What colors go with plum?

Ivory, mid-wash denim, pink, teal and sage green. Plum is dark, so it shows its color best beside something lighter.

What to wear with plum

plum #6E2F5E
ivory #F4EBD9

Plum and ivory

Neutral base High contrast

Ivory is softer than pure white, so it gives plum a strong light-dark contrast without the glare. Its slight warmth also brings out the red in plum.

When to wear it: All year: an ivory silk blouse with plum pants, a plum sweater over an ivory shirt, or an ivory cable knit with a plum skirt and boots in winter. It suits the office and dinners alike.

What to avoid: A yellowed cream in ivory's place can look tired against plum. Keep the light piece close to white, and avoid adding a second pale color that splits the contrast.

Suits: Deep Winter Cool Summer Cool Winter

plum #6E2F5E
mid-wash #5A7AA6

Plum and mid-wash

Neutral base Medium contrast

Mid-wash denim is a soft, greyed blue, cool like plum's blue side, and its lighter depth keeps a plum top from looking heavy. It is the easiest way to wear plum casually.

When to wear it: Weekends in autumn and spring: a plum sweater or tee with mid-wash jeans, a plum corduroy shirt over a white tee and jeans, or a denim jacket over a plum dress.

What to avoid: Very dark jeans with a plum top blur into one dark block. If your jeans are dark, choose a lighter plum, or add a light layer or white sneakers.

Suits: Deep Winter Cool Summer Cool Winter

plum #6E2F5E
pink #F2A0BC

Plum and pink

Tonal: one color, light and dark High contrast

Pink is a light red and plum a deep purple-red, so they share the rose side of the wheel at very different depths. The pink brightens plum, and plum gives the pink enough weight to look deliberate.

When to wear it: Spring and the holiday season: a pink shirt with a plum suit or tie, a plum coat over a pink knit, or a pink blouse with plum wide-leg pants for a dinner or party.

What to avoid: A peachy pink pulls toward orange and fights plum's cool side, so pick a pink with a little blue in it and keep any third color neutral.

Suits: Cool Summer Cool Winter

plum #6E2F5E
teal #007B7F

Plum and teal

Contrasting hues Low contrast

Teal and plum are both deep, cool and rich, and they sit a third of the wheel apart. The pairing has the glow of jewel tones and looks festive without being bright.

When to wear it: Winter evenings and holiday parties: a teal dress with a plum wrap, a plum velvet blazer with a teal shirt, or both in a paisley tie or silk scarf.

What to avoid: Teal and plum sit at the same depth, so from across a room the outfit can look like one dark color. A light shirt, pale jewelry or a metallic shoe keeps them apart.

Suits: Cool Summer Deep Winter Cool Winter

plum #6E2F5E
sage green #9CAF88

Plum and sage green

Opposites on the color wheel Medium contrast

Sage sits opposite plum on the color wheel, and its pale, grey-green softness gives the deep plum a gentle contrast. The pairing feels botanical, like a ripe plum against its leaves.

When to wear it: Autumn weddings, garden parties and spring days: a sage dress with a plum shawl, a plum knit with sage chinos, or sage and plum together in a floral print.

What to avoid: A yellowish sage makes plum look brownish. Keep the sage cool and grey, and repeat one of the two colors, in a bag or a scarf, so the pairing looks planned.

Suits: Cool Summer

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

Colors to keep away from plum

- burnt orange #CC5500
Burnt orange is warm, earthy and fairly saturated, plum cool and deep. Together the orange looks louder and the plum duller, two autumn colors that disagree on undertone. A small amount of rust is easier, as a scarf instead of a sweater.
- khaki #C3B091
Khaki is a muted, yellowish neutral, and next to plum its yellow shows, so the plum looks bruised and the khaki dull. Grey, ivory or denim make far better neutrals for plum pants, skirts and coats.

Step 1 / 1

Take a selfie in daylight

Face a window, without makeup if you can, hair as it naturally falls. Daylight and no filter keep your real skin tone — colored lamps and beauty filters change the result.

🙂

Your selfie is used for your reading and saved in your private Color Suite only if you go on to a try-on. Never shared, never used for training.

By lamplight plum can pass for black; in daylight its wine-and-berry color shows. It is a deep, red-leaning purple, darker than most purples and redder than violet, and shops often sell it as dark purple or eggplant, so the pairings below work for those too. Up top it suits cool coloring and coloring with depth. If your coloring is light or warm, a plum coat or skirt is often easier to wear than a plum sweater.

Its darkness is the thing to plan around: plum looks best with at least one lighter piece. Ivory and pink lift it, mid-wash denim makes it casual, and teal or sage green bring out its color by contrast. Velvet, wool and cashmere make it an autumn and winter color, but in linen or silk it works for summer evenings too.

FAQ

Does plum have a cool undertone?

Yes, plum leans cool, though it has more red in it than violet or royal purple. Among the color seasons, it belongs to the cool and deep palettes, Cool Summer, Cool Winter and Deep Winter. Warm coloring often does better with plum worn below the waist, in a skirt or pants, with a warmer color up top.

Which shoes go with a plum dress?

Black, grey and dark burgundy shoes keep the look deep and elegant. Silver or pewter suits plum's cool side for evenings. In spring and summer, light taupe or blush shoes lighten the outfit. Tan and cognac are trickier, because their orange can make plum look brownish.

Does plum go with navy?

Navy and plum are close in depth, so together they can look muddy. If you wear both, put something light between them, a white shirt under a navy blazer with a plum tie, for example, or let navy appear only as denim. A lighter blue, such as light blue or dusty blue, usually suits plum better.

Does plum go with brown?

Dark brown can work in winter, as suede boots or a leather bag beside a plum coat, because both are dark and the brown stays quiet. Mid and orange browns tend to fight plum's cool side and make it look dull. Grey or black is the easier choice for shoes and belts.

Is plum a fall color?

Plum is most at home in fall and winter, in velvet, wool and suede, beside seasonal colors such as burgundy, deep teal and charcoal. It works in spring and summer too, in silk, linen or a print, with ivory, pink or sage to keep it light.