Colour combinations
What colours go with purple
This is your palette
Purple is not one colour but a family, and every palette has a member of it. A muted plum like this one belongs to the soft and deep palettes: True Summer’s plum orchid, Soft Summer’s muted mauve, Deep Winter’s violet iris, and the aubergines and damson of the Autumns. The clear palettes wear a cleaner, brighter violet instead: true violet for Bright Winter, royal purple for True Winter, bright violet and spring amethyst for Bright and True Spring. The light palettes go lighter still, to sweet violet and cool lilac. Below, what to wear with purple, palette by palette.
The palettes that carry it, and what to wear it with
Deep Autumn
Your versionDamson
Wear it with
- Antique Ivory
- Dark Bronze-Brown
- Mahogany
- Deep Pumpkin
Soft Summer
Your versionMuted Mauve
Wear it with
- Cool Soft White
- Soft Charcoal
- Dusty Blue
- Soft Periwinkle
True Autumn
Your versionWarm Aubergine
Wear it with
- Warm Ivory Cream
- Dark Warm Brown
- Burnt Sienna
- Warm Rust
True Summer
Your versionPlum Orchid
Wear it with
- Soft White
- Blue Charcoal
- Summer Blue
- Soft Raspberry
Deep Winter
Your versionViolet Iris
Wear it with
- Winter White
- Night Black
- Deep Sapphire
- Emerald
Soft Autumn
Your versionSoft Aubergine
Wear it with
- Warm Oyster White
- Dark Cocoa
- Warm Terracotta
- Soft Ochre
Pieces in these colours
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ScarfMuted MauveAmazon ↗
ShirtMahoganyAmazon ↗
DressDeep PumpkinAmazon ↗
ScarfDark Warm GoldAmazon ↗
ShirtDusty BlueAmazon ↗
DressSoft PeriwinkleAmazon ↗The photo shows the colour and the cut, not the product the search finds.
Tips
- Purple and green is a rich, unexpected pair that works at every depth. Deep Winter wears violet iris with emerald or spruce green; True Autumn warm aubergine with forest olive; Soft Autumn soft aubergine with moss green or sage leaf; Bright Spring bright violet with a bright emerald.
- Yellow and gold sit opposite purple on the colour wheel, so a little of either makes it glow. Deep Autumn wears damson with burnished gold; True Spring spring amethyst with marigold; True Winter royal purple with icy lemon. For the warm palettes, gold jewellery does the same job.
- For an elegant, calm outfit, pair purple with grey. True Summer wears plum orchid with blue grey, slate or pearl grey; Soft Summer muted mauve with dove grey or slate mushroom; Deep Winter violet iris with cool steel or icy grey. Silver jewellery finishes the cool version.
- Purple and pink sit side by side on the colour wheel, so they blend instead of clashing. True Summer pairs plum orchid with cool rose or soft raspberry; Soft Summer muted mauve with ash rose or rosewood pink; Soft Autumn soft aubergine with dusty plum rose; True Winter royal purple with magenta fuchsia.
- For the Autumns, purple is easiest with warm browns and camel. True Autumn wears warm aubergine with camel bronze or dark warm brown; Deep Autumn damson with dark camel or chocolate taupe; Soft Autumn soft aubergine with camel or warm taupe grey. The brown keeps the purple warm.
- Not sure which purple is yours? In daylight, hold a reddish plum and then a bluish violet under your chin. If the plum makes your skin look warm and even, look at the Autumns and Soft Summer. If the violet makes your eyes look brighter, look at the Winters and the Springs. If both feel heavy, try a light lilac.
How to find your palette
Colour analysis reads three things in your colouring: warm or cool, light or deep, clear or soft. The quiz asks about your eyes, hair and skin, looked at in a mirror by a window in daylight. It never photographs or scans your face, and the palette it finds is yours to keep.