Cream, white, navy, gray, camel, black, olive, blush pink, denim blue, and gold all go with maroon clothes. Maroon is a deep brown-red, and the colors that suit it are the ones that give it room rather than compete with it.
Deep reds like maroon can look rich on one person and heavy on another, and much of that comes down to coloring. With Wdrobe, our phone app, you can build your color palette from a selfie.
Maroon, burgundy, and oxblood are not the same shade
These three names get used interchangeably and should not be. Burgundy leans purple, like the wine. Maroon leans brown and is slightly duller. Oxblood is darker still, with a distinctly red-brown cast. The difference matters when you are matching two pieces: a maroon skirt and a burgundy bag will read as a near-miss.
If you are pairing maroon with another deep color rather than a neutral, the safest approach is to keep only one of them saturated. Two rich shades at equal weight compete, and the outfit stops having a focal point.
10 colors to wear with maroon
1. Cream
Cream is the softest way to lighten maroon and the most flattering in daylight. Outfit formula: cream knit + maroon trousers + brown loafers.
2. White
Higher contrast than cream, and better when you want maroon to look crisp rather than cozy. Outfit formula: white shirt + maroon skirt + white sneakers.
3. Navy
Two deep colors that hold their own without clashing, because one is warm and one is cool. Outfit formula: navy blazer + maroon knit + gray trousers.
4. Gray
Gray is the most neutral backdrop maroon has and lets the color read clearly. Outfit formula: maroon sweater + charcoal trousers + black boots.
5. Camel
Camel warms maroon and makes the combination look autumnal without being obvious about it. Outfit formula: camel coat + maroon dress + brown boots.
6. Black
Black grounds maroon and is the simplest evening answer. Outfit formula: maroon blouse + black tailored trousers + black heels.
7. Olive green
An unexpected pairing that works because both are muted earth-adjacent tones. Outfit formula: olive jacket + maroon tee + dark jeans.
Maroon, burgundy, and plum blur together on a screen and behave differently in an outfit. Knowing which one is actually hanging in your wardrobe changes half the pairings on this page. Compare yours against the others.
8. Blush pink
Pink and maroon are the same hue family at very different intensities, which gives a tonal outfit with clear separation. Outfit formula: blush shirt + maroon trousers + brown belt.
9. Denim blue
The most casual option, and the one that makes maroon look everyday rather than formal. Outfit formula: maroon sweatshirt + straight jeans + white sneakers.
10. Gold
Not a garment color so much as a hardware and jewelry choice, but it changes maroon more than any fabric will. Outfit formula: maroon dress + gold jewelry + brown boots.
Getting the shade right in artificial light
Maroon is one of the colors most affected by lighting. Under warm indoor bulbs it can read closer to brown; under daylight it shows its red. If you are matching a maroon top to maroon shoes, check them together outdoors before deciding they match.
This is also why maroon works so well in the evening. Under low light it reads as a rich neutral rather than a color, which is why it holds up in settings where a brighter red would be too much.
For related deeper shades and how they behave, see colors that go with burgundy and colors that go with chocolate brown.
Styling maroon for work, weekends, and evenings
Work. A maroon knit with charcoal or navy trousers is the easiest professional use, and it reads warmer than the black most people default to.
Weekends. Maroon with denim and brown boots is the standard casual formula and works from September through February.
Evenings. Maroon is one of the better evening colors because low light reads it as a rich neutral rather than a color. Pair with black and gold.
For men. A maroon shirt with grey or charcoal trousers is the most common combination, and a good alternative for anyone who finds a full burgundy suit too much. Keep the shoe brown rather than black.
Shoes, bags, and metals with maroon
Brown is the most natural shoe color for maroon and the least severe. Black works and is sharper, but it can make maroon look darker than it is. Avoid a shoe in a near-matching maroon unless it matches exactly.
Gold is the stronger metal here because it picks up maroon's warmth. Silver reads colder and suits true burgundy better than brown-leaning maroon.
Maroon is a colour people own once and wear cautiously. Two settled pairings are usually enough to change that. Work out its two reliable partners.
Colors to avoid with maroon
Burgundy or oxblood in the same outfit. These are close enough to look like a failed match rather than a tonal pairing. Pick one and commit.
Mid red. A mid-red top with maroon trousers rarely works. A small bright red accessory can, but the gap has to be obvious.
Orange. Both are warm and share a red base, so the two muddy each other rather than contrast.
Frequently asked questions
Does maroon go with black? Yes. Black is the most common partner and the least risky. Give maroon the larger share of the outfit or it disappears against the black.
Can I wear maroon and red together? Only with a large gap between them. A bright red accessory against maroon works; a mid-red top against maroon trousers usually does not.
Is maroon only an autumn color? It is most common in autumn, but maroon linen or cotton in summer reads as a deep neutral rather than a seasonal choice.
Add your maroon pieces to Wdrobe, check them against the neutrals you already own, and save the pairings where the shade reads clearly rather than muddily.
Every pairing here assumes you know which deep reds are already hanging up, which is the one job a wardrobe app does better than memory. Maroon and burgundy are close enough that the same pairings usually apply. Compare them in what colours go with burgundy clothes, then check the neutrals in what colours go with charcoal grey clothes.
Maroon reads differently in knitwear than it does in satin, so the pairings here land differently depending on what you own. Build them with your own fabrics.
