Halloween is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning your costume. If you want to wear orange this Halloween, you may be wondering – what colors go well with orange? Orange is a fun, bright color that can be paired with a variety of shades to create a stylish and coordinating Halloween costume. In this article, we’ll explore the best color combinations that look great with orange so you can create a winning Halloween look.
Combining Orange and Black
The classic Halloween color pairing is orange and black. This high-contrast combination is bold, eye-catching, and looks great for Halloween costumes.
| Orange and Black Costume Ideas |
|---|
| Pumpkin |
| Scarecrow |
| Prisoner/Jailbird |
| Bumblebee |
| Tiger |
| Referee/Umpire |
| Jack-o-lantern |
When pairing orange and black, you have a couple options. You can do a 50/50 split with half orange and half black. Or you can use one as the main color and use the other as an accent. Black accessories like witch hats, capes, gloves, tights, and boots are great ways to incorporate black.
Complementary Color: Blue
On the color wheel, the complementary color (opposite) of orange is blue. This creates a bold, high-impact color pairing. Blue has a cooling effect that contrasts nicely with warm orange tones.
Some costume ideas that pair blue with orange:
| Orange and Blue Costume Ideas |
|---|
| Fire and ice/water |
| Lava and ocean |
| Sunset |
| Hunter and sky |
| Monarch butterfly |
| Pirate |
| Circus performer |
When combining these shades, use a lighter toned orange like peach or coral to keep the palette from becoming too bold. Royal blue, navy, and cobalt all coordinate well with orange.
Analogous Colors: Yellow and Red
Analogous colors sit next to each other on the color wheel, creating harmony through tones that are similar in hue. Both yellow and red perfectly complement an orange costume.
| Orange, Yellow, and Red Costume Ideas |
|---|
| Fire |
| Sunflower |
| Sunset |
| Autumn leaves |
| Scarecrow |
| Butterfly |
| Rooster |
| Superhero |
| construction worker |
Yellow brings brightness and warmth that matches well with orange. Combining red and orange conveys energy, enthusiasm, and boldness.
Neutral Shades: Brown, Gray, White
Neutral colors help tone down bright orange hues, while still allowing the orange to stand out. Shades of brown, tan, gray, black, and white all pair attractively with orange.
| Orange and Neutral Costume Ideas |
|---|
| Pumpkin with brown stem |
| Prisoner |
| Scarecrow |
| Construction worker |
| Oompa Loompa |
| Squirrel |
| Fox |
| Bear |
| Referee/umpire |
| Hunter |
Gray nicely complements orange when you want a more subdued or spooky vibe. Crisp whites help create a retro color combination.
Split Complementary: Red-Violet and Yellow-Green
The split complementary color scheme uses the two colors on either side of the complement. For orange, this is red-violet and yellow-green.
| Orange Split Complementary Costume Ideas |
|---|
| Sunset |
| Tropical bird |
| Butterfly |
| Tiger |
| Parrot |
| Mimic octopus |
This creates a vibrant, eye-catching combination perfect for Halloween costumes. The contrast adds visual interest.
Triadic Colors: Orange, Violet, and Green
Triadic color schemes use colors that are equally spaced around the color wheel. For orange, this triad is violet, orange, and green.
| Orange, Violet, and Green Costume Ideas |
|---|
| 1970s clothes |
| Sunset |
| Flower child |
| Butterfly/moth |
| Tropical bird |
| Watermelon |
| Hippie |
This psychedelic combination is fun for Halloween costumes. Lean into the retro vibes with patterns, shapes and textures.
Tetradic/Rectangle: Orange, Red, Blue, and Violet
The tetradic or rectangular color scheme uses four colors spaced out evenly around the color wheel.
| Orange, Red, Blue and Violet Costume Ideas |
|---|
| Sunset |
| Fruit salad |
| Circus performer |
| Tropical bird |
| Butterfly |
| Rock painter |
| Painter’s palette |
This fun, lively combination covers the rainbow of colors for a striking costume. Use different shades of each color for maximum impact.
Monochromatic: Orange in Different Shades
Sticking with just orange and varying the shades and tones can make a bold statement.
| Different Shades of Orange Costume Ideas |
|---|
| Pumpkin |
| Sunset sky |
| Autumn leaves |
| Fire |
| Safety vest |
| Construction worker |
| Beekeeper |
| Prisioner |
Play around with different textures, patterns and silhouettes. Use bright tangerine with pale peach or burnt Sienna with carrot orange.
Summary: Best Colors to Pair with Orange for Halloween
When planning an orange Halloween costume, you have lots of options to create a coordinated, stylish look. Classic black is a no-brainer pairing. Blue makes an eye-catching complementary color combination. Analogous colors like yellow and red blend seamlessly with orange. Neutrals help ground bright orange hues.
Split complementary shades like red-violet and yellow-green form vibrant trios with orange. Violet and green round out a triadic color scheme. And the tetradic palette covers all the bases. Don’t be afraid to explore different shades of orange alone for a monochromatic orange costume.
With all these color combination possibilities, you’re sure to come up with a winning Halloween costume look with orange. Have fun planning your orange and coordinating color Halloween costume this year!
