Trust me, I’m not a fan of the weather getting colder. If anything can get me excited for autumn, though, it's the fashion.
There is something about the season that makes me want to rethink my entire wardrobe, rediscover pieces I forgot I had, and convince myself I need another coat. Another coat is non-negotiable, right?
Fall has a uniform, and somehow we all keep agreeing to wear it. And yes, I’m guilty of it too:oversized sweaters, boots, and, of course, the same familiar colours we’ve been reaching for every September.
And then, there’s the colour palette. The trifecta of deep reds, chocolate browns and burnt oranges hasn’t changed much. Fall still looks the same as it did in Gilmore Girls. The familiarity of it all is actually quite comforting. Maybe that’s why we continue to reach for the same pieces.
I wonder, are we starting to get too comfortable?
Autumn is having a re-brand, too.
We aren’t abandoning the fall palette we know and love. We’re just making room for something louder. I’m ready to shake it up. Are you?
In 2026, teal, chartreuse, and royal purple are challenging the idea that autumn has to mean brown and orange.
Teal
Teal feels like a summer colour that accidentally wandered into fall.
It's the colour of ocean water, bright skies and hydrangeas – everything we associate with warmer months. But deepen the shade, pair it with heavier outerwear, and suddenly it makes sense for October. It may be unexpected, but isn’t completely out of place. Unlike a pastel shade, teal has enough depth to hold its own against darker tones. Against a wardrobe of traditional fall colours, teal is impossible to miss. Its coolness creates the perfect kind of contrast fall dressing usually lacks. I’m calling it now: it’s going to be huge. I mean, Hailey Bieber was already making a case for it last year with a teal silk blouse, black dress pants, and a classic black pump.
Consider this my prediction that the rest of us are about to follow. Dare I say, I can already see teal trickling into winter too.
Fall is where we’ll start playing around with it, and I have a feeling this one won’t disappear overnight.
Picture ‘80s ski gear. That’s hot.
Chartreuse
This might be my favourite colour of the season. Chartreuse–it’s bold and bright and almost aggressively un-fall like, which is exactly what makes it interesting. Look at the season itself: yellowing leaves, moss and grass all carry the trace of that same yellowish-green hue. That’s exactly why it works.
I’m also obsessed with the way this colour is showing up in accessories. Gloves still have their practical job, obviously, but this time they’re becoming part of the statement. If I was experimenting with bolder colours for the first time, I’d grab a fun pair of gloves, purse or headband. Low-commitment, high-impact.
Royal Purple
Purple isn’t a stranger to fall. We’ve seen its darker cousins–plum, aubergine and burgundy–every year. This time around, the colour isn't staying muted or playing backup. It’s taking center stage.
A vivid royal purple has a completely different energy than the deep wine shades we typically reach for. This colour is playful in one of the moodier seasons of the year. It inevitably reminds me of Halloween, especially when paired with black or orange. But outside of Halloween, rich purple rarely gets the attention it deserves. I’d love to see it become less associated with costumes and more of an everyday staple. The most interesting part isn’t that colour is coming back–it’s that we’re mixing it. And honestly, that’s the fun part. I love the daring colour combos that are so ugly, they’re actually cute.
So why the sudden change?
Fashion has spent the last few years cycling through different aesthetics. We went through neutrals, minimalism, capsule wardrobes, and the whole “clean girl” era. So why, after so long, have we discovered fall is more than just brown and orange?
Is it because we got bored of the basics?
Maybe we’re just bored of being understated.
After years of quiet dressing, there’s something refreshing about putting on a colour that actually has a personality.
As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, colour gives us a reason to have a little more fun getting dressed.
These colours aren’t new.
What’s new is seeing them take up space in a season that has traditionally belonged to orange, brown, and burgundy.
Mixing them is where things get interesting.
Try teal with chocolate brown.
Chartreuse with burgundy.
Purple with black.
Suddenly, that same fall wardrobe can feel completely different.
When the colour is doing this much work, you don’t need much else. The colour is the accessory. We’re letting it do the heavy lifting, and I’m so here for it.
If every season is an opportunity to adjust and reinvent, there is no reason that fall fashion can’t do the same.