Colour matching
What colours go with burgundy?
Grey, navy, cream, white, olive and tan. Burgundy is dark and desaturated enough to behave like a neutral, so it sits with most things. What it fights is bright red, which is too close, and orange, which is too near on the wheel.
The rule
Burgundy is a red that has had the brightness taken out of it, which is what lets it act as a neutral. It gives an outfit one interesting note without asking anything else to move. Where it fails is against colours from its own neighbourhood: a true red next to burgundy looks like burgundy that faded, and orange next to it looks like a clash nobody chose.
When it works
- Grey, which is the most reliable partner it has.
- Navy, where two deep colours give an outfit weight.
- Cream or white, which lets the burgundy be the only event.
- Tan or olive, both of which share its earth base.
When it fails
- Bright red, which makes the burgundy look accidental.
- Orange or rust in the same weight, which sits too close on the wheel.
- Two burgundies at different shades, the usual near-miss failure.
What the app would say
The same call, in the words it comes back with when you photograph the mirror.
One colour, one job
- The burgundy knit is the only strong colour, so it reads as the accent.
- Grey trousers and white sneakers stay out of its way.
Reading the rule is slower than checking. Point the camera at the mirror and get this applied to what you have actually got on.
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Related questions
Do burgundy shoes go with everything?
With grey and navy, yes, and they are one of the easiest ways to make a plain outfit look considered. Keep them away from brown trousers, where they read as brown shoes in the wrong light.
Is burgundy the same as maroon?
Close enough that nothing in your wardrobe cares. Both are dark, desaturated reds and both behave like neutrals.