Best colors · By hair color
The best colors for brunettes
Brown hair is one of the easiest to dress, as long as your clothes respect how light or dark, and how warm or ashy, your brown really is.
Free · No account needed to start
The short answer
Brunettes look best in colors with some depth: navy, oxblood, bottle green, petrol blue, camel, ivory, plum and cinnamon. Golden and chestnut brown suits olive, amber and terracotta; cool, ashy brown suits charcoal, berry and royal blue. Avoid browns that blend into your hair, tan near your face and chalky pastels, which leave brown hair looking flat.
The palette
Colors that flatter brown hair
Brown hair runs from light ash brown and honey to chestnut, chocolate, mahogany and near-black espresso. Two things matter most for clothing: depth, meaning how light or dark your brown is, and warmth, meaning whether it shows gold and red in sunlight or looks ashy. Hair is just one piece of the picture, next to skin undertone and eye color. A brunette with golden skin and hazel eyes and one with rosy skin and gray eyes can end up in very different seasons.
Neutrals
Pick neutrals a clear step lighter or darker than your hair, never the same shade.
- Ivory#F2EBDD
- Oatmeal#D3C2A6
- Light Camel#C49C6E
- Stone Gray#9C978F
- Charcoal#383A3F
- Midnight Navy#1C2540
Everyday colors
Mid-depth shades that flatter almost every brown, from honey to espresso.
- Petrol Blue#2D5E6E
- Rosewood#9E5E60
- Olive#6E6B3B
- Chambray#7D97B8
- Cinnamon#A3592F
- Soft Berry#8E4A63
Statement colors
Rich, saturated shades for nights out, events and accent pieces.
- Oxblood#5C1A1E
- Bottle Green#1E5E42
- Royal Blue#2A4BA0
- Raspberry#A3245A
- Amber#C98A2E
- Aubergine#4F2A44
Why it works
Why these colors work
The colors for brown hair that work best create a little contrast without fighting its warmth. Jewel tones like bottle green, petrol blue and oxblood look rich against chocolate and chestnut. Camel, ivory and navy make easy neutrals that frame brown hair without blending into it. The colors to watch are the ones closest to your hair: a sweater in the same brown erases the line between hair and clothes, and very pale, dusty pastels can make medium brown hair look dull.
Your season
Seasons where brown hair is common
Soft Autumn
Light to medium brown with golden or neutral skin and soft features: sage, soft teal, camel and rosewood.
Deep Autumn
Dark chocolate or chestnut hair with warm skin and dark eyes: burgundy, rust, forest green and espresso.
Soft Summer
Ash or mousy brown with cool skin and gray, blue or soft hazel eyes: dusty blue, mauve, soft plum and pewter.
Deep Winter
Very dark brown hair with cool or neutral skin and high contrast: black, emerald, sapphire and true red.
One trait doesn’t settle a season: undertone, depth and how soft or bright your coloring is decide it together. Avarobe reads all three from one selfie and shows your best and worst colors on your own face.
Keep away from your face
Colors to avoid
- Mid Brown#7A5A3E
- Tan#C9AA82
- Pale Lilac#DCD2EA
- Pale Butter#F4E8B4
- Dusty Peach#E3C2AC
- Neon Lime#C6F432
Brown that matches your hair blurs the two together, and chalky pastels or neon leave brown hair looking dull. Choose a version two shades lighter or darker, or a clearer color in the same family.
Put it together
How to wear them
- Use the two-shade rule for browns: a brown coat, knit or scarf should sit clearly lighter than your hair, like oatmeal or camel, or clearly darker.
- Check your hair in daylight. Gold, copper or red glints mean rust, olive and amber will suit you; smoky, ashy brown points to berry, slate and charcoal.
- Light brown hair looks best in medium-depth colors like rosewood and chambray; very dark brown can carry oxblood, bottle green and black.
- Navy is the safest dark neutral for most brunettes. It gives the crispness of black without making light brown hair look washed out.
- For a white shirt, match the warmth of your hair: ivory for golden or chestnut brown, a soft bright white for cool espresso.
Makeup
Warm brunettes suit terracotta, caramel nude and brick lips; cool brunettes suit rosewood, berry and blue-red. Match your brow pencil to your hair or go one shade lighter. Bronze and plum shadows deepen brown eyes, and taupe works with every brown.
Metals
Gold and bronze flatter golden, chestnut and red-tinged brown. Silver and white gold suit ash and cool espresso brown, and rose gold sits happily between the two.
Glasses and accessories
Tortoiseshell frames suit almost every brunette; pick a dark pattern for dark hair and a honey one for light brown. Burgundy and deep green frames add color without clashing. For leather goods, choose a brown clearly lighter or darker than your hair, or go navy or black.
Questions
Brown hair: FAQ
What colors look good with brown hair?
Navy, burgundy, emerald, teal, camel, ivory, plum and rust look good with most brown hair. They have enough depth to stand next to brown without blending into it. Fine-tune by warmth: golden and chestnut brunettes suit olive and terracotta, while ash brunettes look better in berry, slate blue and charcoal.
What colors should brunettes avoid?
Avoid browns that match your hair exactly, chalky pastels, tan close to your skin tone and neon. The browns make hair and clothes run together, the pastels dull medium brown hair, and neon overwhelms it. Choose a brown at least two shades away from your hair, and swap pale lilac or butter for clearer aqua, coral or periwinkle.
Do brunettes look good in black?
Dark brunettes usually do, especially with cool or neutral skin and dark eyes. Light and medium brunettes with soft features can look washed out in black near the face. If that’s you, wear navy, charcoal or espresso tops and let black appear in boots, outerwear and bags instead.
What colors make brown hair look richer?
Green and blue-green make brown hair look warmer and richer, because they contrast with the red and gold in it. Teal, bottle green, olive and petrol blue are the easiest. Burgundy and plum deepen dark brown, and camel brings out honey tones in light brown. These are some of the best colors for brunettes who want their hair to stand out.
What colors suit brown hair and brown eyes?
Warm, rich colors usually suit brown hair with brown eyes: rust, bottle green, teal, burgundy, amber and camel. If your eyes are very dark and your skin is cool, jewel tones like sapphire and raspberry give you more pop. Avoid pale, dusty pastels, which leave dark eyes and hair without the contrast they need.
Keep exploring
Related guides
Avarobe
See your best colors on your own face
One selfie: Avarobe reads your undertone, depth and contrast, names your season and shows the colors that flatter you, and the one to keep away from your face.
Free to start · No credit card