diff --git a/pandas/plotting/_matplotlib/style.py b/pandas/plotting/_matplotlib/style.py
index b919728971505..b2c7b2610845c 100644
--- a/pandas/plotting/_matplotlib/style.py
+++ b/pandas/plotting/_matplotlib/style.py
@@ -1,4 +1,14 @@
-# being a bit too dynamic
+from typing import (
+    TYPE_CHECKING,
+    Collection,
+    Dict,
+    Iterator,
+    List,
+    Optional,
+    Sequence,
+    Union,
+    cast,
+)
 import warnings
 
 import matplotlib.cm as cm
@@ -9,92 +19,256 @@
 
 import pandas.core.common as com
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from matplotlib.colors import Colormap
+
+
+Color = Union[str, Sequence[float]]
+
 
 def get_standard_colors(
-    num_colors: int, colormap=None, color_type: str = "default", color=None
+    num_colors: int,
+    colormap: Optional["Colormap"] = None,
+    color_type: str = "default",
+    color: Optional[Union[Dict[str, Color], Color, Collection[Color]]] = None,
 ):
-    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+    """
+    Get standard colors based on `colormap`, `color_type` or `color` inputs.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    num_colors : int
+        Minimum number of colors to be returned.
+        Ignored if `color` is a dictionary.
+    colormap : :py:class:`matplotlib.colors.Colormap`, optional
+        Matplotlib colormap.
+        When provided, the resulting colors will be derived from the colormap.
+    color_type : {"default", "random"}, optional
+        Type of colors to derive. Used if provided `color` and `colormap` are None.
+        Ignored if either `color` or `colormap` are not None.
+    color : dict or str or sequence, optional
+        Color(s) to be used for deriving sequence of colors.
+        Can be either be a dictionary, or a single color (single color string,
+        or sequence of floats representing a single color),
+        or a sequence of colors.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    dict or list
+        Standard colors. Can either be a mapping if `color` was a dictionary,
+        or a list of colors with a length of `num_colors` or more.
+
+    Warns
+    -----
+    UserWarning
+        If both `colormap` and `color` are provided.
+        Parameter `color` will override.
+    """
+    if isinstance(color, dict):
+        return color
+
+    colors = _derive_colors(
+        color=color,
+        colormap=colormap,
+        color_type=color_type,
+        num_colors=num_colors,
+    )
+
+    return _cycle_colors(colors, num_colors=num_colors)
+
+
+def _derive_colors(
+    *,
+    color: Optional[Union[Color, Collection[Color]]],
+    colormap: Optional[Union[str, "Colormap"]],
+    color_type: str,
+    num_colors: int,
+) -> List[Color]:
+    """
+    Derive colors from either `colormap`, `color_type` or `color` inputs.
+
+    Get a list of colors either from `colormap`, or from `color`,
+    or from `color_type` (if both `colormap` and `color` are None).
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    color : str or sequence, optional
+        Color(s) to be used for deriving sequence of colors.
+        Can be either be a single color (single color string, or sequence of floats
+        representing a single color), or a sequence of colors.
+    colormap : :py:class:`matplotlib.colors.Colormap`, optional
+        Matplotlib colormap.
+        When provided, the resulting colors will be derived from the colormap.
+    color_type : {"default", "random"}, optional
+        Type of colors to derive. Used if provided `color` and `colormap` are None.
+        Ignored if either `color` or `colormap`` are not None.
+    num_colors : int
+        Number of colors to be extracted.
 
+    Returns
+    -------
+    list
+        List of colors extracted.
+
+    Warns
+    -----
+    UserWarning
+        If both `colormap` and `color` are provided.
+        Parameter `color` will override.
+    """
     if color is None and colormap is not None:
-        if isinstance(colormap, str):
-            cmap = colormap
-            colormap = cm.get_cmap(colormap)
-            if colormap is None:
-                raise ValueError(f"Colormap {cmap} is not recognized")
-        colors = [colormap(num) for num in np.linspace(0, 1, num=num_colors)]
+        return _get_colors_from_colormap(colormap, num_colors=num_colors)
     elif color is not None:
         if colormap is not None:
             warnings.warn(
                 "'color' and 'colormap' cannot be used simultaneously. Using 'color'"
             )
-        colors = (
-            list(color)
-            if is_list_like(color) and not isinstance(color, dict)
-            else color
-        )
+        return _get_colors_from_color(color)
     else:
-        if color_type == "default":
-            # need to call list() on the result to copy so we don't
-            # modify the global rcParams below
-            try:
-                colors = [c["color"] for c in list(plt.rcParams["axes.prop_cycle"])]
-            except KeyError:
-                colors = list(plt.rcParams.get("axes.color_cycle", list("bgrcmyk")))
-            if isinstance(colors, str):
-                colors = list(colors)
-
-            colors = colors[0:num_colors]
-        elif color_type == "random":
-
-            def random_color(column):
-                """ Returns a random color represented as a list of length 3"""
-                # GH17525 use common._random_state to avoid resetting the seed
-                rs = com.random_state(column)
-                return rs.rand(3).tolist()
-
-            colors = [random_color(num) for num in range(num_colors)]
-        else:
-            raise ValueError("color_type must be either 'default' or 'random'")
+        return _get_colors_from_color_type(color_type, num_colors=num_colors)
 
-    if isinstance(colors, str) and _is_single_color(colors):
-        # GH #36972
-        colors = [colors]
 
-    # Append more colors by cycling if there is not enough color.
-    # Extra colors will be ignored by matplotlib if there are more colors
-    # than needed and nothing needs to be done here.
+def _cycle_colors(colors: List[Color], num_colors: int) -> List[Color]:
+    """Append more colors by cycling if there is not enough color.
+
+    Extra colors will be ignored by matplotlib if there are more colors
+    than needed and nothing needs to be done here.
+    """
     if len(colors) < num_colors:
-        try:
-            multiple = num_colors // len(colors) - 1
-        except ZeroDivisionError:
-            raise ValueError("Invalid color argument: ''")
+        multiple = num_colors // len(colors) - 1
         mod = num_colors % len(colors)
-
         colors += multiple * colors
         colors += colors[:mod]
 
     return colors
 
 
-def _is_single_color(color: str) -> bool:
-    """Check if ``color`` is a single color.
+def _get_colors_from_colormap(
+    colormap: Union[str, "Colormap"],
+    num_colors: int,
+) -> List[Color]:
+    """Get colors from colormap."""
+    colormap = _get_cmap_instance(colormap)
+    return [colormap(num) for num in np.linspace(0, 1, num=num_colors)]
+
+
+def _get_cmap_instance(colormap: Union[str, "Colormap"]) -> "Colormap":
+    """Get instance of matplotlib colormap."""
+    if isinstance(colormap, str):
+        cmap = colormap
+        colormap = cm.get_cmap(colormap)
+        if colormap is None:
+            raise ValueError(f"Colormap {cmap} is not recognized")
+    return colormap
+
+
+def _get_colors_from_color(
+    color: Union[Color, Collection[Color]],
+) -> List[Color]:
+    """Get colors from user input color."""
+    if len(color) == 0:
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid color argument: {color}")
+
+    if _is_single_color(color):
+        color = cast(Color, color)
+        return [color]
+
+    color = cast(Collection[Color], color)
+    return list(_gen_list_of_colors_from_iterable(color))
+
+
+def _is_single_color(color: Union[Color, Collection[Color]]) -> bool:
+    """Check if `color` is a single color, not a sequence of colors.
+
+    Single color is of these kinds:
+        - Named color "red", "C0", "firebrick"
+        - Alias "g"
+        - Sequence of floats, such as (0.1, 0.2, 0.3) or (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4).
+
+    See Also
+    --------
+    _is_single_string_color
+    """
+    if isinstance(color, str) and _is_single_string_color(color):
+        # GH #36972
+        return True
+
+    if _is_floats_color(color):
+        return True
+
+    return False
+
+
+def _gen_list_of_colors_from_iterable(color: Collection[Color]) -> Iterator[Color]:
+    """
+    Yield colors from string of several letters or from collection of colors.
+    """
+    for x in color:
+        if _is_single_color(x):
+            yield x
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid color {x}")
+
+
+def _is_floats_color(color: Union[Color, Collection[Color]]) -> bool:
+    """Check if color comprises a sequence of floats representing color."""
+    return bool(
+        is_list_like(color)
+        and (len(color) == 3 or len(color) == 4)
+        and all(isinstance(x, (int, float)) for x in color)
+    )
+
+
+def _get_colors_from_color_type(color_type: str, num_colors: int) -> List[Color]:
+    """Get colors from user input color type."""
+    if color_type == "default":
+        return _get_default_colors(num_colors)
+    elif color_type == "random":
+        return _get_random_colors(num_colors)
+    else:
+        raise ValueError("color_type must be either 'default' or 'random'")
+
+
+def _get_default_colors(num_colors: int) -> List[Color]:
+    """Get `num_colors` of default colors from matplotlib rc params."""
+    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+
+    colors = [c["color"] for c in plt.rcParams["axes.prop_cycle"]]
+    return colors[0:num_colors]
+
+
+def _get_random_colors(num_colors: int) -> List[Color]:
+    """Get `num_colors` of random colors."""
+    return [_random_color(num) for num in range(num_colors)]
+
+
+def _random_color(column: int) -> List[float]:
+    """Get a random color represented as a list of length 3"""
+    # GH17525 use common._random_state to avoid resetting the seed
+    rs = com.random_state(column)
+    return rs.rand(3).tolist()
+
+
+def _is_single_string_color(color: Color) -> bool:
+    """Check if `color` is a single string color.
 
-    Examples of single colors:
+    Examples of single string colors:
         - 'r'
         - 'g'
         - 'red'
         - 'green'
         - 'C3'
+        - 'firebrick'
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    color : string
-        Color string.
+    color : Color
+        Color string or sequence of floats.
 
     Returns
     -------
     bool
-        True if ``color`` looks like a valid color.
+        True if `color` looks like a valid color.
         False otherwise.
     """
     conv = matplotlib.colors.ColorConverter()
diff --git a/pandas/tests/plotting/test_style.py b/pandas/tests/plotting/test_style.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..665bda15724fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pandas/tests/plotting/test_style.py
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+import pytest
+
+from pandas import Series
+
+pytest.importorskip("matplotlib")
+from pandas.plotting._matplotlib.style import get_standard_colors
+
+
+class TestGetStandardColors:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "num_colors, expected",
+        [
+            (3, ["red", "green", "blue"]),
+            (5, ["red", "green", "blue", "red", "green"]),
+            (7, ["red", "green", "blue", "red", "green", "blue", "red"]),
+            (2, ["red", "green"]),
+            (1, ["red"]),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_default_colors_named_from_prop_cycle(self, num_colors, expected):
+        import matplotlib as mpl
+        from matplotlib.pyplot import cycler
+
+        mpl_params = {
+            "axes.prop_cycle": cycler(color=["red", "green", "blue"]),
+        }
+        with mpl.rc_context(rc=mpl_params):
+            result = get_standard_colors(num_colors=num_colors)
+            assert result == expected
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "num_colors, expected",
+        [
+            (1, ["b"]),
+            (3, ["b", "g", "r"]),
+            (4, ["b", "g", "r", "y"]),
+            (5, ["b", "g", "r", "y", "b"]),
+            (7, ["b", "g", "r", "y", "b", "g", "r"]),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_default_colors_named_from_prop_cycle_string(self, num_colors, expected):
+        import matplotlib as mpl
+        from matplotlib.pyplot import cycler
+
+        mpl_params = {
+            "axes.prop_cycle": cycler(color="bgry"),
+        }
+        with mpl.rc_context(rc=mpl_params):
+            result = get_standard_colors(num_colors=num_colors)
+            assert result == expected
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "num_colors, expected_name",
+        [
+            (1, ["C0"]),
+            (3, ["C0", "C1", "C2"]),
+            (
+                12,
+                [
+                    "C0",
+                    "C1",
+                    "C2",
+                    "C3",
+                    "C4",
+                    "C5",
+                    "C6",
+                    "C7",
+                    "C8",
+                    "C9",
+                    "C0",
+                    "C1",
+                ],
+            ),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_default_colors_named_undefined_prop_cycle(self, num_colors, expected_name):
+        import matplotlib as mpl
+        import matplotlib.colors as mcolors
+
+        with mpl.rc_context(rc={}):
+            expected = [mcolors.to_hex(x) for x in expected_name]
+            result = get_standard_colors(num_colors=num_colors)
+            assert result == expected
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "num_colors, expected",
+        [
+            (1, ["red", "green", (0.1, 0.2, 0.3)]),
+            (2, ["red", "green", (0.1, 0.2, 0.3)]),
+            (3, ["red", "green", (0.1, 0.2, 0.3)]),
+            (4, ["red", "green", (0.1, 0.2, 0.3), "red"]),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_user_input_color_sequence(self, num_colors, expected):
+        color = ["red", "green", (0.1, 0.2, 0.3)]
+        result = get_standard_colors(color=color, num_colors=num_colors)
+        assert result == expected
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "num_colors, expected",
+        [
+            (1, ["r", "g", "b", "k"]),
+            (2, ["r", "g", "b", "k"]),
+            (3, ["r", "g", "b", "k"]),
+            (4, ["r", "g", "b", "k"]),
+            (5, ["r", "g", "b", "k", "r"]),
+            (6, ["r", "g", "b", "k", "r", "g"]),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_user_input_color_string(self, num_colors, expected):
+        color = "rgbk"
+        result = get_standard_colors(color=color, num_colors=num_colors)
+        assert result == expected
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "num_colors, expected",
+        [
+            (1, [(0.1, 0.2, 0.3)]),
+            (2, [(0.1, 0.2, 0.3), (0.1, 0.2, 0.3)]),
+            (3, [(0.1, 0.2, 0.3), (0.1, 0.2, 0.3), (0.1, 0.2, 0.3)]),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_user_input_color_floats(self, num_colors, expected):
+        color = (0.1, 0.2, 0.3)
+        result = get_standard_colors(color=color, num_colors=num_colors)
+        assert result == expected
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "color, num_colors, expected",
+        [
+            ("Crimson", 1, ["Crimson"]),
+            ("DodgerBlue", 2, ["DodgerBlue", "DodgerBlue"]),
+            ("firebrick", 3, ["firebrick", "firebrick", "firebrick"]),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_user_input_named_color_string(self, color, num_colors, expected):
+        result = get_standard_colors(color=color, num_colors=num_colors)
+        assert result == expected
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("color", ["", [], (), Series([], dtype="object")])
+    def test_empty_color_raises(self, color):
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid color argument"):
+            get_standard_colors(color=color, num_colors=1)
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "color",
+        [
+            "bad_color",
+            ("red", "green", "bad_color"),
+            (0.1,),
+            (0.1, 0.2),
+            (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5),  # must be either 3 or 4 floats
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_bad_color_raises(self, color):
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid color"):
+            get_standard_colors(color=color, num_colors=5)