Soft Autumn

Brown eyes and light brown hair sit close together, so the whole picture is warm and even with very little contrast built in. Almond echoes the hair, topaz lifts the eyes, and deep teal is there when you want an outfit with more bite.

Warm and muted - caramel, sage and terracotta; gentle earthy elegance.

Soft autumn is the season that gets talked about as though it were beige, and it is not. It is warm and low in intensity, which means the colors have depth without any of them shouting. If you have ever been told you look tired in black and washed out in optic white, this is the range that fixes both.

What to do about black

Most closets are half black, and that is fine. Black is not banned, it is just a poor choice directly under your chin.

Keep it below the waist and you will never think about it again. Black trousers with a camel knit, a black skirt with warm ivory, black boots with anything. When you do want a black dress, put warm ivory, camel or dusty rose between the neckline and your face: a scarf, a cardigan left open, or a necklace in gold rather than silver. The black is still there, it just is not the thing touching your skin.

Do the same with optic white, cold grey and anything neon you love too much to give up.

Shopping with this

Save the hex codes above and hold your phone next to a garment in daylight. Store lighting is yellow on purpose, and under it a beige looks warmer than it really is every single time.

Buy your face-adjacent pieces in these colors first, since those are the ones that end up next to your skin. Everything else can be whatever you already own.

If you have not confirmed your season yet, or you want the wider personal set rather than these twelve, the five questions take about a minute. There is also a plainer explanation of what color analysis is if you want the background first.

Not this season?

• Soft Summer
• True Autumn
• Deep Autumn

More on soft autumn

• Soft autumn colors to avoid, and the swaps
• Soft autumn vs true autumn: chroma decides
• Soft autumn capsule wardrobe: 12 pieces
• Soft autumn vs soft summer: the difference

Where to go next

• Not sure this is you? Answer five questions.
• What is color analysis?
• What is my undertone? A three-question test
• Gold or silver: a two-question test

Your exact colors

Your exact palette depends on your eyes and hair as well as your season.

• Blue eyes, black hair
• Blue eyes, dark brown hair
• Blue eyes, dirty blonde hair
• Blue eyes, golden blonde hair
• Blue eyes, grey silver hair
• Blue eyes, light brown hair
• Blue eyes, medium brown hair
• Blue eyes, platinum blonde hair
• Blue eyes, red auburn hair
• Brown eyes, black hair
• Brown eyes, dark brown hair
• Brown eyes, dirty blonde hair
• Brown eyes, golden blonde hair
• Brown eyes, grey silver hair
• Brown eyes, light brown hair
• Brown eyes, medium brown hair
• Brown eyes, platinum blonde hair
• Brown eyes, red auburn hair
• Dark brown eyes, dirty blonde hair
• Dark brown eyes, golden blonde hair
• Dark brown eyes, grey silver hair
• Dark brown eyes, light brown hair
• Dark brown eyes, medium brown hair
• Dark brown eyes, platinum blonde hair
• Dark brown eyes, red auburn hair
• Green eyes, black hair
• Green eyes, dark brown hair
• Green eyes, dirty blonde hair
• Green eyes, golden blonde hair
• Green eyes, grey silver hair
• Green eyes, light brown hair
• Green eyes, medium brown hair
• Green eyes, platinum blonde hair
• Green eyes, red auburn hair
• Grey eyes, black hair
• Grey eyes, dark brown hair
• Grey eyes, dirty blonde hair
• Grey eyes, golden blonde hair
• Grey eyes, grey silver hair
• Grey eyes, light brown hair
• Grey eyes, medium brown hair
• Grey eyes, platinum blonde hair
• Grey eyes, red auburn hair
• Hazel eyes, black hair
• Hazel eyes, dark brown hair
• Hazel eyes, dirty blonde hair
• Hazel eyes, golden blonde hair
• Hazel eyes, grey silver hair
• Hazel eyes, light brown hair
• Hazel eyes, medium brown hair
• Hazel eyes, platinum blonde hair
• Hazel eyes, red auburn hair