Deep/Dark Autumn Colour Palette for Men: How to Check It and Wear It

Deep/Dark Autumn is one of the twelve palettes used in seasonal colour analysis, and this guide is for men who have been told they are a Deep or Dark Autumn, suspect they might be, or want to know how the palette differs from the ones next to it.

It sits inside the Autumn colour family with Soft Autumn and True/Warm Autumn, and it shares a border with Deep/Dark Winter, the palette most often confused with it.

The main seasonal colour guide for men gives an overview of all twelve palettes. The vocabulary used on this page (depth, warmth, intensity and contrast) is explained in the next two sections, so you can read it on its own. The optional seasonal colour quiz for men is a separate tool on this site; it does not replace the garment comparisons described below.

What Deep/Dark Autumn Means

Each of the twelve palettes is described by depth, temperature and intensity, treated as three separate qualities, and Deep/Dark Autumn is the palette where depth comes first.

Deep/Dark Autumn is defined by depth first. Most of its colours are dark, and the ones that are not (ivory, warm beige, deep gold) exist to create contrast against the dark ones.

Its temperature is a warm lean rather than the leading quality it is in True/Warm Autumn. The palette contains chocolate, olive, rust and burnt orange rather than the blue-black, cool plum and icy white of Deep/Dark Winter. Depth, not temperature, is what sets it apart from the other two Autumn palettes, and it sits at the Winter end of Autumn because Deep/Dark Winter is the deep palette on the cool side of the border.

Its intensity is medium: richer than Soft Autumn, less vivid than the Winter palettes next door.

Deep/Dark Autumn colours run through these families:

Greens from pine and forest green to a deep olive.

Browns in dark chocolate and rich mahogany.

Oranges in burnt orange and a deep copper.

Reds in deep burgundy and rich garnet.

Neutrals in warm ivory, deep taupe and rich, warm greys.

The table below shows the same five colour families across the three Autumn palettes, so you can see what changes.

Read across a row and the warmth is shared; what changes is depth between Deep and True, and intensity between True and Soft. The comparison this palette most needs, though, is with a palette outside Autumn altogether: Deep/Dark Winter, which has the same depth with a cool lean.

What You Might Notice in Your Own Features

There is a standard description of Deep/Dark Autumn colouring in the professional guides, and it is useful as long as you read it as a list of clues and not as a test you have to pass.

Skin. Deep/Dark Autumn skin is described in the professional guides as neutral to neutral-warm in cast, golden, olive or bronze rather than rosy, at any depth from fair to deep. Depth and cast are both visible in a mirror; note them for the face and neck together, and keep them apart in your notes, because a deep skin depth is not the same observation as a warm cast.

Hair. The usual examples are medium to dark golden brown, dark auburn, dark brown and a brown-black with warm lights that show in sunlight. Judge coloured hair at the roots and grey hair as it is now, noting whether the grey is a warm salt-and-pepper or a steel grey, because the two read differently beside the face.

Eyes. Dark brown, warm black-brown, dark hazel and a deep green are the usual examples, often with golden flecks around the pupil.

Contrast. Usually medium to high. Either the features are all dark, so the contrast is with the whites of the eyes and the teeth, or dark hair and eyes sit against lighter skin. Contrast is a difference between areas, so look at hair against skin and brow against forehead, not at one feature alone.

Three points follow from reading the description as clues.

None of the clues is required, and the earlier version of this page should not have sorted readers by ethnicity. The same comparison works at every skin depth, and the palette is not a category anyone qualifies for by having black hair or by tanning bronze rather than red.

A change in your appearance is a change in the record. If your hair has gone grey, the contrast you see today has changed; compare the colours beside your face as it is now and note the change, rather than assuming that grey hair enhances the palette, which the old text asserted without evidence.

A tan, the colour of your veins and a taste for gold or silver are not evidence of a palette. A tan is the skin’s response to ultraviolet damage, in the American Academy of Dermatology’s words; do not seek one out to find your colours, and do not read one as a result.

Men Often Described as Deep/Dark Autumn

The three actors below were listed as Deep/Dark Autumns on the earlier version of this page; such lists differ between sites, as the True/Warm Autumn guide records for Simon Baker. None of them has been assessed by The VOU, and a studio photograph cannot establish a palette, so no description of their colouring is offered here, and the pictures are not described or assessed either.

Kit Harington was listed as a Deep/Dark Autumn on the earlier version of this page; The VOU has not assessed him.

Jamie Dornan was listed as a Deep/Dark Autumn on the earlier version of this page; The VOU has not assessed him.

Gerard Butler was listed as a Deep/Dark Autumn on the earlier version of this page; The VOU has not assessed him.

How to Check Deep/Dark Autumn With Clothes You Own

No drapes are needed. A chocolate knit and a navy one, compared in the same light, will show you the thing an analyst is looking for.

Set up. Indirect daylight from a window, a plain background, no tinted lamps; hair pushed back, glasses off, and your attention on your own face and neck rather than on the garment. Keep the garment area, position, finish and lighting similar. When comparing temperature or intensity, keep lightness reasonably close. When comparing depth, deliberately change lightness while keeping the other qualities as similar as you can. If a pair changes several qualities, treat it as a rough comparison and record that limit.

Comparison one: Deep/Dark Autumn against Deep/Dark Winter. Keep both colours deep and change the temperature. Hold a dark chocolate, forest green or warm burgundy under your chin, then swap it for a cool navy, a cool blue-based plum or black of similar depth. Watch for a colour cast appearing across the face or neck, for shadows beside the nose and under the eyes looking heavier, and for whether your features stay easy to see. Swap at least twice. This is the comparison that matters most, because depth alone cannot tell the two palettes apart.

Comparison two: Deep/Dark Autumn against True/Warm Autumn. Keep the warmth and change the depth. Compare a dark chocolate with a golden brown, or a deep burgundy with a terracotta. If the deep colour holds its own and the medium one looks washed out, that supports Deep; if the medium colour looks right and the deep one looks heavy, look at True/Warm.

Comparison three: Deep/Dark Autumn against Soft Autumn. Keep the warmth and lower both the depth and the intensity. Compare a forest green with a greyed sage. This pair changes two qualities at once, so treat it as a rough check rather than a clean test. If the rich, deep colour looks settled and the soft one looks flat, that supports Deep.

Read the result carefully. A difference counts when it repeats on a second swap and, better, on a second day. Note which colour you prefer and which colour leaves your face clearer as two different findings.

If it stays close. Keep both palettes in your shortlist; a close result is a result. Deep/Dark Autumn and Deep/Dark Winter overlap at the dark end: deep teal, dark olive and charcoal are names worth trying in both their warmer and cooler versions, and for a light neutral compare a warm ivory or cream shirt with a true white one beside your face rather than assuming either palette owns it; a wardrobe built from the garments that pass will serve you while you keep comparing. The garment beside your face decides, not the colour name.

A professional analyst uses a complete set of controlled drapes and a trained eye, and may work in a different framework or reach a different reading from yours. An appointment is a possible next step for a close call between the two Deep palettes, not a guaranteed answer.

The Deep/Dark Autumn Palette

The colour names are a direction to shop in, not a specification: cloth, lighting and screens all shift what you see, and the garment beside your face is the only judge.

Main Colours

Reds are deep and rich, from a deep burgundy to a rich garnet, with more depth than True/Warm Autumn reds and none of the softness of Soft Autumn ones. A burgundy tie with a business suit, or a garnet polo shirt at the weekend, are typical uses.

Browns are deep and warm: aged mahogany, dark chocolate. A chocolate brown shirt is a good alternative to white in a professional setting.

Yellows are deep gold and rich amber rather than lemon; a deep gold knit brings warmth up to the face without lifting the depth.

Greens are the heart of the palette: forest green, pine, deep olive, all dark and all at the medium intensity of this palette, fuller than Soft Autumn’s greyed greens and never as vivid as Winter’s emerald. A forest green sports jacket is a bold but distinguished choice for an autumn event.

Neutrals

Neutrals are what most of a wardrobe is made of, and Deep/Dark Autumn neutrals keep the same depth and warmth as the accents.

Whites are warm ivory and deep cream rather than optic white.

Greys run from a deep taupe to a rich charcoal with a warm cast; a deep taupe suit is the alternative to black tailoring.

Browns and camels run from a dark camel to espresso, and a dark camel overcoat is this guide’s first choice of coat for the palette.

Navy serves as a neutral in most wardrobes. The version that works best here is a deep navy with a hint of warmth, dark rather than bright, worn with an ivory shirt so the warm colour sits next to the face. An earlier version of this page described the ideal navy as “very super intense”; deep and slightly warm is the accurate description.

Accent Colours

Oranges from a deep copper to burnt sienna. A burnt sienna tie or pocket square lifts a chocolate suit.

Blues and teals from a deep teal to a rich peacock blue, with underlying warmth; deep teal is the blue to choose for a casual or semi-formal shirt.

Purples in a warm, red-based plum and rich aubergine, bridging the reds and browns; the cool, blue-based plum used in the Winter comparison above is a different colour. Warm plum works as a knit or a scarf.

Colours Often Listed to Avoid, and What to Do Instead

Most Deep/Dark Autumn guides list icy blue, bright silver, cool pink, neon green, electric blue, bright yellow, baby blue, mint, lavender, stark white, cool black and primary red as colours to avoid. The reason is sound: light, cool or stark colours are the opposite of deep and warm, and they tend to look weak or harsh beside rich colouring.

A ban does not follow from that. Colour analysis describes what happens next to your face; it says nothing about your trousers, your shoes or a coat worn open over a warmer collar.

Black. This palette comes closer to wearing black than any other Autumn palette, and professional guides differ: some list black among the colours to avoid, others describe a warm near-black with a slight green or brown cast as a usable dark neutral for Deep Autumn. Compare a black knit with a dark chocolate one beside your face and decide from what you see. Black trousers, black shoes and a black overcoat over an ivory scarf are fine in any case.

Use position and amount. Cool navy trousers with a rust knit, a black coat over a cream scarf, or a bright colour reduced to a stripe in a tie all keep the strong colour where it does no harm.

Use the deeper, warmer version. Where a garment has to be dark or cool, choose espresso rather than black, a warm charcoal rather than a cold one, a deep navy with a hint of warmth rather than an inky one.

Black tie. A black tie dress code takes priority over any palette. The Debrett’s dress codes guide describes a black dinner jacket, a white evening shirt and a black hand-tied bow tie, and says a velvet smoking jacket is for a man at home or at a country dinner with neighbours, not for a guest at an event where black tie is stated on the invitation. That is British convention; other countries and hosts vary. Within the code, the adjustment is the shirt: Debrett’s separate dress-code article allows a white or cream shirt, so choose cream where you can and keep the grooming immaculate.

The white shirt. Given the choice, ivory or cream sits more comfortably beside Deep/Dark Autumn colouring than an optic white, and on less formal days a chocolate or deep teal shirt replaces the white one altogether.

What to Buy First

The foundation of a Deep/Dark Autumn wardrobe is its deep, warm neutrals; the light neutrals and the rich accents supply the contrast the palette is built on.

Suits and formal wear. Start from what your office expects: where the code is navy or charcoal, a deep, slightly warm navy or a warm charcoal suit meets it and keeps an ivory shirt by the face. Where the room allows more, a deep forest green or deep olive suit and a rich brown or mahogany suit are this guide’s choices. For occasions that allow it, a deep burgundy suit is a standout. The guides to tailored suits and Savile Row tailoring cover cut, cloth and making, which decide more than colour does.

Shirts. Ivory shirts first, then a deep copper, and deep teal, burnt sienna and deep gold for smart-casual days.

Knitwear and casual tops. Polo shirts and t-shirts in forest green, burgundy and deep gold; knitwear in dark camel and burnt sienna.

Trousers. Chinos in deep taupe and rich khaki; jeans in a dark, warm-toned indigo rather than a light or faded wash.

Outerwear. A dark camel overcoat, then a mahogany or forest green pea coat; for casual jackets, a burnt sienna bomber or a forest green field jacket.

Accessories. Ties and pocket squares in burgundy, deep teal and burnt sienna; belts and watch straps in dark brown. The old money accessories guide covers which accessories to own; this page covers only their colour.

Shoes. Dark brown or burgundy leather for the office, burnt sienna loafers or deep olive trainers for the weekend.

Sportswear and swimwear. Deep teal, forest green and burgundy kit; swim shorts in teal, burgundy or burnt sienna with an ivory linen shirt.

The capsule below is one worked example rather than a list to buy. The counts are example quantities, not minimums, and the colours were chosen so that most of the garments combine with most of the others; check your own combinations in a mirror, and start from the clothes you already own, the dress codes you meet and how often you wear each category.

The guide to building a capsule wardrobe explains how to audit what you own and decide a build order, and the Old Money capsule wardrobe guide shows sixteen illustrated garments for that one style.

Outfit Formulas Through the Year

The palette is the same all year; the cloth weight and the share of light neutrals against deep colours are what move with the season.

In spring and summer, linen and light cotton in the lighter end of the palette (ivory, dark camel, deep gold, deep teal) keep the depth without the weight. In autumn, tweed, flannel and corduroy in forest green, burgundy and chocolate are the palette’s natural fabrics. In winter, heavy wool, cashmere and leather in mahogany, forest green and warm charcoal carry the outfit, with a burnt sienna or deep gold scarf near the face.

Spring and summer collections are the harder hunting ground for this palette, because retailers fill them with light, clear colours. Look for the deep, warm version of each: forest green instead of mint, burgundy instead of pink, ivory instead of white, and buy the rich knitwear when autumn collections arrive.

Colour Combinations That Use the Contrast

Medium- to high-contrast colouring can carry bolder combinations than the other Autumn palettes: light against dark, two rich colours side by side. A deep burgundy shirt under a forest green blazer keeps the contrast this palette can carry; the same two colours beside Soft Autumn colouring read as high contrast against low, which may be more than that man wants.

When several deep colours start to look like too much, use a column of colour: one colour on top and bottom under a neutral jacket, or one deep colour against a light neutral with texture (a cable knit, a tweed, a suede shoe) supplying the interest. The guide to one-colour outfits covers the first approach in detail.

Patterns can be bold and fairly large here: a geometric tie in burgundy and deep gold, a stripe in ivory and deep copper, a check jacket in forest green and brown.

An earlier version of this page carried a table of psychological effects for each colour, such as “deep burgundy conveys power”. Research on colour and behaviour is much less settled than those tables suggest; a 2014 review in the Annual Review of Psychology described the field, as it stood then, as at an early stage with effects that depend heavily on context, and nothing found while revising this page supports a per-colour table of effects. Decide by the comparison beside your face, not by a chart of supposed meanings.

Wearing the Palette With Your Body Shape

Colour and proportion are separate decisions that meet at one point: where on the body the light and the dark colours go. The conventions below are the ones stylists usually give; they are suggestions to try in a mirror, not rules, and the guide to men’s body shapes explains what the labels can and cannot tell you.

Whatever your proportions, keep the colours that compare best near the face, let the neutrals balance them, and get the fit right before worrying about either; the fitting guide explains what a well-fitting garment looks like and the guide to silhouettes explains the shapes clothes make. The optional body shape quiz for men is a separate tool on this site.

Metals, Glasses and Small Details

Deep/Dark Autumn guides usually recommend gold, bronze, brass, copper and pewter, with less shine and more depth, over bright silver. A brushed gunmetal often works where polished silver does not. Check it rather than assume it: hold a gold-toned and a silver-toned watch against the inside of your wrist and the side of your face in daylight and keep whichever blends rather than glares, and remember that mixing metals can be a deliberate choice.

For glasses and sunglasses, dark tortoiseshell, amber, honey, olive and dark brown acetates and bronze or gold metal frames tend to sit more quietly than glossy black or bright silver, although black frames are more wearable here than in any other Autumn palette. Choose fit, lenses and a frame shape you like first; the face-shape guide deals with shape and proportion, which are separate questions from colour.

Leather in dark brown and burgundy, and socks in palette colours, keep the palette consistent below the waist.

Where Deep/Dark Autumn Gets Confused

With Deep/Dark Winter. Both are deep, and both suit men with dark hair and eyes, which is why depth alone cannot separate them. Deep/Dark Autumn leans warm; Deep/Dark Winter leans cool. A Deep/Dark Autumn man looks right in a rich forest green or chocolate where a Deep/Dark Winter man does better in a cool navy or black. Repeat this comparison on another day if it stays close, and keep both palettes in play while it does.

With True/Cool Winter. Men with high-contrast colouring get sent to True Winter on the strength of the contrast. The difference is warmth: True Winter’s colours are cool and clear, with no underlying gold, and a deep burgundy that sits well on a Deep/Dark Autumn man tends to look muddy next to a True Winter man’s cooler colouring.

With True/Warm Autumn. Both are warm and rich. Deep/Dark Autumn is deeper and carries more contrast. A Deep/Dark Autumn man looks settled in a deep burgundy where a True/Warm Autumn man needs a clearer, warmer brick red.

With the other families. The Spring palettes are warm but light and clear; the Summer palettes are muted and cool; the Winter palettes are cool and clear. Deep/Dark Autumn touches Winter, not Spring or Summer.

If you have grey hair, do not assume what it has done to the picture; compare the colours beside your face as it is now, including the Deep/Dark Winter colours, rather than relying on the palette you were once told.

Where This Guide Stops

A palette is a description of colours that tend to sit well beside a kind of natural colouring, and that is the whole of what it is. The earlier version of this page said the palette would make a man look authoritative and charismatic and told him which fragrances to wear with it; nothing supports either claim and both have been removed.

The earlier version also said that “approximately 10 to 15 percent of the population” are Deep Autumns. No reliable source for the figure was found while revising this page, so it has gone.

The providers disagree about whether a palette lasts for life, with one calling the label permanent and another offering reassessment when hair goes grey; either way, a visible change in your colouring is a reason to look again at the depth and contrast of what you wear.

Professional providers also differ in their names. The twelve palettes used on this site are a common convention; Kettlewell uses sixteen types and lists Deep Autumn alongside True, Warm and Soft Autumn, so ask which framework produced any result before treating similar names as identical.

A professional draping appointment is one way to take a close call between Deep/Dark Autumn and Deep/Dark Winter further; it does not guarantee a settled answer or a quicker one. The guides to what an image consultant does and how to choose one explain what an appointment involves; The VOU’s image consultants offer colour consultations, listed on the services page, and you can contact us to ask how an assessment is run. Prepared palette references for True/Warm Autumn and Soft Autumn are also listed in the shop; at the time of writing both listings are marked unavailable.

Related Guides

A palette is one of three facts that make shopping easier, the others being your body shape and the way you want to dress; none of the three is much use without the other two.

The personal style guide and the optional fashion style quiz for men deal with what you want your clothes to say, the guide to aesthetics explains the vocabulary, and the guide to sprezzatura covers the studied ease that suits deep, rich colours. The palette sits naturally with the restrained old-money styles this site covers, such as Preppy, Sloane Ranger, BCBG, Italian Old Money, Equestrian and Nautical.

Styling by occasion, location, season and time of day is where colour, proportion and style meet a real invitation; the guides to business attire and smart casual cover the two dress codes most men meet every week.

For the wardrobe itself, the guides to clothing, garments, outfits and accessories define the terms used above; the guide to designers and stylists explains who does what; and the guides to heritage brands and to luxury brands worth avoiding help with shopping. Expensive clothes prove nothing on their own; what makes an outfit work is choosing colour, cut and occasion well.

The other Autumn guides are Soft Autumn and True/Warm Autumn; the Autumn family guide compares the three, and the main seasonal colour guide covers all twelve palettes in one place.