In the past few years, street-style trends have largely dropped experimenting with different color combinations in favor of the “quiet luxury” aesthetic. Simple, timeless, and neutral tones of course have their place and are an effective way of dressing. But when did everyone get so afraid of color? Looks in saturated tones can be just as elegant, we promise.
We’re all for a look with a single pop of color, but the truth is that some of the coolest and most unexpected outfit ideas today are doing the opposite: They play with overlooked or surprising color combinations to create a look that’s beautiful and decidedly anything but monochromatic.
There are no fashion “rules” here. Pink and red were born to be worn together. The myth that navy blue and black shouldn’t be mixed has been proven wrong time and time again, and the same goes for brown and black. Actually, all the colors that you think wouldn’t go well together unexpectedly do. And so, here are five color formulas worth trying this fall and winter.
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Butter Yellow + Cobalt Blue
Soft pastel shades of yellow remain as on trend as ever, even as the weather starts to turn cold. Balance the lightness of the color with a rich deep blue to keep the outfit firmly grounded in a fall or winter look.
Pistachio Green + Salmon Pink
Pistachio green is one of the biggest color trends of 2025, and the minimalist way to style it would be to pair it with creamy neutrals. If you really want to stand out, though, we suggest playing with the fun vibes and finding a printed suit set or dress in a salmon pink.
Engine Red + Soft Lilac
Pastels like lilac are typically put away for the season once fall comes, but why? It goes surprisingly well with a shockingly bright red. If that feels like a lot, you can balance all the color out with a brown pant or skirt.
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Gray + Camel
Burgundy, gray, and camel tones really shine best in fall—and yet, it’s rare to combine all three together. For whatever reason, we tend to match gray with black and camel with brown or white. We say it’s time to break with convention!
Cherry Red + Olive Green
Red and green aren’t usually paired together outside of the holiday season, but you can pull the combo off in a harmonious way that won’t look like a Christmas party outfit. To keep things interesting and stylish, go for subtly different shades—cherry red and olive green—and match them with jewel tones like indigo and sapphire.
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A version of this story was previously published in Glamour Spain.