Colors that go with Plum for an outfit
Plum · #8E4585
Plum (#8E4585) — a deep purple-red — pairs best with muted red, ochre & gold, teal, and terracotta & clay. Build the outfit around muted red, drawn from 8 historically-grounded combinations below.
An outfit wants one or two decisive partners — a neutral anchor and a single accent beats a full rainbow.
About plum
Plum is a deep purple-red — a gently muted, warm colour that reads as deep and grounding. As a warm tone it looks most resolved next to cool and neutral partners that temper its warmth, and it needs both lighter and deeper shades nearby for the value contrast the eye reads as finished. That balance is what makes it feel bold in an outfit.
- HEX
- #8E4585
- RGB
- 142, 69, 133
- HSL
- 307°, 35%, 41%
- CMYK
- 0, 51, 6, 44
Accessibility: put light text on plum for AA legibility (contrast 6:1 against off-white).
Why plum pairs with muted red, ochre & gold, teal, and terracotta & clay
Across the 8 historical combinations below, plum sits most often beside muted red, ochre & gold, teal, and terracotta & clay. That tracks with colour theory: a warm, deep tone like this one wants cool and neutral partners that temper its warmth so the scheme feels intentional rather than flat, and both lighter and deeper partners supply the light-to-dark range the eye needs. An outfit wants one or two decisive partners — a neutral anchor and a single accent beats a full rainbow.
- muted red
- ochre & gold
- teal
- terracotta & clay
Using plum in an outfit
Build the outfit around muted red and ochre & gold. Because plum is deep and grounding, keep it to anchor pieces or a single feature area and let muted red carry the larger surfaces.
8 combinations with plum, from the 1933 Dictionary
Spinel Red & Rosolanc Purple +2
Plate 277 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Spinel Red, Rosolanc Purple, Olive, Dull Violet Black.
#b73f74 #f27291 #837e31 #1e0e3f
Etruscan Red & Ecru +2
Plate 275 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Etruscan Red, Ecru, Madder Brown, Taupe Brown.
#7a4456 #c55347 #c2ae93 #762c19
Spectrum Red & Brick Red +2
Plate 322 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Spectrum Red, Brick Red, Eupatorium Purple, Blue Violet.
#6450a1 #e31f26 #a84222 #bf5892
Lemon Yellow & Vandar Poel's Blue +1
Plate 168 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Lemon Yellow, Vandar Poel's Blue, Veronia Purple.
#8c4c62 #f8ed43 #064f6e
Deep Violet / Plumbeous & Veronia Purple +1
Plate 183 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Deep Violet / Plumbeous, Veronia Purple, Red Violet.
#8c4c62 #70727c #59256a
Eugenia Red | B & Lincoln Green +2
Plate 280 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Eugenia Red | B, Lincoln Green, Laelia Pink, Taupe Brown.
#7a4456 #da525d #555832 #ca92a8
Hay's Russet & Nile Blue +2
Plate 345 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Hay's Russet, Nile Blue, Venice Green, Blue Violet.
#6450a1 #793327 #bce4e5 #62c6bf
Eosine Pink & Khaki +2
Plate 248 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Eosine Pink, Khaki, Grayish Lavender - A, Dark Slate Purple.
#704357 #f37f94 #bc892b #b5b1d8
Plum in other settings
Other colors
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