As the leaves begin to turn brown and the last of summer’s scorching sun dissipates into Britain’s signature grey skies, there’s no better time than the present to take stock of the key autumn fashion colour trends of 2025.
This season is typically one defined by a golden palette of rich browns and glossy dark neutrals. This reputation is one that’s fairly earned by the way we all suddenly swap out our sheer pink bubble bath manicures for something more vampy, like Chanel’s iconic Rouge Noir nail polish, and ditch our sweet pastel matchas for roasted cappuccinos. However, these traditional shades can sometimes be unfairly limiting when it comes to getting dressed, acting like a sort of sartorial confine that dissuades us from wearing anything other than these moody tones.
We’re conditioned to take inspiration from our surroundings. So when it’s pelting down with rain, blowing gale force winds and the temperature sits just above freezing, the last thing we want to do is layer on balmy hues. I totally get it. But, to play the contrarian for a moment, there is something to be said about autumn’s in-between climate that allows us to get away with adopting serotonin-boosting shades, without them feeling like they utterly conflict with the sullen weather. (As legendary stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson pointed out in a recent Substack dispatching the happenings of Copenhagen Fashion Week, the Scandinavian style set already dresses in vibrant colours to combat the seasonal melancholia that comes with having very few hours of sunlight per day.)
This is something showcased in the recent autumn/winter 2025 collections, too. In Paris, designers including Celine, Zimmermann, Dior and Louis Vuitton traded in bright, butter yellows for a more golden beige reminiscent of the gorgeous dusk light that settles in the evening during autumn. Elsewhere, Prada, Miu Miu, Stella McCartney and Chloé softened baby blue into a more powdery tone that was not only equally delicate but also could lighten heavy denim jeans and wool coats.
Quintessential autumnal shades also appear in the key autumn colour trends of 2025, but they’re derived from different sources, like the rich plum colour spotted at Ferragamo or the midnight navy seen at Tory Burch or the deep olives of Gucci and Max Mara. Yes, there’s still room for the blacks, browns and burgundys, but these sumptuous cool tones and decadent deep warm tones invite you to expand the horizons of what you consider to be a true autumn colour.
Don’t fret if you can’t picture yourself veering from these more traditional colours. Accessories are an incredible way to inject these hues into your autumn outfit without putting too much pressure on them being a main focal point. In saying that, I’ve compiled several runway looks that feature these key autumn fashion colour trends to prove just how versatile they are. Oh, and if you needed any further convincing, I’ve also included several new-in designer and expensive-looking high street pieces that show just how in-demand these colours currently are. Indeed, investing in the key autumn fashion colour trends of 2025 is really that simple.
The 7 Key Autumn Fashion Colour Trends of 2025
1. Powder Blue
Style Notes: When daylight begins to dissipate, we're less inclined to reach for the wispy colours we wore during the high season. Designers like Stella McCartney, Chemena Kamali and Miuccia Prada are making one exception: powder blue. Slightly less saturated, the subtlety of this shade is what really makes it shine considering its ability to both harmonise with and stand out against more neutral tones.
Shop the Colour Trend:
This shade lifts the mood without being too overpowering or seasonally disoriented.
Throwing a touch of dusty blue to an all-white outfit can help bring a more icy feel that's befitting of the season.
Blue and brown is such an underrated autumn colour combination.
2. Rich Plum
Style Notes: Be it merlot, bordeaux or even Gucci’s Ancora, these darker shades of red have been overhauled for autumn 2025 by designers like Burberry, Ferragamo and Christopher Esber. This season, these wine-inspired shades have, to continue the metaphor, taken a more pét nat tone, resembling the rich plums and decadent grape tones seen in these more spritely and sophisticated brews. This opulent purple undertone lends itself really well to glossy satin fabrics and even textured coats.
Shop the Colour Trend:
You needn't worry about your outfit underneath when you're layering a head-turning coat over the top.
Consider this Khaite's beloved Scarlet cardigan, updated for the new season.
These burgundy loafers are a milder way to incorporate the colour.
3. Golden Biege
Style Notes: If the sad beige aesthetic has you sworn off taupe tones, allow the creations of Zimmermann, Louis Vuitton, Celine and Dior to convince you why this safe neutral should be given a second look. Instead of leaning drab, this golden beige colour takes a more effervescent appearance thanks to the gilded effect it brings to any look. To me, this colour reminds me of the wheatfields of Jacquemus’ spring/summer 2021 collection or the wistful glow that emanates from period dramas like Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Pretty Woman. For autumn 2025, even a simple tawny pencil skirt or blazer can do a lot to make your outfit look more expensive.
Shop the Colour Trend:
A country jacket is one of the top autumn jacket trends and the easiest way to mix a touch of this colour into a look.
Wear with a crisp white button down and add a silk scarf for a very Parisian-inspired look.
Suede trainers are an easy buy for autumn.
4. Deep Olive
Style Notes: It’s not easy being green. Often relegated to the festive season or first few days of spring, it’s a colour that often lacks the spotlight its neighbours on the colour wheel is afforded. That all changed last year when the spring/summer 2024 collections campaigned for light khaki tones to fall back into favour. But as the days get darker, so does this hue, with deep olive the more apt shade for this period. Co-signed by the likes of Gucci, Max Mara, Valentino and Roberto Cavalli, who said dressing like a dirty martini wasn’t ever possible—or chic!
Shop the Colour Trend:
Pair with a black mini skirt, tights and knee-high heeled boots to treat yourself to a cocktail at your nearest ritzy bar.
This airy camisole opens up to so many layering opportunity.
These trousers are made even more special with this lustrous sateen finish.
5. Steel Grey
Style Notes: Monochromatic black and white outfits will always be chic. (Just ask someone like German fashion writer Brenda Weischer, who exclusively wears these colours.) Still, there is something to be said for the shade that sits between. Less saturated and therefore more understated, because grey balances two binaries, it has dual abilities to be both casual and polished. (Consider it like the Gemini of the colour spectrum). Steel grey can also be quite incognito, which is always nice during autumn months when you want to hide away under bundles of knitwear in preparation for winter. But from the grey tailoring seen at Calvin Klein and liquid metallic versions spotted at Giorgio Armani, grey will be a colour you just can’t escape.
Shop the Colour Trend:
So '90s coded.
This reminds me of a Bottega Veneta look Margot Robbie wore in 2023 while out in New York. Naturally, I've bookmarked every single piece in this look.
You can never go wrong with all grey.
6. Midnight Navy
Style Notes: Navy has been a colour I’ve vehemently rejected wearing since the last time I had to don my primary school uniform. But after seeing it remerge in new collections from Tory Burch, Coach, Schiaparelli and Coperni, my interest has undoubtedly been piqued. Styled in a way that won’t have you saying “ahoy, sailor”, this colour has been given a slick, city-approved update that makes it perfect for the boardroom and after-work drinks that last until the late evening. I myself have also recently picked up a navy suede bag, and after toting it through the office, I was delighted by how many compliments I earned. “It’s a colour I never would think to get but looks so chic,” Who What Wear’s junior beauty editor Grace Lindsay told me. If that doesn’t persuade you, I don’t know what will.
Shop the Colour Trend:
This stunning Manu Atelier bag is the exact style I own and I haven't been able to put it down since getting my hands on it.
Doesn't this entire look remind you of something you'd see on the streets of Paris?
While cream satin trousers are an unsung, frosty-inspired winter staple, I can easily see myself living in this Reformation silky pair this season.
7. Dusty Pink
Style Notes: Pretty in pink—it’s a phrase as relevant as it was in the 1980s as it is now in the 2020s. Thanks to certain whimsical portrayals of femininity on film, like the titular plastic doll in Barbie or Ariana Grande’s bubbly Glinda in Wicked, pink has shed its gender reveal connotations and become a power colour in its own right. For autumn, things are a little less high-octane and slightly more lived in, with dusty pink appearing in collections from Fendi, Chanel, Courrèges and Alberta Ferretti. This iteration is akin to the bright last rays of a peachy autumn sunset or like the rose petals both Pamela Anderson and Meghan Markle sprinkle onto their harvested sweet treats in their respective cooking shows. Simple, delicious and something that will always give you that warming feeling inside.
Shop the Colour Trend:
This co-ord set is so effortlessly elegant.
Swap pale colours for dusty tones to bring the pale pink trouser trend into autumn.
Since Fendi is one of the pioneers of this colour trend, it's only fitting I include this jaw dropping-ly gorgeous velvet Baguette bag.
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear UK, fashion is our speciality. Our editors have years of industry experience, from reporting on seasonal fashion trends seen at international fashion weeks to working with some of the most recognisable names in fashion. Every item we recommend is carefully selected based on current trends, quality and real-world wearability.
We regularly try on pieces ourselves—everything from best-selling jeans to designer shoes—and speak to external experts and fashion insiders, staying closely connected to what our readers are searching for. Our advice is grounded in expertise, and each and every buy we feature has to meet our exceptional taste standards—so you can feel confident in every recommendation.
