The one it gets confused with

Deep autumn is the neighbour, and both are warm and rich, so the question is how much depth your face can take. Hold terracotta at the neckline in daylight, then warm aubergine. If terracotta lifts your face and the darker shade weighs it down, you are a warm autumn; a deep autumn gains from the darker one.

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Wearing it

  1. Use the whole spice range

    Nothing has been held back from this palette, so mustard, rust and terracotta are all yours at full strength. Two warm shades together — rust with khaki, mustard with chocolate brown — is the arrangement this colouring was built for.

  2. Replace black with brown at every level

    Chocolate brown, bronze and deep olive do the job black does for other people, and they do it without hardening your face. That means shoes, belts and bags as well as the coat.

Questions about warm autumn

Is warm autumn the same as true autumn?

Yes. Warm autumn, true autumn and pure autumn all name the same subtype. The word changes with the system, but each one describes the middle of the season, where warmth is at its strongest and nothing is borrowed from either side.

Why are there no summer or winter shades in this palette?

Because warm autumn leans in neither direction. A subtype only borrows from the season it leans towards, and this one stands in the middle, so all ten shades are autumn’s own. The palette is more autumn than its siblings, not less.

Can I wear a cool colour if I like it?

Yes, with one condition: keep it away from your face. A cool blue skirt or bag causes no problem at all. It is the shirt, scarf or jumper at your neckline that gets compared with your skin in the mirror.

Where this sits