Colors that go with Red for clothes
Red · #C0392B
Red (#C0392B) — a clear, warm red — pairs best with terracotta & clay, deep charcoal, muted red, and teal. To wear with it, reach for terracotta & clay, drawn from 8 historically-grounded combinations below.
Worn together, the pairing has to flatter skin and hold up in mixed light — confident partners read as intentional, not accidental.
About red
Red is a clear, warm red — a saturated, warm colour that reads as mid-toned. As a warm tone it looks most resolved next to cool and neutral partners that temper its warmth, and it needs both lighter and deeper shades nearby for the value contrast the eye reads as finished. That balance is what makes it feel refined in clothes.
- HEX
- #C0392B
- RGB
- 192, 57, 43
- HSL
- 6°, 63%, 46%
- CMYK
- 0, 70, 78, 25
Accessibility: put light text on red for AA legibility (contrast 5.2:1 against off-white).
Why red pairs with terracotta & clay, deep charcoal, muted red, and teal
Across the 8 historical combinations below, red sits most often beside terracotta & clay, deep charcoal, muted red, and teal. That tracks with colour theory: a warm, mid-toned tone like this one wants cool and neutral partners that temper its warmth so the scheme feels intentional rather than flat, and both lighter and deeper partners supply the light-to-dark range the eye needs. Worn together, the pairing has to flatter skin and hold up in mixed light — confident partners read as intentional, not accidental.
- terracotta & clay
- deep charcoal
- muted red
- teal
Using red in clothes
To wear with it, reach for terracotta & clay and deep charcoal. Because red is mid-toned, it can cover larger surfaces, with teal added for depth.
8 combinations with red, from the 1933 Dictionary
Madder Red & Evergreen
The rooted red of madder-dyed cotton set against enduring pine green.
#B23B3B #344E3D #EAE1CC #2B2B2B
Fawn & Scarlet +2
Plate 308 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Fawn, Scarlet, English Red, Cobalt Green.
#cb2f43 #d1b0a7 #d96629 #96d1aa
Coral Red & Scarlet +2
Plate 332 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Coral Red, Scarlet, Deep Slate Olive, Dusky Green.
#cb2f43 #f58e84 #253122 #004f46
Spectrum Red & Brick Red +2
Plate 322 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Spectrum Red, Brick Red, Eupatorium Purple, Blue Violet.
#a84222 #e31f26 #bf5892 #6450a1
Brick Red & Apricot Orange +2
Plate 328 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Brick Red, Apricot Orange, Vandyke Brown, Light Porcelain Green.
#a84222 #f68c50 #4b3317 #00908a
Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow +2
Plate 241 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red Orange, Pale Lemon Yellow, Isabella Color, Dark Medici Blue.
#dd4027 #ffefae #c5a56e #547076
Corinthian Pink & Red Orange +2
Plate 264 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Corinthian Pink, Red Orange, Dark Greenish Glaucous, Cerulian Blue.
#dd4027 #f8b6ba #b7c2a9 #0093a5
Pale Blue & Vermillion
The faded blue of Shinsengumi jackets against shrine-gate vermillion — restrained power.
#D8453A #6B9BB0 #F4EEE0 #2B2B2B
Red in other settings
Other colors
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The colour-theory books behind pairings like Red — history, reference and the science of what works together.
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