What to Wear With a Burgundy Dress: Colours, Shoes, Tights and Coats

Wear a burgundy dress with black, camel, cream or grey, and with gold jewellery. Black shoes are the safest choice for any occasion: sheer black tights with them in the evening, opaque black tights by day. Navy, blush and olive work too, as long as they stay quieter than the dress. Below: what each colour does next to burgundy, the right shoes, tights, jewellery and coat, and three outfits for a Christmas party, a winter wedding and a weekday.

What colours go with burgundy

Burgundy is a deep red with a little brown or purple in it, so it behaves more like a dark neutral than bright red does. Each colour changes it in a different way:

• Camel: the warmest pairing. It brings out the brown in burgundy and makes the outfit look rich rather than formal. Usually the coat.
• Black: the sharpest, and the most evening. Keep black to shoes, tights, coat and bag so the dress still reads as burgundy rather than almost-black.
• Cream: the most contrast. Cream makes burgundy look brighter and lighter, which helps by day and in photos.
• Grey: cool and calm. Charcoal turns a burgundy dress into office wear; pale grey softens it.
• Navy: dark on dark, so it looks quiet and polished. Choose a navy that is clearly blue, or it looks like a black that does not quite match.
• Blush: both colours come from red, so a blush cardigan or bag looks gentle rather than contrasting. Keep it to one piece.
• Olive: earthy and autumnal. Keep the green muted; burgundy with a bright green starts to look like Christmas wrapping.

What colour shoes to wear with a burgundy dress

Black is the answer for most days: it grounds a dark red, matches black tights and suits every hem length. A low heel such as the Miriam Split-Toe Ballet Mary Jane Heels, with a 3cm heel and an ankle strap, comes in black and works from the office to a party.

• Black: the default for evening and winter. With black tights, the leg reads as one unbroken line from hem to floor.
• Nude or beige: for bare legs or skin-tone tights, so day weddings and warmer months. A shoe close to your skin tone makes the leg look longer under a midi.
• Gold or metallic: for evening. Gold shoes repeat gold jewellery and warm the dress. Keep everything else plain and stick to one metal.
• Burgundy: tonal shoes look deliberate when the shades are close. The Monica High Boots come in burgundy faux leather as well as black; with burgundy tights under a burgundy dress, they turn the outfit into one long column of colour. A brighter red shoe usually looks like a near miss.

By occasion: black heels or Mary Janes for a party, or gold if your jewellery is gold. Beige or gold heels for a wedding; under a maxi only the toe shows, so choose a pair you can stand in all day. Black or dark brown loafers and knee boots for work and weekends, from boots and loafers.

What colour tights to wear with a burgundy dress

• Sheer black, 15–20 denier: the evening choice. They darken the leg just enough to look finished and suit mini and knee-length party dresses.
• Opaque black, 60–80 denier: for daytime, knit dresses and flat shoes or boots. Warmer and more casual.
• Burgundy or wine opaque: the tonal option. Tights and shoes in the dress colour make the legs look longer.
• Sheer skin-tone: for formal daytime events such as a wedding, where black can look heavy. Choose a matte finish.

Skip grey, navy and patterned tights. Next to burgundy they compete with the dress instead of finishing it.

What jewellery to wear with a burgundy dress

Gold is the usual choice: it warms burgundy and goes with camel and cream. Silver is cooler and sharper, and works when the rest of the outfit is grey, navy or black. Pick one, then match the bag's hardware and any metallic shoe to it.

Let the neckline decide the piece. An off-the-shoulder neck takes a fine chain or nothing, with bigger earrings. A high neck takes earrings and a bracelet and no necklace. A round or V-neck takes a pendant that sits just inside the neckline. In the evening a metallic bag can stand in for a statement necklace: the Celeste Shell Shape Evening Clutch comes in gold and silver, on a chain strap.

What colour coat to wear with a burgundy dress

Camel keeps a burgundy dress daytime and black makes it evening. Grey suits the office, cream or beige gives the most contrast, and navy keeps everything dark and quiet.

Length matters as much as colour. Over a midi, choose a coat that falls past the hem, so no strip of dress shows below it. Over a mini, a long coat makes the leg look longer. The Claudine Long Belted High Collar Coat is a long, belted coat with a stand collar in grey, black and beige, and all three work with burgundy. Browse long coats, camel coats and black coats, or read what to wear over a dress.

Burgundy dress outfit for a Christmas party

Start with a mini that covers the arms, such as the Oona Off-Shoulder Draped Mini Dress: off-the-shoulder neckline, long fitted sleeves and a draped skirt. Add sheer black tights, black heels or Mary Janes, gold earrings and a gold clutch, with a long black coat over the top. The bare neckline needs no necklace. More ideas in Christmas party dresses and what to wear to a Christmas party.

Burgundy dress outfit for a winter wedding guest

Burgundy is one of the safest colours a guest can wear in winter. It reads as formal, and nobody will confuse it with white. The Philippa Ruched High-Neck Maxi Dress is sleeveless, with a high round neck, a ruched front and a fitted shape that flares at the hem.

With the high neck, wear earrings rather than a necklace, in gold if the coat is camel or cream. Choose beige or gold heels. Add a long camel or cream coat for the photos outside, and a wrap for a cold church. See wedding guest dresses and what to wear to a winter wedding.

Everyday burgundy knit dress outfit

A knit dress in burgundy does the same job as a black one and looks warmer. The Erlinda Button-Front Knit Midi Dress comes in burgundy among its colours: a button-front knit with a round neck and short sleeves. For winter, put a fine black or cream long-sleeve top underneath, then opaque black tights, loafers or knee boots and a camel coat. More in knit dresses.

Common questions

What colour shoes go best with a burgundy dress?
Black, for almost every occasion. Beige works with bare legs, gold suits evening and burgundy shoes give a tonal look.

Does gold or silver jewellery go with burgundy?
Both do. Gold warms it and suits camel and cream; silver suits grey, navy and black. Choose one metal and keep the bag hardware the same.

What lipstick goes with a burgundy dress?
A berry or wine lip repeats the dress; a soft rose or neutral lip lets the dress lead. Orange-based reds tend to clash with the cooler red of burgundy.

Can you wear burgundy to a wedding?
Yes, and it suits autumn and winter weddings especially. Follow the dress code on length: a midi or maxi for formal and evening weddings.

Every dress in this guide is in burgundy dresses, from long-sleeve minis to maxis for weddings. For a brighter shade see red dresses, and to finish an evening look, evening bags.