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There is something about fall that makes everybody suddenly reach for beige.

Beige sweaters.
Beige cardigans.
Beige pants.
Beige boots.

And listen, if beige makes your heart happy, baby, wear the beige.

But you know me.

I didn’t make it to 68 just to disappear into the damn leaves.

Fall has some of the richest colors of the entire year—rust, teal, olive, wine, mustard, chocolate—and they’re absolutely gorgeous on women over 60.

And no, I’m not talking about dressing younger.

I’m talking about dressing alive.

So if you’ve been staring at that rust-colored top wondering whether it’s “too much,” or you’ve convinced yourself that women our age should stick to neutrals, come sit next to me.

We’re going shopping in the colorful section.

Fall Color After 60 Doesn’t Need a Rule Book

One of the things I love about getting older is that I’ve become much less interested in fashion rules.

I know what I like.

I know what makes me feel good.

And I’ve learned that those two things matter a hell of a lot more than somebody else’s list of what women over 60 are “supposed” to wear.

Color is part of that.

You don’t have to wear four colors at once.

You don’t have to suddenly become a walking box of crayons.

Start with one.

A rust cardigan.

An olive pair of pants.

A teal blouse.

A wine-colored sweater.

Then build the rest of the outfit around it.

Here are four fall colors I’d put in an over-60 wardrobe without hesitation.

1. Rust: The Fall Neutral That Isn’t Boring

Rust might be one of my favorite fall colors because it gives you everything we love about a neutral without putting you to sleep.

It’s warm. It’s earthy. It’s very boho.

And rust with turquoise?

Come on.

That’s practically got my name written all over it.

Easy ways to wear rust

Try rust with:

• Denim
• Cream
• Chocolate brown
• Olive
• Teal
• Turquoise jewelry

A pair of rust wide-leg pants with a simple cream or black top gives you an easy base. Add a long necklace, bracelets and comfortable shoes, and you’re done.

Or reverse it: jeans, a simple tank or tee, and a rust cardigan or kimono.

SHOP THE LOOK: RUST FOR FALL

2. Teal: The Color That Wakes Up the Outfit

Now we’re talking.

If you’re someone who normally lives in black, denim or neutrals but wants to experiment with more color, teal is a fantastic place to start.

It’s colorful without screaming.

It’s rich enough for fall.

And it looks beautiful with so many of the colors already hanging in your closet.

Try teal with:

• Rust
• Denim
• Chocolate
• Camel
• Olive
• Wine
• Black

You don’t need a complicated outfit either.

Teal flowy top + jeans + boots or sandals + jewelry.

That’s it.

If you’re wearing patterned pants, pull one shade of teal from the print and repeat it in your top or accessories.

It looks intentional without looking like you spent three hours trying to make everything match.

SHOP THE LOOK: TEAL FOR FALL

3. Olive: Your New Neutral

For the woman reading this thinking:

“Gigi, I’m not wearing teal pants and a rust kimono. Calm down.”

Okay.

Let’s talk olive.

Olive is probably the easiest of these four colors to work into a wardrobe because you can treat it almost exactly like khaki, tan or denim.

Except it’s more interesting.

Wear olive with:

• Cream
• Black
• Rust
• Wine
• Mustard
• Denim
• Teal

Olive wide-leg pants with a printed boho blouse would be beautiful.

So would jeans, a white or cream top and an olive utility jacket.

And if you’re nervous about wearing color near your face, put the olive on the bottom.

Nobody said your statement color has to be your shirt.

SHOP THE LOOK: OLIVE FOR FALL

4. Wine: Rich, Easy and a Little Sexy

Wine. Burgundy. Merlot. Berry.

Whatever the retailer decides to call it this week.

This is another beautiful fall color because it feels rich without feeling fussy.

And it can go either casual or dressy depending on what you put with it.

For everyday wear, I’d keep it relaxed.

Wine-colored top.
Jeans.
Long necklace.
Comfortable shoes.

Done.

Or try wine pants with a cream top and an olive layer.

If you’ve got a wine-colored cardigan, throw it over denim and add turquoise jewelry.

Yes, turquoise and wine.

We’re not afraid of color around here.

SHOP THE LOOK: WINE & BURGUNDY

Yes, You Can Wear These Colors Together

This is where it gets fun.

You don’t have to keep all these colors in separate little boxes.

Fall colors naturally play well together because so many of them share those warm, earthy undertones.

Try:

Rust + Teal
Probably my favorite. Let one be the star and use the other as an accent.

Olive + Wine
Rich, understated and incredibly easy to wear.

Rust + Olive
Earthy boho heaven.

Teal + Wine
A little unexpected—which is precisely why I like it.

Rust + Denim + Turquoise
If you see me wearing this combination repeatedly, mind your business.

You Don’t Have to Match Everything

This is where women sometimes make color harder than it needs to be.

Your shoes don’t need to match your bag.

Your necklace doesn’t need to match your shirt.

Your cardigan doesn’t have to perfectly match one tiny flower in your pants.

We’re putting together an outfit.

We’re not solving a math problem.

Pick a dominant color.

Add a neutral.

Then add something interesting.

For example:

Rust pants + cream top + turquoise necklace

Or:

Jeans + teal blouse + brown shoes

Or:

Olive pants + printed boho top + wine cardigan

Done.

Start With Accessories If Color Makes You Nervous

Maybe you’ve worn black, navy and gray for decades and suddenly Gigi is over here trying to put you in teal and rust.

You don’t have to go from zero to rainbow.

Start small.

Try a colorful scarf.

A wine-colored bag.

Turquoise earrings.

A rust cardigan over your usual black outfit.

A printed kimono.

Color doesn’t have to dominate the outfit to change how the whole thing feels.

SHOP BOHO FALL ACCESSORIES

Two easy boho add-ons for fall: an Achillea Reversible Paisley Pashmina Scarf in burgundy/olive, and a pair of Colloca Turquoise Dangle Earrings. Both are simple ways to bring in color without buying a whole new wardrobe.

Stop Saving Color for Younger Women

Here’s the part that has very little to do with clothes.

Somewhere along the way, women get the message that aging means toning everything down.

Less color.

Less pattern.

Less attention.

Less visibility.

And I don’t know who wrote that rule, but I didn’t sign the damn thing.

I’m 68.

If I want rust pants, a teal top, turquoise jewelry and enough bracelets to announce my arrival before I actually enter the room, that’s exactly what I’m wearing.

The goal isn’t to dress younger.

The goal is to keep dressing like yourself.

Maybe your version of that is a beautiful olive sweater and jeans.

Maybe it’s a wine-colored blouse.

Maybe it’s an entire colorful boho situation that makes your husband wonder what exactly happened in the closet that morning.

Wear what feels like you.

Build a Fall Closet You Actually Want to Wear

You don’t need an entirely new wardrobe every season.

I’d rather have a handful of pieces that work with what I already own.

If you’re adding something this fall, ask yourself:

Can I wear this at least three different ways?

A rust cardigan that works with jeans, black pants and a dress?

Yes.

Olive wide-leg pants that work with four tops already in your closet?

Yes.

A teal blouse that works alone now and under a cardigan when it gets cooler?

Absolutely.

That’s how I’d build a fall wardrobe—one useful, colorful piece at a time.

My Fall Color Formula

When I’m standing in the closet wondering what the hell I’m wearing, I don’t need a complicated formula.

Give me:

One comfortable base + one great fall color + one boho layer or accessory + jewelry + shoes I can actually walk in.

That’s enough.

Because the clothes aren’t supposed to become another set of rules.

They’re supposed to help you walk out the door feeling like yourself.

At 68, that’s what matters to me more than anything.

Not looking younger.

Not looking thinner.

Not dressing the way somebody thinks a woman my age should dress.

Just looking in the mirror and thinking:

Yep. There she is.

Now wear the rust.

Wear the teal.

Wear the olive.

Wear the wine.

Hell, wear two of them together.

Fall is too damn colorful for us to spend the whole season in beige.