Showa era
Taupe Brown & Slate Color
Plate 57 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Taupe Brown, Slate Color.
#7a4456
purple · 7 palettes
Taupe Brown
About Taupe Brown
Taupe Brown is a deep, muted purple tone. Its hex value is #7a4456 — that is
RGB 122, 68, 86, or HSL 340°, 28%, 37%.
It holds 7.5:1 contrast against white, so Taupe Brown works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 7.5:1; on black 2.8:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Taupe Brown appears in 7 combinations — most often paired with Slate Color, Coral Red and Lemon Yellow.
Colours that go with Taupe Brown
From a standard colour wheel, Taupe Brown anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#7a4456 #447A68
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#7a4456 #7A4471 #7A4D44
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#7a4456 #567A44 #44567A
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#7a4456 #447A4D #44717A
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Taupe Brown
Taupe Brown is a deep, muted tone (HSL 340°, 28%, 37%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (7.5:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#447A68) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#7A4471 and #7A4D44) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Taupe Brown
Taupe Brown appears in 7 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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