True Autumn vs Deep Autumn
Both are rich, warm Autumns. True Autumn lives in golden mid-depth color; Deep Autumn goes darker and can borrow a little coolness.
True Autumn · Warm first, then soft
Deep Autumn · Deep first, then warm
Top band: each season's 16 best colors. Lower band: its 6 neutrals.
What they share, and why they get mixed up
True Autumn and Deep Autumn share the warmest, earthiest corner of the palette. Both wear mustard, olive, teal, rust-family reds and camel beautifully, both prefer cream to white, and both look cold in icy pastels. Their palettes meet in dark-leaning greens and teals, and both seasons look at home in leather, suede and harvest colors.
The difference is depth. True Autumn is warm first and sits at mid-depth: pumpkin, saffron, olive and jade. Deep Autumn is deep first and warm second, which pulls its colors darker and lets it borrow a few cooler shades: mahogany, forest, garnet, aubergine and deep teal. People with strong warm coloring often test 'Autumn' clearly and then find both palettes look good, because both share that warmth.
The deciding differences
| True Autumn | Deep Autumn | |
|---|---|---|
| Warmth | Very warm | Warm, can borrow slight coolness |
| Depth | Medium-deep | Deep |
| Clarity | Soft to moderate | Moderate |
| Neutrals | Camel, warm khaki, coffee, olive brown, chocolate | Cognac, olive umber, warm charcoal, espresso |
| Greens | Olive, moss, jade, pine | Forest, dark olive, deep jade, deep teal |
Compare mid-depth golden color with its dark twin: pumpkin against mahogany, or mustard against bronze. On a True Autumn the mid-depth color brings warmth to the face and the very dark one can look heavy. On a Deep Autumn the darker shade adds definition, and the mid-depth one can look a little light, as if the face needs more depth around it.
How to tell at home
- Daylight, a mirror, hair pulled back and a plain cream top.
- Compare pumpkin with mahogany, and mustard with bronze.
- Compare olive with dark olive or forest.
- Compare camel with espresso as a neutral near the face.
- Mid-depth wins point to True Autumn; dark wins point to Deep Autumn. If the darkest shades and a cooler deep teal or garnet both look natural, Deep Autumn is especially likely.
Still split? That's common.
Plenty of warm colorings land close to both. The free quiz tests light against deep and warm against cool with drapes on your own calibrated photo, then shows your top two seasons with a confidence level, so a near tie is shown honestly.
Take the free quizQuestions
Can True Autumn wear dark brown?
Yes. Coffee and chocolate are on its palette. The very darkest browns, like espresso, sit more naturally on Deep Autumn.
Is Deep Autumn close to Deep Winter?
Yes, it borders Deep Winter on the cool side. If garnet and deep teal look better on you than pumpkin and saffron, read the Deep Autumn and Deep Winter comparison too.