3 Tips on Making Fall Colors Work For You

Fall is a season filled with rich colors. In a previous post, I recommended brown as one of the essentials you need in your fall wardrobe. While brown certainly plays a big role in autumn this year, it is by no means the only color to watch and wear. Brands have incorporated a whole host of other colors, some of which are not traditionally associated with fall (e.g. deep pink), into the fall fashion scene.

Having a broad color palette to work with means lots of room for experimentation and fresh outfit ideas, but since the fall palette consists mainly of rich and deep colors, pairing these colors nicely and not coming off like you pulled on whatever you could find without looking could be challenging. Fortunately, besides checking repeatedly in the mirror, there are some basic tips you can follow to make sure the fall colors you choose to wear work well together every time.

Meet the Fall Colors

The usual fall colors like brown and bordeaux still dominate the scene, but designers have also introduced a few newcomers this season such as deep/rose pink and purple. These colors are usually found in the warmer seasons like spring and summer. They sure brighten up fall, and they match the darker shades of fall so well that I wonder why we haven’t thought of adding these colors to our wardrobes before.

Some of these colors such as dusty pink and saxe blue are lighter shades of popular dark colors (deep pink and navy) this fall, which leads me to the first tip on pairing fall colors.

1. Lighter, Darker

Pairing different shades of the same color in one outfit could come off as being a bit matchy-matchy, but putting a lighter and darker shade of a color is a good place to start if you are stumped in the morning and only have 15 minutes to spare. All you need to do is add neutral-colored accessories to your outfit for a bit of variety. Check out this all-LIZ LISA coordinate.

All items are LIZ LISA.

The good thing is patterns are popular this fall, whether it’s the classic checked pattern or the common floral print, and they usually add other colors to a piece of clothing, preventing the matchy-matchy situation. The lighter and darker shades balance each other out, so your outfit has both brightness and depth, as shown in the outfit below.

2. Bright on Bright

This next tip is a bit more audacious because what you end up with is a really loud outfit, but I definitely mean that in a positive way. The key to making two bright colors work together is to pick two neighboring colors like pink and purple or blue and purple. Finish your coordinate off with accessories of dark colors like black and brown to get a rich and colorful look.

I am a big fan of 31 Sons de mode's fall collection this year, and the top and skirt are two of my favorite pieces. The purple top and rose pink skirt could stand on their own, but they work even better when paired together. The pairing is vibrant, girly, and colorful. The black pumps add an air of sophistication to this playful combo.

Mustard and purple have to be one of the most surprising but beautiful combinations this fall. This particular coordinate works well because the cardigan brings out the purple in the flowers of the mustard skirt, which brings me to my next tip.

3. Take Advantage of Patterns

Since fall is full of patterns, why not use them to guide your color pairing? This is a neat trick I often use: Pick a peripheral color in the pattern of your shirt/dress/skirt and magnify it with an accessory. Light neutral colors in this case are the balancing factor of choice since color combinations done this way will usually result in a color-saturated outfit. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even add another rich fall color to your coordinate.

These blue flats complement the color of the flowers on the brown dress. Paired with a white furry handbag, a must-have accessory this season in an accessible color, you're ready to stand out and look fashionable in the trendiest fall colors. Just add a blazer or cardigan and you're ready for work.

This outfit is a culmination of all my tips on working with fall colors. The green shoes bring out the subtle color of the leaves on the floral pattern of the skirt. The purple beret complements its close neighboring color, saxe blue, in the skirt. The mille fille closet sweater balances all the colorful components of this coordinate, and up the cute factor exponentially with its fur and pearl details.

Which of these fall colors will you try out? Share with me in the comments below or on social media!