Burgundy deepens a gold dress and navy sets cool against its warmth. Matching gold, beige and black shoes are the simpler, safer picks.
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Burgundy under gold is the garnet-and-setting pairing: a wine-dark red below a warm yellow metal stays in one warm family, while the big gap in depth gives the outfit weight. Burgundy velvet heels and a matching clutch make the December outfit, for holiday parties, a winter reception or dinner by candlelight.
Navy is the cool partner gold rarely gets. Deep blue under a yellow metal sets cool against warm, so the gold looks brighter, and the dark shoe frames the hem crisply, the same effect as gold buttons on a navy coat. Navy satin pumps suit a long gold dress at a black-tie dinner or a fall gala, with the gold jewelry kept small.
Gold sandals on a gold dress make one warm column, which looks glamorous when the textures differ, such as liquid satin over matte metallic leather. Keep both golds at a similar warmth, since a brassy yellow gold next to a rosy one looks like a near miss.
Beige heels and a beige bag let a sequined or satin gold dress stay one stretch of light, the safest pick for a formal evening wedding where you want to look dressed up without pulling focus from the couple.
Full outfits on OutfitSuggestion: What to wear to a formal wedding as a guest →
Black velvet pumps and a black clutch frame gold at its sharpest, the darkest neutral against a bright metal, and make a short gold dress look more grown-up at a cocktail party.
Full outfits on OutfitSuggestion: What to wear to a semi-formal event →
Which of these flatter you depends on your color season. Find my season →
Silver is a cool metal and gold a warm one, and placed at opposite ends of the body they make each other look slightly off: the gold brassier, the silver greyer. Mixed metals work in jewelry, where the pieces touch; under a gold dress, choose gold, a neutral or a dark color.
A yellow shoe shares gold's hue without its shine, so the dress looks like a metallic copy of the shoes or the shoes like a faded copy of the dress. Neither reads as deliberate. Bronze or antique-gold leather gives you the warmth with the right sheen.
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Gold behaves like a warm neutral with a spotlight on it. In sequins, lamé or satin it reflects everything around it, so the shoe under it sets the level of contrast more than it adds color. The two shoes that do the most for it are deep jewel tones: burgundy, which deepens gold's warmth the way a garnet looks set in gold, and navy, which puts cool blue against the yellow metal and makes it look brighter.
Both look best in winter, when gold reads as festive and not beachy. After them come the simpler picks: gold shoes for one warm column, beige to let the dress glow uninterrupted, black for a graphic edge. One rule holds for all of them: let only one shiny surface lead, so a sequined dress wants matte leather or suede below it.
Less than you might think. A sequined or lamé dress already carries the shine, so one piece is plenty: small gold hoops, a thin bracelet or pearl studs. Match the metal to the dress, yellow gold with a brassy gold and a paler gold with champagne. Statement necklaces tend to blur into a busy neckline.
Usually, yes, to an evening or black-tie wedding, as long as the gold is clearly gold and not a pale champagne that could read as ivory in photos. Keep the shoes and bag simple, beige or a deep jewel tone, so you look festive without competing with the couple. For a daytime ceremony, matte satin suits better than heavy sequins.
In winter, yes. Sheer black tights look best with black or burgundy shoes and give a short gold dress an after-dark feel; with navy pumps, sheer navy tights do the same more softly. Sheer tights close to your skin keep the line unbroken under beige or gold heels. Skip opaque colored tights: a thick red or green leg next to gold tips the outfit toward costume.
Gold flatters warm coloring most easily, because its yellow undertone repeats the golden tones in hair, skin and eyes. Cool coloring often does better with a pale champagne or a pewter-toned gold, or with gold worn away from the face, in shoes or a skirt. Your season reading tells you which undertone you have.
Yes, and they often look more current than heels. Pointed gold or burgundy flats suit a midi or maxi gold dress, and metallic ballet flats keep a short one playful. Pick a flat with some shine or a sharp toe so it matches the dress's dressiness; a plain canvas sneaker under sequins works only when the contrast is the point.