Lilac and olive green are an unexpected pairing that looks like a garden in late summer, soft purple against earthy green. These four looks pair a lilac cashmere knit with olive broderie trousers, an olive lace-trimmed tee with a lilac silk skirt, and a lilac puffer vest over an olive cardigan and satin skirt. Start with one piece of each and go from there.
Lilac and Olive Green Outfits to Try This Fall
In 1856, an 18-year-old chemist named William Henry Perkin was trying to make quinine when he ended up with a purple dye instead. He called it mauveine, and it became the first synthetic dye to be sold commercially.
Lilac is mauve's softer cousin, and olive is the color that keeps it grounded. Purple flowers grow on green stems everywhere you look, so the pairing feels familiar even if it looks surprising at first. Olive makes lilac look grown-up, and lilac keeps olive from looking like a uniform.
A quick test: put a lilac scarf or sweater on with an olive jacket. If the lilac looks soft and the olive looks warm, the rest of these looks will work.
Start With One Piece of Each
Start with one statement piece in each color. The Attico's L'Altra Di Milano bag is army green crinkled patent leather with a bow, and Balenciaga's Duchesse pumps are a bright lilac suede with a pointed toe. Anderson's narrow suede belt is dark green, and Carolina Bucci's Forte Beads bracelet is a strand of purple and green stones. Any one of these makes jeans and a white shirt look planned.
A Lilac Knit, Olive Trousers
Allude's cashmere sweater is a short-sleeved lilac knit, soft and simple. Sea's Vittoria wide-leg pants are army green with broderie anglaise trim down the legs, which gives the outfit a little romance. Manolo Blahnik's Pitaka loafers are olive suede, and Anita Ko's Orbit earring is rose gold with a pink sapphire.
How to wear it: tuck the sweater into the trousers, since the wide leg needs a clean waist.
An Olive Top, a Lilac Skirt
Balmain's knitted T-shirt is army green with lace trim at the neck, and Dôen's Elowette midi skirt is listed as pink but looks lilac in silk, with cream lace at the hem. It is a pretty outfit that the olive keeps from getting too sweet. Aquazzura's Saint Honoré 50 boots are army green suede, and Alaïa's Mina tote is army green suede cut with a pattern of small holes.
The Lilac Dress, an Olive Suede Coat
Norma Kamali's mini dress is lavender stretch jersey gathered at the side, and Arma's Judy suede coat is a long olive green that covers it like a trench. The coat makes the short dress work for fall. Valentino Garavani's Fatale 105 sandals are violet suede with a bow detail, and Jia Jia's necklace is a strand of small pink sapphires.
What I would skip: olive shoes here. The coat is already a lot of green, and violet sandals connect the dress to the floor.
A Lilac Puffer Over Olive
Moncler Genius' Islote vest is a quilted lavender down puffer, the sporty piece in this lineup. Under it, Frame's Airy cardigan is an army green wool and cashmere knit with short sleeves, and Violante Nessi's Rebecca midi skirt is army green satin with a twist at the front. Gianvito Rossi's Chester Chelsea boots are olive suede on a lug sole, which keep everything practical.
Think Like a Garden
Lilac and olive look surprising until you notice them together in a garden, where they always match. Choose lilacs that lean cool and soft, and olives that lean warm and a little brown. Let olive take the big pieces like trousers and coats, and use lilac where you want people to look. Start with the lilac knit and olive trousers. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Olive Green and Burgundy Outfits to Try This Fall and Olive Green and Black Outfits to Try This Fall.
