How to Wear Autumn Colours

How to Wear Autumn Colours When the Colours Don’t Love You 

September is when the fashion world leans wholeheartedly into autumn. Shop windows turn into swathes of burnt orange, russet red, golden mustard and deep olive. It’s cosy, it’s nostalgic, and it looks fantastic… but not on everyone! For some people, these warm, earthy tones can leave their skin looking tired, muted, or even a little sallow.  Autumn isn’t just about colour - there are clever ways to make the season’s style work in your favour.  Instead of forcing the traditional autumnal shades, embrace the mood with texture and fabric. Chunky knits, plush velvet, cosy tweed, and buttery suede instantly speak to the season, no matter the colour. A teal velvet blazer or a soft grey wool coat can feel just as autumnal as a chestnut leather jacket without draining your complexion.

Let Autumn Be Your Accent

If warm colour tones really don’t suit you, avoid wearing these directly beneath your face. Keep them as accents in accessories: a rust-coloured crossbody, or chocolate-brown boots. These subtle touches still communicate seasonal style while allowing your most flattering colours to be the focal point.

Swap to Cooler Tones

Love the richness of autumn’s palette but they don’t suit you? Seek out cooler variations. Swap rust for cranberry or wine, bottle-green for moss green, etc. These shades mirror the seasonal depth but harmonise better with cooler skin tones.

Layer with Style

Place your most flattering shades closest to your face to correct warmer seasonal colours. A soft-white blouse teamed with a cinnamon cardigan, for example, will break up difficult tones and add visual interest.

Prints

Prints can bridge the gap between seasonal trends and personal colour palettes. Autumn-inspired motifs such as leaves, checks, plaids, subtle florals, but in your own harmonious shades create the same seasonal vibe without the compromise. A cool-toned print in navy, grey and forest green can feel just as “autumnal” as the classic brown-and-tan combo.

Three Outfit Ideas for a Non-Pumpkin Autumn

1. Teal coat, ivory turtleneck, tailored navy trousers, oxblood leather crossbody.

2. Soft-grey knit jumper, bottle-green midi skirt, black Chelsea boots.

3. Wine-coloured silk blouse, charcoal skirt

The essence of September style isn’t about submitting to one specific colour wheel. It’s about capturing the romance, the richness, and the layering that comes with the changing season and making it your own. After all, the most timeless trend in fashion is wearing what truly makes YOU look and feel your best.

Autumn Dressing: Do’s & Don’ts

DO

• Experiment with texture velvet, wool, tweed, suede.

• Keep your most flattering colours near your face for instant glow.

• Use autumn tones in accessories belts, bags, boots

• Layer smart mix warm seasonal shades with your personal palette.

• Opt for cooler tones of classic autumn colours.

DON’T

• Drown yourself in head-to-toe pumpkin unless it truly suits YOU

• Assume autumn style means brown-on-brown think depth, not dullness.

• Ignore prints plaid, houndstooth and leaf motifs work in any palette.

• Forget the mood you can channel autumn through styling, not just colour.

• Buy trend pieces in unflattering shades they’ll gather dust in your wardrobe.

TOP TIP: Always try colours in natural daylight to see how they work with your complexion