Soft Autumn Color Palette

20 muted, gently warm colors for the Soft Autumn season, each with its hex code.

Tap a color to copy its hex

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What is Soft Autumn?

Soft Autumn is one of the 12 seasons in seasonal color analysis. It sits in the Autumn family, so its colors are warm, but it is the gentlest of the three Autumns: every shade is softened with a little grey, like colors seen through a light haze.

It borders Soft Summer, its cooler sister, and Warm Autumn, its richer one. If you suit both camel and dusty rose but look tired in black, Soft Autumn is a likely fit. For how it compares with Warm and Deep Autumn, see the full autumn color palette.

Soft Autumn characteristics: low contrast, warm, soft

Three things define a Soft Autumn, and the palette follows from them.

  • Low contrast

    Your hair, eyes and skin sit close together in depth. Nothing jumps out, so strong light-dark pairings like black and white overpower you.

  • Gently warm

    Your undertone leans warm, but only slightly. Golden, earthy colors suit you, as long as they are not too orange or brassy.

  • Soft, muted color

    Your coloring is blended rather than clear. Muted, greyed shades look harmonious on you; pure, saturated colors look harsh.

What Soft Autumns often look like

  • Skin: Light to medium beige, golden beige or soft olive, rarely rosy.
  • Hair: Dark blonde, light to medium brown, often with a mix of golden and ash strands.
  • Eyes: Hazel, soft green, green-brown or warm brown, usually without strong contrast in the iris.

Not sure you're a Soft Autumn?

Upload a selfie to our free seasonal color analysis. It reads your skin tone, contrast and undertone and tells you your season with a basic palette. The free analysis runs in your browser, so your photo never leaves your device.

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The full Soft Autumn color palette

The 20 colors in five groups. Build outfits from the neutrals, then add one or two colors from the other groups.

Neutrals

Your base: coats, trousers, bags and shoes. Use eggshell instead of pure white and coffee or taupe instead of black.

  • Eggshell#F0EAD6
  • Ecru#C2B280
  • Camel#C19A6B
  • Café au lait#A67B5B
  • Coffee#6F4E37
  • Taupe#483C32

Greens

Soft, olive-leaning greens are some of the most flattering colors a Soft Autumn can wear.

  • Sage#BCB88A
  • Artichoke#8F9779
  • Moss green#8A9A5B
  • Gray-asparagus#465945

Blues and teals

Your blues are greyed and slightly green. They work well with camel and the warm group.

  • Cadet blue#5F9EA0
  • Steel teal#5F8A8B

Rose and berry

Dusty, brown-based pinks. Great for knitwear, blouses and lips.

  • Rosy brown#BC8F8F
  • Old rose#C08081
  • Copper rose#996666
  • Mauve taupe#915F6D

Peach, terracotta and gold

Your warmest accents. Keep them near your face in small doses, or as a single statement piece.

  • Desert sand#EDC9AF
  • Tumbleweed#DEAA88
  • Raw sienna#D68A59
  • Old gold#CFB53B

Every season has its own palette. To compare Soft Autumn with the other 11, see the seasonal color palette guide.

Best clothing colors for Soft Autumn

Pair colors of similar depth, and keep combinations tonal rather than contrasting.

  • Work

    A camel blazer over an eggshell top, with coffee trousers. Polished without the harshness of black.

  • Weekend

    A moss green jacket, a desert sand knit and café au lait jeans or chinos.

  • Evening

    A mauve taupe dress or top with a steel teal scarf and taupe shoes.

  • Metals: Brushed gold, antique gold, bronze and rose gold. Shiny silver can look cold.
  • Denim: Medium, slightly faded washes. Very dark indigo and bright blue denim are less flattering.
  • Prints: Soft, blended prints like watercolor florals, heathered knits and low-contrast checks.

Colors Soft Autumn should avoid

These colors are too dark, too bright or too cool for soft, warm coloring. Each comes with an easy swap from your palette.

  • Black#000000Too much contrast; it can make your skin look grey. Try coffee or taupe.
  • Optic white#FFFFFFStark and cool next to warm, muted skin. Try eggshell.
  • Hot pink#FF69B4Too bright and too cool. Try old rose.
  • Royal blue#4169E1Saturated and cool; it overpowers soft coloring. Try steel teal.
  • Icy lavender#E6E6FAIcy pastels wash Soft Autumns out. Try mauve taupe.
  • Neon green#00FF00Neon brightness clashes with muted coloring. Try moss green.

Soft Autumn makeup and hair color

The same rules apply: soft, warm-leaning and never too dark or too bright.

Makeup

  • Foundation: a warm or neutral base. Avoid foundations that look pink on you.
  • Blush: soft peach, apricot or a muted rosy brown.
  • Lips: warm nudes, rosy brown, dusty rose and soft terracotta. Skip bright red and fuchsia.
  • Eyes: bronze, olive, khaki and taupe shadows, with brown liner instead of black.

Hair color

  • Best: golden brown, light to medium warm brown, soft caramel and dark honey blonde.
  • Highlights: fine, blended honey or caramel highlights add warmth without contrast.
  • Avoid: jet black, platinum blonde, ash blonde and vivid copper or red, which are too cool or too strong.

Soft Autumn FAQ

What colors are in the Soft Autumn palette?

Muted, gently warm colors: neutrals like camel, taupe and eggshell; soft greens like sage and moss; greyed teals; dusty pinks like old rose; and soft warm accents like peach, raw sienna and old gold.

How do I know if I'm a Soft Autumn?

Soft Autumns have low contrast between hair, eyes and skin, a slightly warm undertone and soft, blended coloring. If black looks harsh on you but camel and dusty rose look natural, you may be one. A photo analysis can confirm it.

What is the difference between Soft Autumn and Soft Summer?

Both are muted and low contrast. Soft Autumn leans warm, so camel, olive and peach suit it; Soft Summer leans cool, so grey-blue, mauve and cool rose suit it.

Can Soft Autumn wear black?

Black is usually too harsh near the face. Coffee, taupe and gray-asparagus give the same depth more softly. If you love black, wear it away from your face, like trousers or shoes.

What white should Soft Autumn wear?

A soft, warm off-white like eggshell or ecru. Optic white is too stark and cool.

What hair color suits Soft Autumn?

Golden brown, warm medium brown, soft caramel and dark honey blonde. Avoid jet black, platinum and ash blonde.

Can I find out if I'm a Soft Autumn for free?

Yes. Upload a selfie to our free seasonal color analysis. It needs no email or sign-up and shows your season with a basic color palette.

Are these hex codes exact?

Each hex is the standard value of the named color. Screens show colors differently, so treat them as a guide and compare fabrics in daylight.