Fall Fashion Colors for the Perfect Autumn Outfits

Make the most of your fall wardrobe with these fashion-forward colors. Mix classic and trendy shades into your autumn clothing for gorgeous looks this season!

Updated September 21, 2023
woman in autumn brown scarf and hat

There’s nothing as scrumptious as the fall color palette. Baked to perfection in warm, comforting hues, fall fashion colors are iconic and timeless. Discover how to finesse your fall clothing by pairing the right staples together and learn about the bold new colors setting trends across the runway you might want to add as well.

Classic Fall Fashion Colors You Can’t Go Wrong With

For decades, people have been using seasonal colors to guide their shopping as they transition from one quarter of the year to another. While spring and summer might not be as instantly definable, fall has the most recognizable color palette of the four. 

Stick with clothes in these fall colors and you’ll be able to build a capsule collection you can wear all season long. While there are some fall fashion dos and dont's you can follow, these colors all get our vote to wear this season. 

Mustard Yellow

woman in mustard yellow sweater

The summer yellows pale in comparison to the delicious fall color  — mustard. Mustard yellow is unparalleled for its versatility, eye-catching hue, and mixing and matching so well with the other fall color staples.

When you’re dressing with mustard, it’s going to take the spotlight. So, don’t try to pair it with similarly bold colors. Instead, use warm browns, dark navies, and dark greens to complement the yellow while letting it shine.

All the Browns

woman brown coat and dress

If every season was a color, fall would be brown. From the falling leaves to the dying plants, brown is everywhere in fall, and we can’t get enough. Think about brown as the second-in-command to all of your fall outfits. It’s there to support the vision you have in every way it can.

So, stick with versatile pieces like trousers, shoes, and outerwear with your browns. In short, if you’d wear it in black the rest of the year you, you might want to buy it in brown for the fall. 

Eggplant Purple

woman in purple pants and stylish green shirt

Purple is a fall go-to, but where it really excels is in that darker range. Eggplant purples and dark grape juice purples are delicious in fall. They can add a cooler tone balance to an otherwise warm-toned color palette. These colors aren’t going to steal the show, but they will help you perfect that ideal witchy vibe.

Elevate your fall purples by trying out different textured fabrics. Think velvets, embroidered chiffons, and denims. Since dark purple doesn’t have much pop on its own, you can make it a showstopper by adding dynamics with fabric choices.

Olive Green

female friends in courtyard

In general, green is a less common fall color. It’s probably because most people’s minds turn towards cool and true greens first, instead of the plethora of warm greens you can find. Olive green is a perfect balance to take your wardrobe out of summer and into fall. It’ll still work with some of your heavier summer pieces and your fall favorites, too.

Olive green is practically a neutral because of how many different things it goes with. Not only can you stick with pants and coats, but you can also experiment with accessories in olive tones too. Just remember to look for shades with more yellow in them than blue, because the yellow will bring out the richness in the rest of your wardrobe.

Terracotta

woman in field with terracota jacket

We couldn’t talk about fall colors without mentioning the holy grail — terracotta. This burnt orange, dusty color is just delightful. It works on every skin color and tone and is flattering at any age. And like olive green, it’s also subtle enough to be used as a neutral, too.

You really can’t go wrong flooding your wardrobe with terracotta-colored clothes. Go for a fully monochrome number or pepper in wide-legged trousers, oversized jumpers, and cute beanies.

Stay on Trend With These Fashion-Forward Fall Colors

While you can always turn to your fall color staples, have some fun this autumn by experimenting with new, trending colors as well. From bright pops of red to neutral metallics, these are the colors that’ve captured the runway and you might want to add to your closet.

Scarlet Reds

Beautiful young woman wearing red dress carrying shopping bags

Scarlet or cherry red is present in all the major fall collections this year. Usually, this red is saved for winter, but you can pull out those bold red colors a few months early. This isn’t a color meant to fade into the background, so you shouldn’t look to over-accessorize with it.

Instead, consider trying full outfits of shocking red tones. Huge coats, pantsuits, and knit dresses are just some of the ways you can incorporate this color into your show-stopping numbers.

Off-Whites

Young black businesswoman confidently strolling in downtown

This fall, we’re kicking the 'no white after Labor Day' rule to the curb. Though, you should look more for the off-whites than the pure, winter whites to complement the other colors in your wardrobe.

But we get it; white can be a daunting color to wear. So, don’t worry about breaking out a white monochrome co-ord set. Instead, stick with beautiful white blouses or huge white coats to embrace the color without making yourself feel uncomfortable.

Crumby Browns

Woman in trench coat raising arms in front of wooden wall

You know when you’ve inhaled a delicious piece of toast and you’re left with the smattering of crumbs on the plate? That’s the kind of browns that are so in this fall. These tawny browns are perfect complements to the standard fall colors, making them a must-have in your wardrobe.

The possibilities really are endless with this color, but we suggest coats, coats, and more coats. It’s just a perfect teddy color for a big, fluffy coat. On top of that, try overalls and corduroy to round out your wardrobe with some wonderfully practical pieces.

Cool, Powdery Blues

Young woman models clothes in brightly lit studio

In fashion, things are heading towards a cool tone moment. Sprinkled across the runways were soft, powdery blue pieces. Not quite the same powder blue tone that screams the 1950s, but something a bit more subdued with a little more grit to it.

This is such an interesting color to help you stand out in any fall family photoshoots you’ve got booked. With this cozy, cool color, we’re immediately drawn to sweaters, blazers, and blouses. It’s a great way to deviate from the fall color palette while incorporating your other fall standards.

Neutral Metallics

Laughing young man wearing silver high heels and evening dress

A really curious standout in the fall collections this year was neutral metallics. Think stormy grays and deep browns. There’ll be no sparkly pinks and yellows in this autumn wardrobe! What makes these colors a standout is the shimmery effect rather than the colors themselves.

Thankfully, neutral metallics are more versatile than bolder colored metallics are. So, you can add a few great evening dresses in these colors to get your glam on in something other than velvet.

Fall Fashion Is Meant to Be Fun and Fabulous

Whether it’s spring or fall, every season’s got its standard color palette. But what’s the fun in fading into the background? Stand out by mixing old staples with fashion-forward colors to really make your mark. Because this fall, you’ll look so good you won’t think twice about documenting every OOTD.

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Fall Fashion Colors for the Perfect Autumn Outfits