Color Me Wine! 

Of course, I am talking about the hottest trend of the season: the burgundy (or Bordeaux, as some French fans would love to say) outfits & accessories. Burgundy is the color in vogue right now and what better time and place to talk about it was the annual event RoWine (Bucharest, 11-13th of October 2024)? Burgundy outfits paired with some red wines? Perfect!

The hottest trend for fall/winter 2024 is… 

…. burgundy. Don’t trust us on this, just check some famous catwalks on international Fashion Weeks! The first indication of the bright future of burgundy was actually on the spring/summer 2024 runways, where Gucci, Tom Ford and Bottega Veneta, among others, laid the groundwork. Even more brands jumped on the oxblood trend with their fall/winter 2024 collections, including Prada, Ferragamo and Hermès, just to name a few. 

Additionally, burgundy has been all over the red carpet, in all fashion shops and our Instagram feeds. We loved the burgundy total leather looks seen on Victoria Beckham or Bottega Veneta, the office suit on Gucci runway, the Miu Miu awesome blazer and the dresses of Tory Burch, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafimi and Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli’s sheer top paired with a flowing maxi skirt and knee-high boots or the Lacoste’s burgundy tennis skirt. 

Bottega Veneta / Tory Burch / Roberto Cavalli 

Well, probably, a the first glimpse, the total burgundy look seems a little bit difficult to wear. Therefore, when it comes to wearing burgundy, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, consider the occasion and the formality of the event. Burgundy is a great choice for formal events, but it can also be dressed down for a more casual look.

Secondly, take into consideration your skin tone. Burgundy looks great on people with warm or neutral undertones, but it may not be the best choice for those with cool undertones. Finally, think about the other colors in your outfit. Burgundy could be mixed with other warm colors (beiges, camel), but it can also be paired with cool colors such as navy or gray, or even black. Looks great in a variety of fabrics, including velvet, silk, and wool. It is also a popular color for accessories, such as shoes, bags, and scarves.

Ferragamo / Lacoste / Gucci 

First thing’s first: what burgundy means? 

According to the dictionary… burgundy is “a deep red color like that of burgundy wine”. According to the Pantone code, Burgundy is made of 50% red, 0% green, and 13% blue (the CMYK percentages are 0% cyan, 100% magenta, 75% yellow, 50% black). But others would say that, actually, the color signifies an opaque dark-red color, with a touch of purple. 

But “burgundy” is not just a fixed color; it has shades – from deep, dark hues to lighter, more vibrant shades, and some of the most populare ones include: Bordeaux (a deep, rich shade of burgundy red that is often associated with wine), Maroon (a darker, more brownish-red hue), Cranberry (a brighter, more vibrant shade), Rust (a reddish-brown shade of burgundy red), also Wine, Merlot, Sangria (no need to say that you can check the color of the beverages related!), Claret and Japanese Carmine. Choose your favorite! 

Wearing Burgundy is like…

… having an extra shot of power and confidence, and that making it a popular choice in leadership or authoritative environments. But also richness – its deep, wine-like quality suggests richness and complexity, often invoking feelings of passion and vitality. From one other perspective, burgundy color shows the majesty and power of red, and on the other hand, it shows the joyfulness of yellow and the calm of dark blue. It absorbs the quality of all the primary colors revealing a bright character, and expressing respectability, dignity as well as power.

Miu Miu / Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafino / Victoria Beckham

Burgundy in fashion history began with… 

… the French wine, what else?! In the 1880, the abundance of French wine into England inspired the name (and the first mention in the English dictionary of “burgundy” as a color name). The first examples of burgundy color were in interior design and fashion, especially in formal settings. 

But the popularity of burgundy as an official color (even before was settled as a color) came from the fact it was tied to blood and everything blood represents, like passion, value, and sacrifice. In Ancient Greece, burgundy togas were only used for solemn feasts. The Catholic church uses burgundy everywhere from its ropes to its school yard uniforms. Burgundy color often symbolizes the blood of Jesus of Nazareth and the fellowship wine served at mass. When worn by priests, burgundy takes on the meaning of sacrifice.

But burgundy red has been a popular color in fashion for centuries. It was a favorite of the Victorians, who used it in clothing (from the velvet dresses of the ladies to the huge capes or the puffed pants), upholstery, and even wallpaper. In the Middle Ages, rich shades of red weren’t just expensive, they were also difficult to process. Master dyers were the only ones with a command of the craft. As a result, deep red clothing was mostly worn by the wealthy and the clergy – cardinals and queens. 

In the 1920s, burgundy red was a popular color for evening gowns (with a lot of sequins, frills and fringes included), paired with kitten heels shoes. But not only the dressing was conquered by the wine color. Burgundy color made its way into cosmetics just in time for the roaring 1920s. Before lipstick, burgundy was even most popular for hair dye. Theater actresses dyed their hair burgundy to imply wealth or sexual appeal. High class women followed suit, and the demand for burgundy color hair dye spread. 

The boho period of 60s and 70s came with burgundy flair pants and a lot of knitted wine short jackets, while mid-‘70s punk era brought some leather jackets and mini skirts. The 80s were full of bows and flowers (and also by some burgundy, red and pink tracksuits) but in the 90s burgundy color lipstick became much more popular – adopted by gothic fashion. In 2000, the burgundy was dedicated mostly for evening clothes and princess gowns, but Beyoncé was spotted in a (famous now) track suit in a vivid burgundy. 

Of course, there were some movies that made burgundy famous…

Remember Kristen Stewart’s dress as Snow White in “Snow White and the Huntsman”, Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie from “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” (2008), Natalie Portman as Padme Amidala from “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” (1999), Monica Bellucci as The Mirror Queen from “The Brothers Grimm” (2005), Bérénice Lim Marlohe as Sévérine from Skyfall (2012), Alicia Silverstone as Cher from “Clueless” (1995), Blake Lively as Adaline from “The Age of Adeline” (2015). 

#RomanianDesigners mix well with red wines

I like to offer you alternatives to the international catwalks, therefore I chose some pieces from Romanian designers. You can wear them all together (in a full burgundy outfit) or you can pick your favorite piece and match it with some things that you already have in your wardrobe (as I said, the basics in black or white, in beige camel or navy blue ar perfect). And, because the RoWine festival is was already, match all your outfits with some tasty red wine – you have a lot of options and three days to experiment with everything. Get your ticket from https://romaniawinefestival.com/rowine2024/. 

Necklace with volcano stones, Bon Bijou, www.bon-bijou.com / Dress Monica, Framboise, framboise.ro / Shoes Alice stiletto, Ginissima, https://ginissima.ro/ Bag Apache, Laura Olaru, www.lauraolaru.ro / Ring POPS, Flash Jewels, https://www.flashjewels.ro/  Wine Muga (Spania) – at RoWine – 11-13th of October 2024 

Dress Angels, Kinga Varga, www.kingavarga.ro / Necklace with rubies and Mallorca pearls, AEP Jewelry, https://www.aepjewelry.com/ Suede shoes Mihaela Glăvan, https://mihaelaglavan.ro/ Ceramic ring I See red, Octavia Chiru, octaviachiru.com / Wine Râșova, Aripi 2021 – at RoWine – 11-13th of October 2024

Crochet jacket Ami Amalia, https://amiamalia.com/ Linen pants, Innes Atelier, https://www.innesatelier.ro/ Suede slippers, Laura Olaru, www.lauraolaru.ro / Bag Postman, Optimef, www.optimef.com / Resin ring, Cleopatra Coșuleț, https://www.cleopatracosulet.ro/ Wine Castel Mimi – at RoWine – 11-13th of October 2024

Cotton pants and blazer, Saash, https://saash.ro/ Hat Dădârlat, https://palariadadarlat.ro/  Shoes Coca Zaboloteanu, https://cocazaboloteanu.ro/ Leather belt Anna Cori, https://www.annacori.com/ro/ Bag Eon Mini, Maestoso, https://maestoso.com/ Wine Syrah – at RoWine – 11-13th of October 2024

Shoes Alura Premium, https://www.alura.ro/ Bag Elisabeth, Anna Fellini, www.poseta.ro / Mid dress, Bluzat, https://bluzat.com/ Silk scarf Memories, Marie Nouvelle, https://marienouvelle.ro/ Ring Violet 400, Oval, www.oval.store / Wine Nero D’Avola, at Sicily Wines corner – at RoWine – 11-13th of October 2024

Photography: Facebook pages of the brands.