Burgundy Color Pairings: Olive and Other Colors That Work

Deep olive is one of the easiest and most flattering answers to what colors go with burgundy. Olive is a muted, yellow-based green, so it sits opposite burgundy's red and makes both look richer without turning festive. Cream, camel, espresso brown and gold also work well. Bright cool shades and stark black are the ones to be careful with.

Below: why the olive pairing works, the other colors worth trying, what to avoid, and three outfit formulas you can copy.

Outfit combining deep burgundy and olive green pieces in a cozy fall look

Why do burgundy and olive work together?

Red and green are roughly opposite on the color wheel, which is why they make each other look more saturated. Olive is dull and earthy enough that the contrast feels calm instead of loud. The burgundy brings depth and warmth, and the olive keeps it from feeling heavy.

Undertones are the one thing to check. Burgundy comes in cooler versions that lean purple (wine, cranberry) and warmer ones that lean brown (oxblood, brick). A cooler wine usually looks better beside a greyer, military-style olive. A warmer oxblood sits well next to a golden olive. When the two are mismatched, one of them tends to look slightly dirty.

What colors go with burgundy besides olive?

These are the pairings I'd reach for first, since they answer most of the searches for colors that go with wine red.

Cream and ivory. A burgundy and cream color combination is soft and high-contrast without the sharpness of white. Try a cream knit with burgundy trousers.
Blush and soft pink. Tone-on-tone with a lighter value gives a gentle, romantic look.
Camel and tan. Warm neutrals sit naturally next to red-brown shades. A camel coat over a burgundy dress is a dependable fall outfit.
Espresso and chocolate brown. Darker and softer than black. See chocolate and burgundy pairings for cozy knitwear.
Mustard. A stronger earthy partner, covered in deep burgundy and mustard color pairings.
Navy and charcoal. Dark and quiet, good for work outfits.
Gold and copper. Metals and small accents that warm up the whole outfit.

What colors make burgundy pop?

Contrast in value makes burgundy stand out. Light neutrals such as cream, ivory and soft grey make it look deeper. Muted greens, olive in particular, make the red undertone more noticeable. A small amount of gold near the face or at the wrists adds a bit of glow.

If you want burgundy to be the focus, keep the second color lighter or less saturated and let burgundy take up the larger area.

Burgundy clothing styled with olive tones as an example of burgundy color pairings

What colors should you avoid with burgundy?

Nothing is banned, but some combinations are harder to get right.

Bright orange and hot red. Both compete with burgundy and can make the outfit look accidental.
Cool, bright purples. Close in hue but different in saturation, so they tend to clash. Unless you pick close shades, skip them.
Stark black in large areas. It can flatten burgundy. If you do wear them together, mixing burgundy and black in transitional outfits works best with texture differences.
Neon shades. The intensity makes burgundy look dull next to them.

Bright coral is a bolder exception that can work for parties. See burgundy and bright coral for party looks.

Use texture to make the pairing look expensive

Dark colors in flat cotton can look muddy. Through the lens of evidence-based design, I'd start with surface before color, because a matte weave and a glossy satin in the same shade do not read as the same color. Light reflects differently off each.

A simple rule: if one piece absorbs light, let the other reflect it.

A heavy matte olive wool coat over a silk burgundy blouse.
A burgundy velvet blazer with dark olive denim.
A chunky olive knit with a burgundy leather skirt.
Burgundy wool trousers with a fluid olive silk camisole.

Layered burgundy and olive outfit showing contrast between matte and smooth fabrics

Proportion and accessories

Two deep colors split 50/50 can chop the body into halves. Aim for roughly one third and two thirds: a burgundy turtleneck tucked into high-waisted olive wide-leg trousers is a simple example. If a bulky sweater hem lands at the widest part of your hips, try a front tuck or a cropped length.

For shoes and bags, cognac, espresso and nude leather sit more softly than black here. Gold jewelry usually suits both colors better than silver, which can look cooler and more stark, unless your olive leans grey.

Burgundy and olive styling with coordinated accessories for a fall outfit

Three outfit formulas to copy

Office

An olive blazer and trousers with a burgundy silk blouse, finished with suede pumps in burgundy or beige. Olive is softer than black or navy but still reads as professional.

Weekend brunch

Dark jeans or olive corduroys, an oversized burgundy cable knit and an olive utility jacket. White sneakers brighten it, and brown Chelsea boots make it warmer.

Dinner date

A burgundy slip dress under an olive leather jacket, with gold heels or sleek ankle boots. The soft dress against the tougher jacket keeps it interesting.

For other olive partners, see cool olive with warm beige in outerwear.