Showa era
Apricot Yellow & Khaki +1
Plate 129 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Apricot Yellow, Khaki, Salvia Blue.
#bc892b
orange · 5 palettes
Khaki
About Khaki
Khaki is a mid-tone, vivid orange tone. Its hex value is #bc892b — that is
RGB 188, 137, 43, or HSL 39°, 63%, 45%.
It holds 6.8:1 contrast against dark, so Khaki works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 3.1:1; on black 6.8:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Khaki appears in 5 combinations — most often paired with Grayish Lavender - A, Apricot Yellow and Salvia Blue.
Colours that go with Khaki
From a standard colour wheel, Khaki anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#bc892b #2B5EBC
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#bc892b #BC402B #A7BC2B
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#bc892b #2BBC89 #892BBC
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#bc892b #2BA7BC #412BBC
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Khaki
Khaki is a mid-tone, vivid tone (HSL 39°, 63%, 45%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (6.8:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#2B5EBC) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#BC402B and #A7BC2B) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Khaki
Khaki appears in 5 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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