Cream, grey, navy, black, camel, blush pink, forest green, chocolate brown, white, and denim blue all go with plum clothes. Plum is a deep purple with a red undertone, so it behaves like a dark neutral and pairs most easily with soft, quiet colours rather than other strong ones.
Plum is often confused with aubergine and burgundy. Aubergine is darker and browner. Burgundy is redder. Plum sits between them, with enough purple to read as a colour rather than a neutral, which is why it is one of the more interesting autumn options.
Whether plum warms your face or drags it down depends on your colouring more than on the pairing. Wdrobe, the app we make, can read your colouring from one selfie and list the shades that suit you and the ones to avoid.
Why plum works as an autumn anchor
Most autumn wardrobes are warm: brown, camel, rust, olive. Plum is cool, and that is exactly why it is useful. It breaks up a wardrobe that has drifted entirely into earth tones without introducing anything as stark as black.
It is also flattering in knitwear near the face, because the red undertone keeps it from looking cold.
10 colours to wear with plum
1. Cream
The softest contrast, and the pairing that makes plum look richest. Outfit formula: cream knit + plum trousers + brown boots.
2. Grey
Cool on cool, calm, and easy for work. Mid grey works better than charcoal, which can flatten plum. Outfit formula: grey jumper + plum midi skirt + grey ankle boots.
3. Navy
Two deep colours that share a cool base. Keep a clear difference in depth so they do not blur. Outfit formula: navy blazer + cream shirt + plum trousers.
Ten partners for plum only help if you own some of them. Pin the plum piece in Wdrobe and the stylist makes outfits for it out of your own wardrobe, so you start from clothes that are already in the house.
4. Black
Sharp and formal, and the most reliable evening pairing. Outfit formula: plum dress + black tights + black boots.
5. Camel
The warm counterweight, and the pairing that stops plum from feeling heavy. Outfit formula: camel coat + plum jumper + dark denim.
6. Blush pink
Tonal, since both contain red, and much softer than it sounds. Outfit formula: blush knit + plum trousers + tan loafers.
7. Forest green
A jewel-tone pairing that works for evening and holiday dressing. Outfit formula: forest green trousers + plum knit + black boots.
8. Chocolate brown
Warm and unexpected. The brown keeps plum from reading as formal. Outfit formula: chocolate brown coat + plum scarf + cream jumper.
9. White
Cleaner than cream and better for early autumn or a sharper office look. Outfit formula: white shirt + plum trousers + black loafers.
10. Denim blue
The casual answer, and mid-wash denim softens plum more than dark denim does. Outfit formula: plum knit + mid-wash jeans + white trainers.
Keeping plum from looking heavy
Plum absorbs light. Two large plum pieces with dark accessories can read as a block with no shape, especially in winter fabrics. Three ways around it:
- put something light directly next to your face, such as a cream or white collar;
- use texture, since a cable knit or velvet in plum shows shape that a flat fabric hides; and
- keep one accessory clearly lighter, such as a tan bag or a cream scarf.
Avoid pairing plum with bright red or orange. The shared red undertone makes the two fight rather than complement.
Not sure which shades suit you? Wdrobe's color analysis finds your color season from one photo, and our comparison of color analysis apps shows what the other apps offer.
Frequently asked questions
Is plum the same as burgundy?
No. Burgundy is a deep red with a hint of purple. Plum is a deep purple with a hint of red. They suit similar neutrals, but plum reads cooler.
Does plum go with brown?
Yes, and chocolate brown is the best version. It is warmer and less formal than black, and the contrast between warm brown and cool plum looks deliberate.
Can I wear plum to the office?
Easily. Plum trousers with a grey or cream knit, or a plum jumper with navy, both read as professional. It is a softer alternative to black without being casual.
Plum also earns its keep in a small wardrobe, because it stands in for black without reading as black, which is the logic most capsule wardrobe apps are built around. Next, compare it with the closely related colours that go with burgundy and colours that go with maroon.
A list of partners still leaves two questions open: whether plum suits you, and which of these pieces you already own. Wdrobe covers both: a colour analysis of your face, and plum outfits put together from the rest of your clothes. Find the plum outfits you can wear this week.
