Tie Neck Satin Midi Dress
Puce Charmed Floret
#2C1E14
Espresso
A Dark Autumn color
Espresso
neutral in Dark Autumn. Also called Deep Autumn in other systems.
By Kathleen Olsen · Updated November 11, 2026
- Hex
- #2C1E14
- RGB
- 44, 30, 20
- HSL
- 25°, 38%, 13%
Espresso is the darkest brown in the system, a near-black with red under it. It is the Dark Autumn answer to black, and the reason a Dark Autumn does not need black at all. Deep Winter's cool espresso is its cool twin. Side by side they look the same. On a face they do not.
Where it sits
Espresso is a neutral in Dark Autumn. Its closest relative outside the palette is Warm espresso near-black #2A211A, a Bright Spring color, at a perceptual distance of 4. That is near enough for that season to wear it as a neutral, with the accents kept in its own palette.
Most people cannot tell espresso from black across a room, and that is the point of it. It does black's job, which is to frame the face and anchor an outfit, but the red in it answers the warmth in Dark Autumn skin where black would fight it. Up close, in daylight, it is unmistakably brown.
It pairs with everything in the palette. Espresso with camel is the Dark Autumn uniform. Espresso with oxblood or burnt orange is the dressed-up version. Espresso with cream is the only pairing where it reads clearly as brown rather than as a soft black, and it is the most flattering of the lot.
The hex sits four points from Bright Spring's warm espresso near-black, which is as close as two registry colors get without being the same color. Bright Spring wears it as its dark neutral too. Deep Winter's cool espresso is eleven points away and the undertone is flipped; the two Winters share the depth and not the warmth.
Easily confused with
Cool espresso, #2B2529, is the Deep Winter version and the common mistake. It has a violet cast where this has a red one. Warm charcoal in the same Dark Autumn palette is eleven points off and greyer. Dark chocolate in True Autumn is the same brown with light let back in.
The nearest named colors in other seasons, by perceptual distance (ΔE in CIELAB; under 10 is hard to tell apart on a screen, over 25 is a different color).
Warm espresso near-black #2A211A
Bright Spring neutral · ΔE 4
Near-black warm charcoal #35322E
Bright Winter neutral · ΔE 12
Cool espresso #2B2529
Deep Winter neutral · ΔE 12
Dark chocolate #4A3526
True Autumn neutral · ΔE 12
Charcoal #2A2D34
Deep Winter neutral · ΔE 16
Black #000000
Deep Winter anchor · ΔE 17
In stock in this color today
As of November 11, 2026, 43 in-stock pieces across STAUD, Boden, Frank & Eileen and Marine Layer sample within a close match of #2C1E14. The dot on each card is the color we sampled from the garment itself; trust it over the photograph. Links are affiliate links: we earn a commission when you buy through them, at no cost to you.
What it's sold as
Retailers almost never use the palette name. These are the color names on the in-stock pieces that sample within a close match of #2C1E14 today, so they are the words to search for.
- STAUD
- Earth, Espresso, Distressed Brown, Earth Studs, Dark Oak, Vibez
- Boden
- Puce Charmed Floret, Bitter Chocolate, Gold, Gingerbread Botanical Breeze, Midnight Emerald
- Frank & Eileen
- Espresso, Irish Chocolate
- Marine Layer
- Java, Faded Black
A retailer's name for a color says nothing about its undertone. "Navy" at one shop is a True Winter color and at another a Spring one. The sampled dot on each card above is what we trust.
Questions
Is espresso a Dark Autumn color?
Yes. Espresso (#2C1E14) is a neutral in the Dark Autumn palette, and close enough to a Bright Spring color for that season to wear it as a neutral.
Can a Deep Winter wear espresso?
Yes, as a near-black. Deep Winter is eleven points away and the palette's own cool espresso has a violet cast rather than a red one. On a Deep Winter this one reads a shade warm, which is usually fine in a coat and less fine in a top.
Is espresso better than black for a Dark Autumn?
Yes, near the face. Black has no warmth and Dark Autumn skin does, so black tends to make the face look tired. Espresso has the same depth with red under it. Away from the face, trousers and shoes, black is fine.
Can a Bright Spring wear espresso?
Yes. The Bright Spring palette has a warm espresso near-black four points from this one, close enough to be the same color. It is the Bright Spring dark neutral, worn with clear accents.
What is the difference between espresso and dark chocolate?
Light. Dark chocolate, #4A3526, is this brown with enough light let in to read as brown in any room. Espresso reads as black in most rooms. Twelve points apart.
The Dark Autumn guide · All in-stock Dark Autumn pieces · Oxblood → · All colors