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What colors go with grey?

Grey borrows the mood of its partner: crisp with white and navy, soft with pink, rich with burgundy, sunny with light yellow.

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What to wear with grey

  • grey #808080
  • white #FFFFFF

Grey and white

Neutral base High contrast

White gives grey the edge it lacks on its own. The contrast is strong without the severity of black, so the outfit looks fresh and orderly rather than formal.

When to wear it: The office and the warm months: a white shirt under a grey suit, a white tee with a grey cardigan and jeans, white sneakers with grey joggers. In fall, a grey crewneck over a white collar is the easy weekday version.

What to avoid: Grey exposes any warmth in a white, so a shirt that has yellowed with age looks dingy beside it. Keep the whites bright and retire them once they dull.

Suits: Deep WinterBright WinterCool Winter

  • grey #808080
  • navy blue #1F2A4D

Grey and navy blue

Neutral base Medium contrast

Both colors are cool and quiet, so together they look composed, and navy adds the depth grey lacks. Because navy is a muted blue, the pair never reads loud, which is why it fills offices and school uniforms.

When to wear it: Workwear all year: a navy blazer over grey dress pants, a grey suit with a navy tie, a navy coat over a grey knit dress. On weekends, a navy sweater with grey chinos does the same job casually.

What to avoid: Very dark grey beside navy can look like two halves of different suits; with navy, choose a mid or light grey so the difference reads as chosen. Brown shoes warm the pair and black ones make it strict, so decide which mood you want.

Suits: Deep WinterCool SummerBright Winter

  • grey #808080
  • pink #F2A0BC

Grey and pink

Neutral base Medium contrast

Pink is the gentlest way to add color to grey: the grey tones down the sweetness of pink, and the pink brings life back to the grey. Both are soft and slightly cool, so they meet at the same level of intensity.

When to wear it: Spring and summer, at work or at a wedding: a pink shirt under a grey suit, a grey pleated skirt with a pink knit, a pink dress under a grey trench. It also photographs well for family pictures.

What to avoid: A neon pink overwhelms mid grey and makes it look drab; stay with mid or pastel pinks. When pink and grey are equally light they blur together, so make one clearly lighter than the other.

Suits: Cool SummerLight SummerSoft Summer

  • grey #808080
  • burgundy #800020

Grey and burgundy

Neutral base Medium contrast

Burgundy is a deep, wine-dark red that gives grey weight and warmth without shouting. The grey keeps burgundy from looking too rich, the burgundy keeps grey from looking dull, which makes them a reliable cold-weather pair.

When to wear it: Fall and winter: a burgundy sweater with grey wool slacks, a grey coat with a burgundy scarf, a grey suit with a burgundy tie or pocket square. Burgundy leather shoes or a bag work in any month.

What to avoid: A bright cherry red in burgundy's place makes grey look like a varsity jacket, so keep the red dark. Too much burgundy on grey flannel looks heavy; let grey cover most of the outfit.

Suits: Deep WinterCool Summer

  • grey #808080
  • light yellow #F8E79A

Grey and light yellow

Neutral base Medium contrast

Light yellow is the gentlest way to warm grey up: a pale, buttery yellow lifts it the way sunlight lifts a grey stone wall. The step in lightness between the two is clear but never stark, so the pairing reads fresh and friendly.

When to wear it: Spring and summer: a pale yellow shirt with grey chinos, a butter-yellow tie on a grey suit, a light yellow cardigan over a grey knit dress. It suits daytime events, garden parties and the office in the warm months.

What to avoid: A cold, greenish lemon looks acidic next to mid grey, so pick a yellow with some cream in it. Pale yellow near the face suits light or soft, warm coloring best; if it washes you out, keep it to a tie, a scarf or a bag.

Suits: Light SpringSoft Autumn

Which of these flatter you depends on your color season. Find my season →

Colors to keep away from grey

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The usual mistake with grey (or gray) is pairing it with another quiet color and then wondering why the outfit looks tired. A mid grey has no hue of its own and sits halfway between black and white, so it borrows its temperature from whatever you put beside it: light yellow warms it, navy cools it, pink softens it. A grey suit, a marl sweatshirt and a flannel skirt all follow that rule.

Your coloring decides where the grey should go. On cool, muted coloring, a flat mid grey top looks quiet and refined; on warm, golden coloring it can drain the cheeks and make the skin look sallow. If grey does that to you, keep it to pants, skirts and coats worn open, and wear one of its partners at your collar instead. Heathered or slightly blue-tinted greys are usually easier to wear than a dead-flat one.

Wearing grey with grey

An all-grey outfit works when its greys differ clearly in depth: a charcoal coat over a light grey sweater, a mid grey suit with a pale grey shirt. Three steps of grey, lightest at the face and darkest at the feet, look polished; two greys of nearly the same depth look like a mismatch. Mix textures too, such as flannel, knit and leather, so one color does not look flat.

FAQ

How can you tell a warm grey from a cool one?

A true mid grey is neutral, but most grey fabrics lean one way. Blue-tinted greys and slate read cool and suit cool coloring; greige and stony greys with a hint of brown read warm and sit better with warm coloring. When you shop, compare two greys side by side: the cooler one looks faintly blue, the warmer one faintly sandy.

Do grey and brown go together?

In small doses, yes. Brown leather shoes, belts and watch straps look good with grey suits and pants, because the leather is darker and glossier than the cloth. Large blocks of mid brown next to mid grey are harder: at the same depth, their opposite temperatures look muddy. Choose camel or chocolate, not a brown halfway between.

What should I wear with grey to a wedding?

For a daytime or summer wedding, a light or mid grey suit or dress with pastel pink, lavender or powder blue looks fresh and festive. For an evening or winter wedding, go darker: charcoal with burgundy, emerald or silver accessories. A head-to-toe grey look without any accent can read as office wear.

Does green go with grey?

Yes, best when the green is clear or deep. Emerald and forest green look rich against grey, and sage sits calmly beside light grey, a pairing for soft coloring. Lime and olive are trickier: lime looks harsh against mid grey and olive can look drab, so keep either to a small accessory.