Blue and Brown Is the Surprise Colour Pairing Stylish Women Are Wearing This Autumn

In Milan, the colour palettes on the catwalks were particularly, well, colourful. At Bottega Veneta, one single look contained pink, chartreuse and grey, a curveball trio, perhaps, but one that was an instant talking point post-show. Prada, meanwhile, span the colour wheel to make ensembles of beige, yellow and black or emerald, peach and taupe. It all felt rather thrilling, especially if you were traipsing around the city wearing head-to-toe black, the easiest way to dress in driving rain.

For now, however, there's another combination that's been making its presence felt in fashion circlces: brown and blue. On the streets outside the shows, we saw chocolate against cobalt, pecan with peacock—an "off" pairing that nonetheless provided fresh inspiration.

In fact, it's this clash—perhaps not clash but subtle juxtaposition— that makes the coupling so good. As Corina Gaffey, celebrity stylist and fashion writer, puts it: "There's a so-wrong-it's-right vibe about the blue and brown pairing. It feels unexpected, which is what makes it so stylish; the tension makes it exciting and interesting." She's not wrong.

And in fact, it's a duo that's being increasingly suggested to shoppers. Jigsaw has a brown-and-blue striped jumper that's a ready-made take on the colour trend, but also ice blue fisherman's sweaters that are being styled with "washed brown" barrel-leg trousers on the website. It's a similar story at Aligne, the retailer that has just collaborated with Lionness Lucy Bronze. The capsule's primary colours are brown (the elasticated jeans are particularly tempting) and blue (I love the mohair sweater in the lesser-spotted aqua). Sézane's upcoming collab with New Balance, dropping on 5 October, features a brown-and-blue sneaker that does the hard work for you.

You might not actually need to buy anything, however. The key, after all, is how you style these shades together—so throw all your brown and blue items of clothing on your bed and start experimenting.

"A brown suede jacket or bomber jacket is a great place to start with your colour clash combo. Then, layer a knit or sheer blue shirt underneath, and finish off with a tailored brown trousers for an extra dose of warmth, or opt for a dark indigo jeans," says Gaffey.

Once you start, you might not be able to stop teaming brown with blue, especially subtle flashes like a peacock ankle sock or almond ballet flat. Get your fill before spring—pink, chartreuse and grey has got your name on it.

Shop the Brown and Blue Trend