Autumn Color Palette: Soft, True and Deep Autumn Colors With Hex Codes

The autumn color palette is warm and earthy: rust, mustard, olive, camel, chocolate, terracotta and warm teal. In seasonal color analysis, Autumn is the family for people whose coloring is warm and muted to rich, with a golden undertone and no icy brightness.

There isn't one autumn palette, though. The 12-season system splits Autumn into three, and they are different enough that a Soft Autumn and a Deep Autumn rarely share a sweater:

• Soft Autumn: soft first, warm second. Muted, gentle, low contrast.
• True Autumn (also called Warm Autumn): warm first. Golden, spicy, medium-deep.
• Deep Autumn (also called Dark Autumn): deep first, warm second. Dark, rich, a touch of Winter.

Side by side

The three autumn palettes

Same golden warmth, three different dials: softness, warmth and depth.

Soft Autumn

Warm, muted and gentle, like autumn in the mist.

Top: signature colors · bottom: colors to avoid

Undertoneneutral warm

CoolWarm

Depthmedium

LightDeep

Chromasoft

SoftBright

Contrastlow

LowHigh

Skin:

Light to medium golden beige, warm-neutral, often with a soft olive or peachy cast.

Hair:

Dark blonde or light to medium golden brown, often with natural honey highlights.

Eyes:

Soft hazel, olive green, warm grey-green or soft brown.

Soft Autumn guide →

True Autumn

Warm, rich and earthy, like a forest in October.

Top: signature colors · bottom: colors to avoid

Undertonewarm

CoolWarm

Depthmedium deep

LightDeep

Chromamedium

SoftBright

Contrastmedium

LowHigh

Skin:

Ivory, golden beige, warm bronze or deep golden brown with a clearly golden undertone; freckles are common.

Hair:

Auburn, copper red, golden brown or warm chestnut.

Eyes:

Warm brown, golden hazel, olive or topaz green.

True Autumn guide →

Deep Autumn

Deep, warm and rich, like spices and dark chocolate.

Top: signature colors · bottom: colors to avoid

Undertoneneutral warm

CoolWarm

Depthdeep

LightDeep

Chromamedium

SoftBright

Contrastmedium

LowHigh

Skin:

Medium to deep, golden beige, olive, bronze or deep warm brown.

Hair:

Dark brown, dark chestnut, black-brown or dark auburn.

Eyes:

Dark brown, deep hazel, dark olive or black-brown.

Deep Autumn guide →

What makes a color "autumn"

Every autumn color has the same two qualities:

1. A warm, golden base. Autumn reds lean orange (rust, tomato, chili), not blue. Autumn greens lean yellow (olive, moss) or blue-green (teal, jade) but never icy mint.
2. Some muting or richness. Autumn colors look like they were dyed with plants and spices: no neon, no icy pastels, no stark black and white.

That's the difference from Spring, the other warm family. Spring colors are warm and clear (coral, golden yellow, turquoise). Autumn colors are warm and muted or deep (terracotta, mustard, petrol). Put a coral next to a terracotta and you'll see the line between the two families.

The Soft Autumn color palette

The gentlest autumn. Camel, sage, soft salmon, soft teal and warm rose, all slightly greyed. It suits people with low contrast: dark blonde or light golden brown hair, soft hazel or olive eyes, golden beige skin.

Autumn family · Neutrals + Everyday colors + Accents

Soft Autumn: neutrals, everyday colors and accents

Neutrals

• Cream
  #F0E5CF
• Oatmeal
  #DCCAB0
• Khaki
  #B8AA8B
• Camel
  #BF9F78
• Taupe
  #9C8B7A
• Warm Grey
  #99928A
• Coffee
  #6E5847
• Cocoa Brown
  #5E4A3D

Everyday colors

• Sage
  #A5A87F
• Moss
  #6F7A4E
• Celadon
  #93AE93
• Soft Teal
  #6A958B
• Warm Rose
  #C38D82
• Soft Salmon
  #D89A82
• Clay
  #BF8366
• Soft Pumpkin
  #C48A5A
• Honey
  #CFA964
• Golden Wheat
  #D6BA80

Accents

• Terracotta
  #B9694E
• Soft Red
  #AD5A50
• Rosewood
  #A86C68
• Mustard
  #B99A55
• Olive
  #807840
• Jade
  #4E8A7A
• Warm Teal
  #3E7C7A
• Soft Turquoise
  #6FA6A2

Tap any color to copy its hex code, then paste it into a shop's color filter or a design app.

Full palette, makeup and hair: Soft Autumn color palette.

The True Autumn color palette

The warmest autumn and the one most people picture as "fall colors": rust, mustard, olive, pumpkin, warm teal, chocolate. It suits golden skin with auburn, copper or golden brown hair and warm brown, golden hazel or olive eyes. Freckles are common.

Autumn family · Neutrals + Everyday colors + Accents

True Autumn: neutrals, everyday colors and accents

Neutrals

• Cream
  #F2E3C2
• Warm Beige
  #D6BD94
• Camel
  #B98A55
• Khaki
  #9E8C5B
• Warm Taupe
  #8E765E
• Olive Brown
  #5E5A30
• Coffee
  #6B4A30
• Chocolate
  #4B3020

Everyday colors

• Marigold
  #E4A542
• Mustard
  #BF8F2A
• Pumpkin
  #CF6F2D
• Terracotta
  #C1623F
• Salmon
  #D9855F
• Caramel
  #B6763F
• Olive
  #807B35
• Moss
  #6E7A3C
• Jade
  #3F8A6F
• Warm Teal
  #2F7E78

Accents

• Burnt Orange
  #C9561C
• Tomato Red
  #C2412F
• Rust
  #A2482A
• Saffron
  #DDA11F
• Copper
  #B4652E
• Pear
  #A79A2E
• Fern Green
  #5E893A
• Lagoon Teal
  #138C82

Tap any color to copy its hex code, then paste it into a shop's color filter or a design app.

Full palette, makeup and hair: True Autumn color palette.

The Deep Autumn color palette

The darkest autumn: dark chocolate, espresso, rust, chili red, olive, deep teal and emerald pine. It suits medium to deep skin with dark brown or black-brown hair and dark brown or deep hazel eyes.

Autumn family · Neutrals + Everyday colors + Accents

Deep Autumn: neutrals, everyday colors and accents

Neutrals

• Cream
  #EDE0C6
• Toffee
  #9A6C40
• Taupe
  #7A6655
• Coffee
  #5B4131
• Warm Charcoal
  #3E3A35
• Dark Chocolate
  #3D271C
• Olive Black
  #2F2E21
• Espresso
  #2A1D17

Everyday colors

• Terracotta
  #B4573C
• Burnt Orange
  #B9561F
• Rust
  #9B4224
• Tomato Red
  #B53A2B
• Mustard
  #A47A1E
• Bronze
  #8A6227
• Olive
  #6C6A2B
• Moss
  #5D6936
• Jade
  #2E7A5F
• Teal
  #1E6D6A

Accents

• Chili Red
  #A3272A
• Burgundy
  #6E1E2A
• Copper
  #A85A2B
• Saffron
  #B98516
• Golden Olive
  #8C8125
• Emerald Pine
  #156B4F
• Peacock
  #0D5E67
• Petrol
  #1B4F5E

Tap any color to copy its hex code, then paste it into a shop's color filter or a design app.

Full palette, makeup and hair: Dark Autumn color palette.

Which autumn are you?

Three drape tests that separate them, in daylight with no makeup. Each pair goes from the softest autumn to the deepest:

• Soft pumpkin vs pumpkin vs burnt orange. Soft Autumn wears the greyed soft pumpkin, True Autumn the full pumpkin, and burnt orange belongs to True and Deep Autumn.
• Coffee vs chocolate vs espresso under the chin. The deepest brown that still looks warm and easy on you points to your autumn: coffee for Soft, chocolate for True, espresso for Deep.
• Soft red vs tomato red vs chili red. Soft Autumn needs the softest red. If chili red looks rich rather than heavy, you're likely Deep Autumn.

If none of the autumn colors win and cool rose or grey beats camel, look at the neighbors: Soft Summer sits next to Soft Autumn, and Dark Winter next to Deep Autumn.

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Compare 3 seasons on your own photo

Soft Autumn · True Autumn · Deep Autumn

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Colors autumns should avoid

Each autumn has its own avoid list, but they overlap: icy, cool and stark colors fail all three.

Autumn family

What autumns skip, and the autumn version

Wear instead

• Cream
  #F0E5CF
• Chocolate
  #4B3020
• Tomato Red
  #C2412F
• Dark Teal
  #1F4F4B
• Rose Sand
  #CF9C8E
• Jade Mist
  #8DB4A0

Avoid near the face

• Pure White
  #FFFFFF
• Black
  #0A0A0A
• Fuchsia
  #C71585
• Royal Blue
  #2A52D6
• Pastel Pink
  #F8C8DC
• Baby Blue
  #A9CCE3

Soft Autumn True Autumn Deep Autumn

• Pure white: too stark for every autumn. Cream is the autumn white.
• Black: harsh for Soft and True Autumn. Deep Autumn handles darkness, but espresso and dark chocolate still beat black.
• Fuchsia and hot pink: blue-based, they turn warm skin sallow. Choose tomato red, terracotta or warm rose.
• Royal blue and icy blues: too cool and electric. Autumn blues are teal, petrol and peacock.
• Pastels: pastel pink, baby blue, lavender and mint wash out autumns, Deep Autumn most of all.

You can still wear them away from the face: black trousers with a camel sweater, a navy coat with a rust scarf. The color touching your face is the one that counts.

Fall color palettes with hex codes: outfit formulas

Looking for a fall color palette for outfits, a wedding or a design? These three-color formulas come straight from the season palettes. Tap any color in the palettes above to copy its hex code.

True Autumn · outfit formulas

True Autumn: the classic fall palette

Read each board as 60% main color, 30% second, 10% accent near the face or in accessories.

• Main

  Second
  Camel · Rust · Cream

  A timeless autumn outfit for work and weekends.

• Main

  Second
  Chocolate · Mustard · Warm Beige

  Rich and cozy for colder days.

• Main

  Second
  Olive · Burnt Orange · Wheat

  Casual earthy tones for days outdoors.

• Main

  Second
  Coffee · Warm Teal · Apricot

  Statement contrast for dinners and events.

Soft Autumn · outfit formulas

Soft Autumn: the muted fall palette

Read each board as 60% main color, 30% second, 10% accent near the face or in accessories.

• Main

  Second
  Camel · Sage · Cream

  Easy, polished everyday dressing.

• Main

  Second
  Coffee · Soft Salmon · Oatmeal

  Warm and cozy for weekends and cafe dates.

• Main

  Second
  Khaki · Soft Teal · Honey

  Relaxed safari tones for travel.

• Main

  Second
  Taupe · Rosewood · Apricot Cream

  Soft and romantic, perfect for dinners out.

Deep Autumn · outfit formulas

Deep Autumn: the dark fall palette

Read each board as 60% main color, 30% second, 10% accent near the face or in accessories.

• Main

  Second
  Dark Chocolate · Rust · Cream

  Warm, strong and polished for the office.

• Main

  Second
  Espresso · Emerald Pine · Golden Wheat

  Rich jewel tones for evening events.

• Main

  Second
  Olive · Terracotta · Toffee

  Grounded, earthy weekend style.

• Main

  Second
  Warm Charcoal · Teal · Saffron

  Bold, modern contrast for city days.

Building an autumn wardrobe

Start with the neutrals. Every autumn wears warm browns, camel or cream instead of black, grey and white, and that single swap fixes most autumn wardrobes. Then add your season's signature colors in tops and knitwear, where they sit next to your face.

True Autumn · capsule

A 10-piece True Autumn capsule

The classic autumn starter wardrobe. Soft and Deep Autumns follow the same plan with their own palette: lighter and greyer for Soft, darker for Deep.

• Wool coatCamel
• BlazerOlive Brown
• Knit sweaterMustard
• Button-down shirtCream
• T-shirtTerracotta
• TrousersChocolate
• DressWarm Teal
• CardiganPumpkin
• ScarfRust
• BootsCoffee

Shopping notes for every autumn:

• Texture helps. Suede, corduroy, tweed, wool and linen make earthy colors look richer. Shiny synthetic fabrics make them look cheap.
• Check the brown. Some browns have a pink or grey cast. Autumn browns are golden or reddish: hold them next to a camel item you know works.
• Prints: paisley, animal prints in warm browns, tartans in rust and olive, florals on a cream ground. Soft Autumn keeps prints blended, Deep Autumn can go bolder.
• Denim: medium, softly faded washes with a grey or warm cast for Soft Autumn; medium to dark washes with a warm, slightly vintage cast for True Autumn; dark indigo and rich mid washes for Deep Autumn.

Autumn makeup, hair and metals at a glance

More detail: Soft Autumn makeup, Soft Autumn hair colors, and which jewelry color suits you.

Autumn celebrities

These names are commonly cited for each autumn. Treat them as reference points, not verdicts: hair dye, tans and lighting change how anyone reads on camera.

More on the first two: True Autumn celebrities and Soft Autumn celebrities.

Autumn color palette FAQ

What are autumn colors?

Warm, earthy colors with a golden base: rust, mustard, olive, moss, camel, chocolate, terracotta, pumpkin, warm teal and cream. In color analysis, they are the colors of the three Autumn seasons.

What is the difference between Warm Autumn and True Autumn?

None. Warm Autumn and True Autumn are two names for the same season, the warmest of the three autumns.

Is there a cool autumn color palette?

Not in the 12-season system: every autumn is warm-leaning. The coolest autumns are Soft Autumn (next to Soft Summer) and Deep Autumn (next to Dark Winter). If you look best in cool, muted autumn-like colors, you may be a Soft Summer.

Can autumns wear black?

Deep Autumn can wear black, though espresso and dark chocolate are more flattering near the face. For Soft and True Autumn, black is on the avoid list; use chocolate, coffee or cocoa brown.

Can autumns wear blue?

Yes, the warm blues: teal, petrol, peacock, warm teal and lagoon teal. Royal blue, baby blue and icy blues are the ones to skip.

What is the best white for autumns?

Cream. Pure white is too stark for all three autumns.