Side-by-side drape test
True Autumn vs Soft Autumn:how to tell them apart
Short answer
01 — Same & different
What they share, and what splits them
Warm · Warm-leaning
Medium-deep · Medium
Medium · Muted
02 — The three pairs
How to read each pair
Both are warm, but saturation is the bigger difference: rust vs terracotta, mustard vs muted mustard, olive vs soft olive. If the richer color makes your features look more defined, lean True Autumn; if it seems to sit in front of you while the softer one blends in, lean Soft Autumn.
03 — Shared colors
The overlap: colors both palettes can wear
These pairs sit closest together across the two palettes — safe ground while you’re still deciding. The outer columns are the most season-specific colors, where the difference shows most.
Mostly True Autumn
Both
Mostly Soft Autumn
04 — Outfits
Four outfits, side by side
- Work
- Camel coat, cream knit, chocolate trousers, gold pendant.
- Weekend & dates
- Rust corduroy shirt, olive chinos and brown boots.
- Work
- Oatmeal shirt, warm taupe trousers, olive blazer and matte gold.
- Weekend & dates
- Apricot top, moss skirt or trousers, brown shoes and bag.
05 — Metals
Gold, silver — and finish
Yellow gold, copper, antique brass.
Finish · satin or lightly polished
Matte gold, brushed brass and soft bronze.
Finish · brushed or matte
06 — Hair color
Hair color directions
Copper, auburn, warm chestnut or golden brown.
Soft golden brown, warm mushroom or muted caramel highlights.
07 — If both work
Both palettes look fine? That’s an answer too.
If both work, warmth is your constant. Camel, olive-brown, terracotta, bronze and teal sit comfortably in both palettes. Wear the richer True Autumn colors in larger pieces when you want more presence, and Soft Autumn’s hazier versions near the face on low-contrast days.
08 — Questions
Asked and answered
HEX values are for communication — screens and fabric differ, so check colors in person.
Updated Oct 2026
Still between the two?
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