While the Royals appear to be choosing green as their pick for the colour of autumn 2026, this week on This Morning, Cat Deeley offered up an alternative option: plum.
Yep, your favourite stone fruit isn't just excellent in a crumble, it can also serve as fashion inspiration. For Monday's episode of This Morning, Cat opted for a satin maxi dress by Rixo. The brand describe the particular shade as 'wine', but we think it's far more plum than grape.
The dress is a dreamy one for autumn events. Its fitted bodice with puff sleeves and a fluted skirt makes it super flattering, while the lace trim and teeny-tiny bow detailing add edge. Sadly, the £225 dress is currently sold out. But there are quite a few plum dress styles on the high street – and Cat's look can definitely serve as some autumnal outfit inspiration.
For This Morning, the presenter used styling tricks to make the dress work better for daytime. Rather than strappy sandals, Cat opted for chunky black boots. A long, gold tasseled chain necklace (which is vintage Celine, fyi) added a boho feel. The particular dress would function just as brilliantly for evening events.
And similar plum dresses on the high street will tick those same boxes. Worn simply with heels and a clutch bag, a plum midi dress will do the trick for weddings and parties. For daytime – especially when the temperatures drop – make plum a base for layering. A chunky knit jumper over a plum dress or skirt looks incredibly chic.
Ahead, we've picked out the best plummy dresses on the high street to buy now and wear all through autumn. First off, a dress that's very similar to Cat's, but in an autumn/winter-ready velvet. We love the puffed sleeves, too.
Monsoon Vera V-Neck Velvet Midi Dress Red
This satin style from Nobody's Child feels effortless. And its lack of any extra frills or detailing makes it the perfect base to go big with accessories.
Nobody's Child Burgundy Satin Allura Midi Dress
And finally, Mango has a sophisticated plum number with flattering pleats, a ribbed knit top, and a built-in belt. We think this one would be a great choice for workwear all through the next season. Wear alone with chunky boots now, then layer under a big knit and a dramatic full-length coat as winter hits.
