Is there anything more autumnal than Emilia Fox's pumpkin-orange shirt dress?

She's back filming a popular series and shared a glimpse at this fiery orange frock which works so well for the season

Emilia Fox attends the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at The Royal Festival Hall on May 11, 2025
(Image credit: Photo by Tim Whitby/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)

Warm, deep shades like burgundy and chocolate brown always come back into fashion this time of year and feature heavily in my autumn outfit ideas. They’re not ground-breaking tones by any means, but they work so well in the colder months and Silent Witness star Emilia Fox has just thrown in another autumnal hue into the ring for consideration.

Pumpkin-orange nods to the season and is slightly brighter than other popular colours. Hearing the name alone might make this sound daunting to style, however Emilia proved this doesn’t have to be the case.

She recently posted on Instagram and shared the exciting news that she’s filming season 3 of the Acorn TV series, Signora Volpe, in Italy. In the picture she wore a Max Mara belted shirt dress.

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The exact design is currently sold-out and was made from a luxurious cotton, silk and elastane blend. The sheen of the satin finish was subtle and yet was enough to mellow the boldness of the orange and make it look softer.

Emilia’s dress fell to midi length and was a blend of traditional and contemporary details. It featured a classic shirt collar, buttoned cuffs and a matching waist belt. However, on the front I loved the contrast of the pockets with their tan leather straps.

Regardless of the colour, a midi shirt dress is an easy staple to have in your autumn capsule wardrobe, especially for the start of the season when it’s milder. They look great with knee length boots and long coats and can be layered with knitted vests or jumpers with the collar poking out.

A dress like Emilia Fox’s would work equally well with ankle boots or loafers when it’s sunny. The colour of hers is what really drew my attention as it’s something a little different and undeniably autumnal. The actor provided a lot of inspiration for how to style it too.

Like with many of the warm-toned autumn/winter fashion colour trends, pumpkin-orange is complemented by other warm colours. To balance things out, I’d go for neutrals like tans, browns and creams which aren’t as stark as black or grey would be against orange. The tan straps on Emilia’s dress showed how effective this is.

The orange and the tan went hand-in-hand and the Signora Volpe star accessorised with a gold ring and dainty gold chain, as well as a silver watch. I personally prefer the look of the gold pieces with the orange dress as they tie in with the undertones.

Emilia Fox attends 'Palace Of Palms: A Night Celebrating Heritage At Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew' on May 02, 2024

(Image credit: Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Her footwear of choice for filming in Italy wasn’t visible in the Instagram post and she likely went for something comfortable and cool for the weather there. If you were recreating a similar outfit with a pumpkin-orange dress in the UK right now, I’d recommend tan or brown ankle boots or flats like loafers or ballet pumps.

To start off styling this kind of orange you don’t have to go for a dress either. A gorgeous deep orange jumper or trousers will be striking without being the dominant item in an outfit.

Given that Emilia Fox wore her Max Mara orange frock to announce that she was back filming in Italy (even going so far as to hold a clapperboard) it’s possible that this outfit will be one we see her character Sylvia Fox wear in season 3. Even if not, I’m glad she gave us a glimpse of it here!

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. She specialises in the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the latest royal outing or unmissable show to add to your to-watch list, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!

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