While brown can often times be overlooked as an actual “color”, it’s endlessly versatile, timelessly elegant, and seasonally relevant. When looking for the perfect brown, there are some things to keep in mind. This is one of those shades that I highly suggest actually trying on in person to decide if it’s “your brown” or not. Each one of us is toned just a little bit differently and can pull off colors better or worse than others in our own color palette. When shopping online, it can be difficult to truly see if the brown has a lot of green, or yellow, or pink, or gray, etc. just from a picture. And not all browns are created equal. This color runs the gambit from extremely deep to light and extremely cool to warm. As a Soft Autumn, it’s very important to steer clear of the extremes in either direction to get you closer to finding your “Goldilocks brown”. We want to pay attention to:
- Undertones: We need our brown shades to strike a balance. Look for hues that have a subtle warmth without being overly golden or reddish. Avoid browns that are too cool or ashy (i.e. browns with undertones that lean towards blue, gray, or purple). Typically, anything that looks “smoky” would be a cool brown.
- Depth of Color: Opt for medium-depth browns that neither appear too light nor too dark. This is our sweet spot.
- Versatility: Aim for brown clothing pieces that can easily mix and match with the other tones in your Soft Autumn wardrobe. If your brown clashes with other neutrals in our palette, then chances are you need to keep looking.
Here are three specific browns that often times are winners for the Soft Autumn palette:
Almond. This brown is a warm, cozy darker beige with a hint of gentle brown—never too yellow, never too pink—which makes it beautifully understated. When you’re shopping, pay attention to that soft, low-contrast look in the fabric. If it feels creamy, mellow, and just a touch earthy, you’ve probably found the right shade.
Soft Caramel. Soft caramel is that warm, buttery brown that is rich enough to add a touch of depth but still muted so it never overwhelms. For Soft Autumn, it’s a perfect mid-tone neutral that might remind you of coffee with a good amount of cream added to it.
Chocolate. Chocolate brown in the Soft Autumn palette is deep, warm, and velvety, but it’s never harsh. It’s a richer neutral that brings quiet depth without tipping into anything too dark or high-contrast. What makes this shade work so well for Soft Autumn is its softness: the brown should look gently warmed, almost like cocoa powder, with a muted quality that keeps it from feeling heavy. When looking for our chocolate brown, the key is making sure it doesn’t look cool, flat, or inky.
Browns to Wear
Some examples of good browns. Notice the colors you see in the areas where the light is hitting the fabric. I looked for items that weren’t overly yellow, green, or gray. A hint of these shades isn’t bad, but we want their influence to be minimal. You’ll see some overlap in these colors with those found in the post about our “Neutrals”. Think of our browns as a continuation of neutrals…only slightly darker.
Browns to Avoid
These browns are too biased one direction (i.e. too warm, bright, cool, dark, etc.). See how rich they appear next to our best browns.
