How to Wear Burgundy: Outfits, Lipstick, Makeup and Nails
How burgundy changes through shade, texture and finish: burgundy outfit ideas from sculpted suits to lace and leather, plus burgundy lipstick, makeup and nails.
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Burgundy is the colour I reach for when I want something darker than red but warmer than black. What makes it so good to dress in is that it never stays the same. In matte wool it looks serious and grown-up, in satin it turns liquid, in patent leather it goes almost black until the light hits it. Lean it towards red and it feels like wine; push it towards brown or plum and it becomes something moodier. This guide is about using that range: burgundy outfit ideas for autumn and winter, built on shade, texture and finish, the colours that go with burgundy, and the lipstick, eye makeup and nails that carry the same story onto the face and hands.
What colours go with burgundy? Ivory, camel, grey, chocolate brown, navy and denim, pink, powder blue and black all work. Burgundy is also one of the few colours that looks rich worn head to toe, as long as the textures change.
01
Finding Your Burgundy
Eight burgundies, left to right from the top: wine satin, merlot knit, oxblood leather, bordeaux wool, plum silk, black cherry patent, berry velvet and cherry-burgundy lace.
Before the outfits, it helps to know which burgundy you’re looking at, because the shade decides what it pairs with. Red-wine burgundy, the shade some people call burgundy red, is the brightest and warmest, the colour of a glass of Rioja held up to the light. Brown-burgundy, sometimes sold as oxblood, has more earth in it and sits beautifully with camel, chocolate and gold. Plum-burgundy leans towards purple and looks cooler and more evening, especially in satin or velvet. They can all be mixed. I like a slight difference between two burgundies in one outfit, because it makes tonal dressing look chosen rather than matched.
Coat, roll-neck, leather skirt, bag and boots, all burgundy and none of them quite the same shade. That small drift between the burgundies is what keeps a full look interesting.02
Burgundy Outfit Ideas
Every look here is almost entirely burgundy. What changes from one to the next is the cut and the surface, and those two things are enough to make the same colour read as boardroom, romantic, rock or cosy.
01 — The Sculpted Suit
A burgundy suit with a nipped-in, double-breasted jacket and wide trousers is the most powerful way to wear the colour. Gold buttons and gold jewellery warm it up, and a bag a shade deeper than the suit, in polished wine leather, gives the outfit an edge without breaking the colour. Keep the shirt or knit underneath in the same burgundy so nothing breaks up the colour from collar to hem.
The suit after dark, with a tie-neck shirt and a long coat in the same wine. At night the colour deepens almost to black, so it’s an easy swap for an all-black evening outfit.
02 — Lace
Burgundy lace has a richness that black lace doesn’t, because the colour shows through the pattern rather than flattening it. A high-necked lace top with matching wide trousers, worn over a nude or burgundy slip, looks romantic but covered up, and a little fringe or a soft quilted clutch keeps it from feeling formal. It’s the look I’d choose for a dinner where a dress feels too obvious.
Burgundy lace from neck to hem, with a little fringe and a quilted clutch. Against a powder blue door the colour looks even richer, which is why powder blue is on my list of pairings further down.
03 — Satin
Satin gives burgundy the most movement. A satin shirt and bias-cut slip skirt in the same plum-burgundy look grand and relaxed at once, and I’d happily wear satin on satin here, because the clean cut and easy fit stop it looking like nightwear. A glossy black cherry lip is all I’d add. If you’d rather mix finishes, the satin skirt also looks good under a matte burgundy knit.
Another way to do satin on satin: a burgundy camisole with fluid trousers, black strappy sandals and very little else. The shine does the dressing up.
For evening, I’d swap the separates for a strapless burgundy dress with a structured bodice. A deeper plum shade looks rich by candlelight, and I’d stop at one bright piece of jewellery. For a burgundy dress in the daytime I keep things more relaxed, as in The Burgundy Dress.
A strapless plum-burgundy dress for dinner. With a colour this deep, I keep everything else simple: one necklace, a smoky eye and a soft nude lip.
04 — Glossy Leather
Polished burgundy leather has the most attitude of anything here. My pick is a cropped leather jacket with a strong shoulder over wide, fluid burgundy trousers, because the fluid trousers soften the jacket’s harder edge. Burgundy patent pointed shoes finish it and pick up the shine of the leather. For a dressier version, a croc-effect leather pencil skirt with a ribbed burgundy roll-neck does the same job with a longer, sleeker line.
A cropped leather jacket over fluid wide trousers in a slightly brighter burgundy, with sunglasses and a stack of gold bangles for a weekday in town.
05 — The Knit
A ribbed burgundy roll-neck with a matching knitted midi skirt is the everyday version of all this, and the one I’d wear most often. Matte rib shows off the colour without any shine, and a black or wine bag is enough to make it look finished. If you want just one piece to start with, a burgundy jumper with straight blue jeans is very hard to get wrong, and The Burgundy Dress shows how a single burgundy piece can carry a whole outfit.
A ribbed burgundy roll-neck, dressed up with a croc-effect leather skirt, a faux fur stole and wide gold cuffs. The knit keeps it grounded, however smart the rest gets.
06 — Off Duty
Burgundy doesn’t have to stop at tailoring. A square-neck sports bra and high-waisted leggings in the same deep wine look more put together than black and less like a gym uniform. I’d carry the colour all the way down to the trainers, then let the headphones and phone sit in a slightly brighter berry, close enough to burgundy to belong and different enough that the outfit doesn’t look like a set bought in one click.
Between sets on a grey London morning: burgundy activewear and matching trainers, with headphones and a phone in a slightly brighter berry.
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03
What Colours Go With Burgundy?
Head-to-toe, monochrome burgundy is the boldest way to wear it, but the colour is generous with partners too. How it looks depends mostly on proportion, meaning how much of each colour you wear and which one leads. There are more pairings like these in the Style Edit.
Ivory and cream give burgundy breathing space. An ivory knit or coat next to wine makes both look cleaner and lighter.
Camel warms burgundy up and makes it look rich rather than heavy, which is why a camel coat over a burgundy cardigan works so well in The New Classic.
Grey is the pairing I’d choose for work. Charcoal calms burgundy down, while a mid-grey makes it look sharper and cooler. I wear a burgundy bag against grey tailoring in The London Tailor.
Chocolate brown is the quiet, autumnal pairing. Brown-burgundy and chocolate sit so close together that the outfit looks tonal, and I like a little cream near the face to lift it.
Navy and denim are the everyday partners. Navy is smarter, almost a softer black, while blue jeans make a burgundy knit, blazer or leather jacket look easy and off duty.
Pink can go soft or bold. Dusty pink makes burgundy gentle and grown-up, while a bright, clear pink turns it playful, and both work when one colour clearly takes the larger share. I go through seven outfits in burgundy and pink outfit ideas.
Powder blue is the unexpected one. The cool blue sharpens burgundy and makes both colours look fresher, which I explain in Burgundy and Powder Blue.
Black is lovely for evening, and gold jewellery keeps the outfit from disappearing in low light. After Dark shows how much one flash of gold can do.
04
How to Wear Burgundy Lipstick
A burgundy lip follows the same rule as the clothes: the finish changes its character as much as the shade does. Three things decide how a burgundy lipstick looks on you, its undertone, its depth and how opaque it is, so a sheer berry, a satin wine and a glossy black cherry can look completely different on the same person. If one burgundy hasn’t worked for you, try one of the others before giving up on the colour.
The Sheer Berry Stain
The easiest version is a sheer berry pressed on with a fingertip, so the lips look flushed rather than painted. It works in daylight, with denim, and on anyone who finds dark lipstick too much. Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey is the classic example.
A sheer berry stain. You can still see the lines of the lip through the colour, which is exactly why it’s so easy to wear in daylight.
The Satin Wine
A satin finish in a true wine shade is the grown-up middle ground, opaque enough to look deliberate but soft enough to wear to the office. It’s the lip I’d wear with the sculpted suit. Line the lips first in the same shade, fill them in with the liner, then apply the lipstick on top so the edge stays crisp.
Two to try: Tom Ford Lip Color in Velvet Cherry for a rich, creamy wine, and NARS Afterglow Lip Shine in Aragón if you want the glossier version.
The Glossy Black Cherry
The darkest burgundy, close to black with a high shine, is the evening version and the most dramatic. Keep the rest of the face fresh, with soft brows and plenty of glow, and let the lip be the one strong thing. It looks especially good with satin and leather, where the shine on the lips echoes the shine in the clothes.
Glossy black cherry. It looks almost black in low light, and the shine brings the red back as soon as you move.
The Two-Tone Lip
If you can’t choose between the darkest burgundy and a brighter one, wear both. Line and fill the outer edge of the lips with the almost-black shade, press a cherry-wine into the centre, then blend where they meet so there’s no hard line. A little gloss on the middle of the lower lip gives it shape. It takes more care than a single colour, so I keep it for nights out.
Black cherry at the edges and a brighter wine in the centre, blended so the two shades meet softly.
Whichever you choose, try it on your lips rather than the back of your hand, and look in daylight by a window, because shop lighting can change how the shade reads.
What Lipstick Goes With a Burgundy Outfit?
A matching burgundy lip is the obvious choice, and with a simple outfit an exact match from lip to suit looks deliberate and striking. I often go a shade lighter or darker than the clothes, which keeps the lip from disappearing into the outfit. With head-to-toe burgundy, a nude lip lets the clothes lead, and a matching burgundy lip turns the whole look up a notch. With a burgundy dress, I let the fabric decide: a satin wine lip with satin, a sheer stain with knit or wool.
05
Burgundy Eye Makeup
A soft wash of wine shadow is one of my favourite autumn looks, especially on hazel, green and brown eyes, because red tones sit opposite green on the colour wheel and make green and gold flecks look brighter. The simple version is a matte warm brown in the crease, a burgundy or plum shimmer across the lid, and a little of the same shade smudged along the lower lashes. For daytime I tend to pair burgundy eyes with a neutral lip, and for evening a burgundy eye with a matching lip is a strong, polished look if the skin stays fresh.
The evening version in five steps: a matte wine across the lid, a deeper plum blended into the crease and outer corner, a burgundy shimmer pressed onto the centre of the lid, the darkest shade smudged along the lower lashes, then a fine winged liner and plenty of mascara.
If you’re already wearing a burgundy lipstick, I’d keep the eyeshadow soft, with a warm brown or taupe in the crease and plenty of mascara, so only one feature is dark. For a darker version I go through a plum smoky eye in smoky eye makeup ideas, and explain why berry shades suit green-gold eyes in the best makeup for hazel eyes. There are more looks in the Beauty Edit.
Plum shimmer on the lid, a little smudged along the lower lashes and a soft neutral lip, so the eyes lead. The knit, the nails and even the phone keep everything in the same family.06
Burgundy Nails
Burgundy nails are a low-commitment way to wear the colour, and the same shade-and-finish idea applies. These are the three burgundy nail ideas I’d choose between.
Almost-Black Wine
The deepest version reads as black from a distance and burgundy up close, so the colour shifts as your hands move through the light. It’s the one for evening and for all-burgundy or all-black outfits, and it looks best in a high-gloss finish.
Almost-black wine against a burgundy leather bag. A short, softly rounded shape keeps a colour this dark from looking severe.
Glossy Cherry-Burgundy
A brighter burgundy with a hint of cherry red feels livelier in daylight and suits casual outfits, denim especially. I like a fine metallic line on one or two nails, and a glossy top coat keeps the colour looking juicy.
Glossy cherry-burgundy with a fine gold line on two nails. Against a cream knit the colour looks brighter and warmer.
Burgundy French Tips
A fine burgundy tip on a sheer nude base is the lightest way to wear the colour, and it looks modern on short and longer nails alike. It’s a good choice if a full dark nail feels like too much for work.
Burgundy French tips over a soft mauve base. With a glossy wine lip and white sunglasses, the look stays playful.07
What Shoes and Bags Go With Burgundy?
Burgundy accessories show off finish better than anything else, because a small surface catches all the light. Glossy burgundy stilettos and a polished top-handle bag in a deeper wine stand out against matte clothes, flashing almost red wherever the shine sits, while suede burgundy reads softer and more autumnal. If I were easing someone into the colour, I’d start here, with a burgundy bag or pair of shoes worn with ivory, camel or grey.
For shoes with a burgundy outfit, black is the safest choice, ivory looks lighter and fresher, and burgundy shoes make the whole outfit look longer. I find an orange-toned tan fights with the colour, so if I want brown I go for a deeper cognac or chocolate.
Burgundy stilettos with a top-handle bag in a deeper wine. They don't need to match exactly, as long as both sit in the same family of burgundy.08
The Burgundy Edit
Burgundy in five textures: ribbed knit, liquid satin, lace, croc-effect leather and suede. Put any two together and you have a full burgundy outfit that never looks flat.09
Burgundy: Quick Answers
What colour is burgundy?
A deep red with a touch of brown or purple in it, named after the red wine of the Burgundy region in France. Brighter versions lean towards red, and darker ones towards plum or brown.
What colours go with burgundy?
Ivory, camel, grey, chocolate brown, navy, denim, pink, powder blue and black. Burgundy also works head to toe when the textures change.
Can you wear burgundy head to toe?
Yes, and it’s one of the best colours for it. Mix surfaces such as matte wool, satin, lace or leather, and vary the shade slightly between pieces.
Can you wear burgundy and red together?
Yes, if one clearly leads. I keep the red to a smaller piece, such as a lip, a bag or a scarf, so the two shades look deliberately different.
What shoes go with a burgundy outfit?
Black is the safest, ivory looks fresh, and burgundy shoes keep the colour going all the way down. For brown, a deep cognac or chocolate works better than an orange tan.
What’s the difference between burgundy and maroon?
They’re close. Burgundy has a little more purple in it, while maroon leans browner. Both work with the same colours.
Is burgundy lipstick hard to wear?
It’s easier than it looks. Start with a sheer berry stain for daytime, try shades on your lips in daylight, and use a matching liner under deeper colours.
Do burgundy nails suit everyone?
They’re one of the most wearable dark shades. A high-gloss almost-black wine looks polished, and burgundy French tips are a lighter option.
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The Koda View
I choose burgundy because it lets me wear colour without making a performance of it. It’s bold enough to be noticed and dark enough to feel private, and it moves with the day rather than demanding a particular mood. The way I make it my own is by rarely wearing it the same way twice: the sculpted suit for a Monday that needs some authority, and a black cherry lip with a plain knit when I want an ordinary dinner to feel like an occasion.
