Hue & Shape
Menu

Autumn family, warm and muted

Autumn (fall) color palette

Warm colors with some earth in them.

· By the Hue & Shape team

Not sure you are an Autumn?

The free color test reads your season from a photo and seven quick questions. The photo stays on your device. If you want it, your personal color report is $12.99 once, with no subscription.

Take the free color testOr test your undertone first

Autumn color analysis, also called fall color analysis, covers three seasons with a warm, golden undertone and a muted finish. Autumn colors look as if brown has been folded into them: rust, mustard, olive, camel, teal and terracotta rather than the clean coral and marigold of spring.

Autumn is the deepest warm family. On the tool's map its seasons run from medium depth (soft autumn) to the deepest warm position of all twelve (deep autumn). Clarity runs the other way: soft autumn is the most muted season on the whole map, warm autumn sits in the middle, and deep autumn is the richest and clearest of the three, though still well short of a winter.

If spring is warmth plus clarity, autumn is warmth plus depth and softness. The face looks even and calm in colors that have some weight to them, and slightly washed or overdone in pastels and neon brights.

The twelve color seasons by warmth, depth and clarityLight Spring: warmth 0.55, depth 0.18, clarity 0.62. Warm Spring: warmth 0.95, depth 0.45, clarity 0.72. Bright Spring: warmth 0.5, depth 0.5, clarity 1. Light Summer: warmth -0.45, depth 0.22, clarity 0.5. Cool Summer: warmth -0.9, depth 0.45, clarity 0.58. Soft Summer: warmth -0.35, depth 0.5, clarity 0.22. Soft Autumn: warmth 0.4, depth 0.55, clarity 0.18. Warm Autumn: warmth 0.95, depth 0.62, clarity 0.45. Deep Autumn: warmth 0.6, depth 0.9, clarity 0.5. Deep Winter: warmth -0.5, depth 0.9, clarity 0.72. Cool Winter: warmth -0.95, depth 0.6, clarity 0.88. Bright Winter: warmth -0.35, depth 0.52, clarity 1CoolWarmWarmthLightDeepLight SpringWarm SpringBright SpringLight SummerCool SummerSoft SummerSoft AutumnWarm AutumnDeep AutumnDeep WinterCool WinterBright Winter
The three autumn seasons, filled, among all twelve. Larger dots are clearer seasons. How the anchors are used

The family palette

Autumn (fall) color palette: 18 colors across the three types

Six signature colors from each autumn season. Each season page has its full 36.

Soft Autumn

  • Camel#C8A27A
  • Terracotta#B96B4E
  • Olive#8F8A4F
  • Moss#7D8A5C
  • Warm Taupe#A8907F
  • Dusty Peach#DDA98C

Warm Autumn

  • Rust#A64B2A
  • Pumpkin#C96A1F
  • Mustard#C9A227
  • Olive#6F7434
  • Forest#3F5B3A
  • Teal#2F6B64

Deep Autumn

  • Mahogany#6B2F28
  • Espresso#3C2A22
  • Deep Rust#8F3A26
  • Aubergine#4D2B3A
  • Forest#2F4A35
  • Bronze#8A6A2F

Three types

Soft Autumn vs Warm Autumn vs Deep Autumn

TraitSoft AutumnWarm AutumnDeep Autumn
DepthMediumMedium to deepDeep
WarmthWarm, close to neutralThe warmest autumnWarm
ClarityThe most muted of all twelveMediumMedium, the richest autumn
Typical skinLight to medium, warm beige or ivoryGolden, peach or bronze, often freckledMedium to deep, golden or warm
Typical hairDark blonde, light to medium golden brownAuburn, copper, golden brownDark brown, brown-black with warm glints
Typical eyesSoft hazel, green-brown, gray-greenAmber, hazel, warm brown, olive greenDark brown, deep hazel, dark olive
Best neutralWarm TaupeCamelEspresso
Signature colorTerracottaRustMahogany

Soft Autumn

Also called soft fall. Warmth is gentle and nothing in the coloring is strong, so Camel, Olive and Dusty Peach look natural while vivid orange looks shouty.

The Soft Autumn palette

Warm Autumn

Also called true autumn: golden through and through. Rust, Pumpkin and Mustard are the obvious picks, and teal is the cool-looking color that still suits it.

The Warm Autumn palette

Deep Autumn

Also called dark autumn or deep fall. Mahogany, Espresso and Deep Teal match the depth of the hair and eyes, while light, delicate colors get lost on it.

The Deep Autumn palette

Routing

Which autumn are you?

  1. 1. In daylight, with no makeup, what stands out first in your coloring?

  2. 2. Which looks best right under your chin: Dusty Peach, Pumpkin or Espresso?

  3. 3. How does black look on you?

    • Harsh, and chocolate looks heavy too; taupe is better: Soft Autumn
    • Severe, while chocolate brown looks right: Warm Autumn
    • Almost fine, but espresso looks better: Deep Autumn

Answers split? The free color test weighs a photo sample and seven questions, then names one of the twelve seasons.

Find my season

Neighboring family

Autumn vs spring

From the autumn side, a spring palette looks too clean. Spring shares the golden undertone, but its colors are clear and usually lighter, so on autumn coloring they can look like a costume: bright coral that sits in front of the face instead of with it.

The closest crossing is warm autumn and warm spring, who can share copper hair and golden skin. The autumn has more depth and less sparkle in the eyes, and looks finished in rust where the spring looks finished in coral. Soft autumn rarely gets confused with spring; it is more often mistaken for soft summer.

The spring palettes
Autumn
  • Camel #c8a27a
  • Terracotta #b96b4e
  • Rust #a64b2a
  • Mustard #c9a227
  • Olive #6f7434
  • Mahogany #6b2f28

Camel, Terracotta, Rust, Mustard, Olive, Mahogany

Spring
  • Peach Blossom #ffd9c7
  • Marigold #f2a71b
  • Warm Coral #ef7b5a
  • Leaf Green #7fae3f
  • Turquoise #2fb3a6
  • Hot Coral #ff5a4e

Peach Blossom, Marigold, Warm Coral, Leaf Green, Turquoise, Hot Coral

The test that separates them

Pair Mustard with a clear golden yellow. If the mustard makes your skin look even and the yellow makes it look slightly gray or sallow, you are on the autumn side.

Neighboring family

Autumn vs winter

Autumn and winter meet in the dark corner of the wheel, where deep autumn and deep winter both have dark hair, dark eyes and the ability to wear deep color. The difference is the undertone of that depth. Deep autumn wears dark colors with warmth still in them: mahogany, espresso, forest. Deep winter wears dark colors with a blue base: black, navy, burgundy.

Most other autumns are easy to tell from winters, because their contrast is lower and their colors are muted. The trouble starts when someone with dark hair assumes they must be a winter; a warm deep face in true black often looks tired.

The winter palettes
Autumn
  • Camel #c8a27a
  • Terracotta #b96b4e
  • Rust #a64b2a
  • Mustard #c9a227
  • Olive #6f7434
  • Mahogany #6b2f28

Camel, Terracotta, Rust, Mustard, Olive, Mahogany

Winter
  • Black #141414
  • Deep Navy #1d2a44
  • True Red #c8102e
  • Royal Blue #1f4fbf
  • Hot Pink #e8177f
  • Icy Lavender #e7def7

Black, Deep Navy, True Red, Royal Blue, Hot Pink, Icy Lavender

The test that separates them

Hold Espresso against true black. A deep autumn looks warmer and smoother in the espresso; a deep winter looks sharper in the black and slightly muddy in the brown.

Autumn wardrobe basics

Autumn wardrobes run on warm, earthy neutrals: cream, camel, warm taupe, chocolate, olive and espresso. These replace black, gray and white as the base layer, and they make the family's richer colors look intentional.

Texture flatters autumn coloring especially well. Suede, tweed, knit, corduroy and linen in rust or olive look richer than the same colors in a flat, shiny fabric. Soft autumns should stay in the middle values; warm and deep autumns can wear stronger contrast, such as cream with chocolate.

For a work wardrobe, swap the usual black suit for chocolate, deep olive or a warm navy, and the white shirt for cream. The silhouette stays formal and the color stops fighting the face. A teal or rust accent at the neck finishes it.

Hair color across the autumn family

Hair colors across the autumn family are warm and rich: golden brown, auburn, copper, chestnut and warm dark brown. Ash blonde and blue-black both read cold against autumn skin.

Soft autumns suit muted golden brown and soft caramel rather than bright copper. Warm autumns can wear the full range of copper and auburn. Deep autumns suit dark chocolate, mahogany and warm brown-black.

Autumn makeup

Autumn makeup lives in terracotta, brick, warm brown, peach and bronze. Blush in a warm peach or soft brick, lips in terracotta, rust or brick red, and eyes in bronze, olive, copper or warm brown all suit the family.

Foundation for autumn skin usually sits in the warm or golden shade families; testing a stripe along the jaw in daylight shows which one disappears. Frosted pinks and icy lilacs sit on top of autumn skin. A matte or satin finish usually looks better than a high shimmer, especially on soft autumns.

Questions

Autumn color questions

What is the autumn color palette?

The palette for warm, muted coloring with medium to deep depth. Typical colors are rust, mustard, olive, camel, teal, terracotta and chocolate. The three autumn seasons are soft, warm and deep autumn.

Is the fall color palette the same as the autumn color palette?

Yes. Fall and autumn are two names for the same season family, so soft fall, true fall and deep fall are the same palettes as soft autumn, warm autumn and deep autumn.

Can an autumn wear black?

Most autumns look better in espresso, chocolate or deep olive. Deep autumn handles black better than the other two, but a warm near-black is usually more flattering than a true black.

Which metals suit an autumn?

Yellow gold, bronze, copper and brass, ideally in a brushed or antique finish. Shiny silver tends to look thin and cool next to autumn coloring.

Can autumns wear blue?

Yes, in warm-leaning versions: teal, deep turquoise, petrol and a warm navy. Icy blue and powder blue fight the golden undertone.

What is the difference between soft, warm and deep autumn?

Soft autumn is the gentlest, with muted warmth and medium depth. Warm autumn is the most golden. Deep autumn is the darkest and richest, close to deep winter in depth but warm rather than cool.

Is soft autumn a summer or an autumn?

It is an autumn, but it sits right beside soft summer on the map. Both are muted and medium in depth; soft autumn is the one with a gentle warmth, which shows in how much better it looks in cream than in soft white.

How we measure. The seasons on this site come from fixed positions for warmth, depth and clarity, and the free test matches you to the nearest one. Read the method

Beyond the autumn family