Broderie Cotton Top
Cognac
#B8572A
Terracotta
A True Autumn color
Terracotta
anchor color 5 of 10 in True Autumn. Also called Warm Autumn in other systems.
By Kathleen Olsen · Updated November 11, 2026
- Hex
- #B8572A
- RGB
- 184, 87, 42
- HSL
- 19°, 63%, 44%
Terracotta is the color of fired clay: orange with enough brown in it to be earthy and enough red to stay warm rather than dull. It is anchor color five in the True Autumn palette and the color that the season is often reduced to, fairly. Dark Autumn borrows it without any trouble.
Where it sits
Terracotta is an anchor color in True Autumn. Its closest relative outside the palette is Burnt orange #A8501E, a Dark Autumn color, at a perceptual distance of 5. That is near enough for that season to wear it as a neutral, with the accents kept in its own palette.
True Autumn is warm, muted, and medium-deep, and terracotta is all three. It carries the orange that marks the warm seasons, the brown that marks the muted ones, and a depth that keeps it from reading as pastel. On the right person it looks like the most natural color in the world. On a cool season it looks like a sunburn.
The Autumns share this part of the wheel closely. Dark Autumn's burnt orange is only five points away and its own terracotta is ten. Any of the three will suit a True Autumn or a Dark Autumn. Dark Autumn's versions are slightly deeper, which is the only difference between the two seasons here. Soft Autumn's soft rust is twenty-one points away and noticeably greyer, which is the only difference between those two.
What terracotta is not is coral. The Springs have corals that sit at a similar place on the hue wheel with the brown taken out, and under flat retail lighting the two can look the same. On a person the coral is bright and the terracotta is quiet. Buy the quiet one if you are an Autumn.
Easily confused with
Dark Autumn's burnt orange and terracotta are the near-twins, and the confusion is harmless because both seasons wear all three. The one to watch is Soft Autumn's soft rust, twenty-one points away: the same hue with grey added, which suits Soft Autumn and makes a True Autumn look a little faded. True Spring's coral and Bright Spring's coral red are brighter cousins that read warm but not muted.
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).
Burnt orange #A8501E
Dark Autumn anchor · ΔE 5
Terracotta #C46A45
Dark Autumn anchor · ΔE 10
Rust #B7410E
Dark Autumn anchor · ΔE 13
Soft rust #A96A4A
Soft Autumn anchor · ΔE 21
Coral #FF7855
True Spring anchor · ΔE 22
Coral red #F25C4A
Bright Spring anchor · ΔE 23
In stock in this color today
As of November 11, 2026, 8 in-stock pieces across Boden, Frank & Eileen and STAUD sample within a close match of #B8572A. 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 #B8572A today, so they are the words to search for.
- Boden
- Cognac, Spiced Ginger
- Frank & Eileen
- Clay, Rust
- STAUD
- Cocoa Butter
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 terracotta a True Autumn color?
Yes. Terracotta (#B8572A) is an anchor color in the True Autumn palette, and close enough to a Dark Autumn color for that season to wear it as a neutral.
Can a Dark Autumn wear terracotta?
Yes, freely. Dark Autumn's burnt orange is five points from this and its own terracotta is ten. For practical purposes the two seasons share the color. Dark Autumn's versions are a shade deeper, which suits the season's extra depth, but the difference is small.
Can a Soft Autumn wear terracotta?
Soft Autumn's own soft rust is the better pick. It is the same color with grey in it, twenty-one points away. Full terracotta on a Soft Autumn tends to look a little strong. Soft rust gives the same warmth without the intensity.
Is terracotta orange or brown?
Orange that has been browned. RGB 184, 87, 42 has red as the dominant channel, green at about half, and very little blue, which is the recipe for a muted orange. The brown reading comes from the overall darkness rather than from grey.
What is the difference between terracotta and rust?
Red. Rust is redder and a little darker; terracotta has more orange in it. Dark Autumn's rust sits thirteen points from this terracotta. Both are Autumn colors and both seasons can wear both, so the choice is mostly about which looks better next to the face.
The True Autumn guide · All in-stock True Autumn pieces · ← Moss green · Warm teal → · All colors