Red and burgundy is a tonal pairing with a pulse: the same color at two depths. These five outfits put bright red cardigans, trousers, poplin and wool with burgundy cashmere, twill, suede and leather. Keep the difference between the two reds obvious.
Red and Burgundy Outfits to Try This Fall
In 1958 Mark Rothko was commissioned to paint murals for a private dining room in New York's Seagram Building, and then he withdrew from the contract. Nine of the paintings are now at Tate, and four of them are titled Red on Maroon. They are dark, glowing and a little unsettling, which is a lot to ask of an outfit, but the colors are the point.
Red and burgundy are the same color at two depths, so wearing them together is a tonal outfit with a pulse. The red is the bright part and the burgundy is the shadow. It looks bolder than all red and warmer than all burgundy, and it is easier to wear than it sounds.
A quick test: wear red near your face and burgundy below the waist. If the red looks brighter for it, the two shades are getting along.
One Bag and One Shoe in Each
Loewe's Petal Anagram flats are red leather cut into a lattice of little petals, and they are the most fun thing here. Métier's Ease 22 clutch is a slim red leather envelope with a strap. For burgundy, Alaïa's Le Teckel is a long, low suede bag (teckel is French for dachshund, and it is that shape), and Roger Vivier's Ville Dorsay pumps are burgundy leather with the house's square buckle.
Red Cardigan, Burgundy Cashmere Pants
Flore Flore's Poppy cardigan is a fitted red cotton cardigan with little buttons, the kind you wear as a top. The Elder Statesman's Juniper pants are burgundy cashmere with a wide leg, which means you are basically wearing very nice sweatpants (I see no problem with this). Aeyde's Ayla boots are burgundy leather on a block heel, and Saint Laurent's Loulou bag is quilted burgundy leather with a gold logo. How to wear it: tuck the cardigan in so the pants look intentional.
A Burgundy Turtleneck, Red Trousers
Alaïa's turtleneck is burgundy cashmere, cropped and boxy with short sleeves, and it sits right at the waistband of Róhe's red Daria trousers, which are pleated wool with a tapered leg. Jil Sander's Ballerina Prince flats are glossy burgundy leather with almost no structure, and Loewe's small Amazona bag is red leather with a top handle. What I would skip: a red lip with this one. The trousers are already the loudest thing in the room.
The Red Poplin Dress and a Burgundy Blazer
Matteau's maxi dress is red cotton poplin, shirred at the bodice with short puffed sleeves, and it looks like summer until you put Dries Van Noten's burgundy twill blazer over it. Then it is fall. Le Monde Beryl's Mica flats are burgundy leather gathered around the foot, and Brunello Cucinelli's suede shoulder bag is burgundy with a fine beaded trim. This is the outfit I would wear to a long lunch.
The Red Jacket With Frog Closures
Róhe's red wool jacket closes with black frog fastenings, and it is the piece that makes this outfit. Under it, Tibi's red twill shirt is from the same family of red, so the top half reads as one block. Gabriela Hearst's Rhein pants are deep burgundy cashmere and wool with a flare, and Gianvito Rossi's Levy boots are burgundy suede on a low heel. Red on top, burgundy below: the simplest version of this pairing.
Bright on Top, Dark Below
With two reds, the trick is to make the difference obvious. A true red next to a deep wine looks deliberate, while two middle reds can look like a mismatch. I put the brighter red near my face and the burgundy on the bottom half or on my feet, and I keep everything else neutral, ideally cream or black. If you already have a burgundy bag, a red knit is the fastest way in.
