Happy Tuesday! Yesterday was the Autumnal Equinox, the moment of equal day and night, and the first official day of fall. So in honor of that, this week we’re talking about Harvest Gold, the muted yellow you see below!
Psychology
This golden shade carries the optimism of yellow along with the grounded warmth of brown. It symbolizes prosperity, energy, and gratitude, while also offering reassurance and steadiness.
Brief History
Gold has been tied to the harvest season for thousands of years, starting with ancient agrarian societies celebrating the autumnal equinox with offerings of golden grains, fruits, and wine to honor abundance.
In Celtic tradition, the pagan equinox festival of Mabon marked balance and gratitude, often represented through golden crops and mead.
And in Asia, gold appears prominently in autumn rituals as well. The Japanese Tsukimi (Moon-Viewing Festival) is linked to golden rice harvests, with offerings of chestnuts, taro, and persimmons.
By the mid-20th century, harvest-type golden yellows found a new life in design. In the 1960s and 70s, yellow became a defining interior shade, appearing on everything from kitchen appliances to patterned wallpaper.
This era cemented the color’s identity not just as a seasonal shade but as a sort of optimistic and warm cultural mood. And today, golden yellow very much continues to be used for it’s nostalgia and golden, earthy timelessness.
Fashion
Miu Miu Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear
To start, Miu Miu’s Fall 2025 RTW featured a knee-length golden leather skirt, followed by knee-high boots in the same golden tone.
Balmain Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear
And Balmain’s Fall 2025 RTW showcased harvest gold in bold textures, from an oversized ribbed knit sweater to a sculptural, ruched dress.
Interiors
In interior design, this type of yellow has the unique ability of drawing the eye without overwhelming a space’s visual balance.
Below, a stunning transitional space with an archway and antique clock is uplifted by golden walls, followed by a cozy lounge wrapped in the same color, complimenting the rust-orange sofa, plants, and natural light.
And here, harvest gold doors act as a dynamic accent, infusing warmth and vibrancy into an otherwise neutral, classical space.
Branding
Less common than primary yellows, but when used, gold signals warmth, heritage, and authenticity in branding. It works well for food, beverage, or lifestyle brands looking to communicate abundance and a grounded quality.
Jacquemus
Jacquemus, for example, often leans into harvest-gold tones in its branding, using the color’s warmth and playfulness across objects, fashion pieces, and campaign imagery to evoke effortlessness, freedom, and abundance.
Pantone® & More
If you’re interested in working with Harvest Gold, a close Pantone match I found was “Old Gold” 15-0955 TCX. The according HEX, RGB, and CMYK values are included in the image below as well.
Once again, thank you so much for reading, and hopefully you learned something new about today’s autumnal gold! If you enjoyed reading, please give this post a like so I know what you guys want to see more of :)
And tell me, which color should I feature next? See you next Tuesday!