#3E5A78
#7A94A8
#B8C0C0
#5E4634
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Vintage Denim Color Palette

#3E5A78 · #7A94A8 · #B8C0C0 · #5E4634

Fail
WCAG Grade
1.2:1
Contrast Ratio
1,197
Saves
3,236
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #3E5A78 as the background. Use #7A94A8 as the primary accent. Use #B8C0C0 as secondary. Use #5E4634 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Vintage Denim — vintage, cool, earthy, mono.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Vintage Denim color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).

Swatch Design Role HEX RGB CMYK HSL
Background
Luminance: 9.7%
62, 90, 120 48%, 25%, 0%, 53% 211°, 32%, 36%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 28.1%
122, 148, 168 27%, 12%, 0%, 34% 206°, 21%, 57%
Secondary
Luminance: 51.7%
184, 192, 192 4%, 0%, 0%, 25% 180°, 6%, 74%
Body Text
Luminance: 7.0%
94, 70, 52 0%, 26%, 45%, 63% 26°, 29%, 29%

Vintage Denim Tints & Shades

Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the Vintage Denim palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#3E5A78 gently saturated cyan-blue
#7A94A8 muted cyan-blue
#B8C0C0 neutral gray
#5E4634 gently saturated orange

Vintage Denim Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)

Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.

Text on Background Preview Ratio Grade Safe For
#5E4634 on #B8C0C0
Aa Sample Text
4.72:1 AA Body text, UI
#B8C0C0 on #5E4634
Aa Sample Text
4.72:1 AA Body text, UI
#B8C0C0 on #3E5A78
Aa Sample Text
3.86:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#3E5A78 on #B8C0C0
Aa Sample Text
3.86:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#5E4634 on #7A94A8
Aa Sample Text
2.76:1 Fail Decorative use only
#7A94A8 on #5E4634
Aa Sample Text
2.76:1 Fail Decorative use only
#7A94A8 on #3E5A78
Aa Sample Text
2.26:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3E5A78 on #7A94A8
Aa Sample Text
2.26:1 Fail Decorative use only
#B8C0C0 on #7A94A8
Aa Sample Text
1.71:1 Fail Decorative use only
#7A94A8 on #B8C0C0
Aa Sample Text
1.71:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E4634 on #3E5A78
Aa Sample Text
1.22:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3E5A78 on #5E4634
Aa Sample Text
1.22:1 Fail Decorative use only

Vintage Denim Color Psychology & Meaning

Vintage denim fades along the folds and seams, so a worn pair of jeans records how the wearer moved, and this palette is raw denim with worn white. It feels rugged and familiar, the color of a garment that has been improved by use.

Color Harmony: Complementary Scheme

The Vintage Denim palette is built using a complementary relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.

Hue Wheel

A complementary palette is often preferred by professional designers because it provides maximum contrast and energy by using opposite colors.

History & Design Context

Denim is woven with an indigo-dyed warp and a white weft, which is why fading exposes the white threads underneath; indigo sits on the surface of the yarn rather than penetrating it, so the colour wears off rather than washing out.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the raw denim for backgrounds, faded blue for primary actions, worn white for highlights, and copper rivet for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Film photography, vinyl, podcasting, heritage tourism.

Colors That Pair Well With Vintage Denim

Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.

orange

directly opposite #7A94A8 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

blue

30° beside #7A94A8 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a paper-white carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using Vintage Denim Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #7A94A8 for small UI elements on #3E5A78 — at 2.3:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #5E4634 on #3E5A78 — 1.2:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #B8C0C0 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Vintage Denim Color Scheme

To use this Vintage Denim color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.

Option 1: CSS Variables

:root { 
  /* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'}  --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'}  --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'}  --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'}  --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}

Web Design Tip

Use #3E5A78 for the main background and #7A94A8 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #5E4634 and #3E5A78 is 1.22:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Vintage Denim Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Vintage Denim color palette?

The Vintage Denim palette contains #3E5A78, #7A94A8, #B8C0C0, #5E4634. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.

Is the Vintage Denim color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #5E4634 on #B8C0C0 reaches 4.7:1 (AA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.

What colors go well with the Vintage Denim palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #A88E7A, #85879D, #ECEDEF extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.

What mood does the Vintage Denim palette create?

Vintage Denim reads as vintage, cool, earthy. Muted cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Vintage Denim color palette commercially?

Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Vintage Denim palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.

How do I add the Vintage Denim palette to Tailwind or CSS?

Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Vintage Denim's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.

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