View source for Beige

{{Short description|Color}}
{{for-multi|the RAL color|Beige (RAL)|the album by The Arrogant Worms|Beige (album)|the novel by Cecil Castellucci|Beige (novel)}}
{{infobox color
|title=Beige
|hex=F5F5DC
|source=[[Web color#X11 color names|X11]]
|isccname=Pale yellow green}}
[[File:Royal Winter Fair Wool.jpg|thumb|200px|''{{Lang|fr|Beige}}'' is the French word for the color of natural [[wool]] (freshly shorn example at the [[Royal Winter Fair]]).]]

'''Beige''' ({{IPAc-en|b|eɪ|ʒ}}, {{respell|BAY-ZH}}) is variously described as a pale [[desert sand (color)|sandy]] [[fawn (colour)|fawn]] [[color]],<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary''</ref> a grayish [[tan (color)|tan]],<ref>''Webster's New World Dictionary of the English Language,'' 1964</ref>  a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow.<ref>Macmillan On-Line Dictionary.</ref> It takes its name from [[French language|French]], where the word originally meant natural [[wool]] that has been neither bleached nor dyed, hence also the color of natural wool.<ref>''Le Petit Robert Dictionnaire''.</ref><ref>{{OEtymD|beige}}</ref>

The word "beige" has come to be used to describe a variety of light [[tint]]s chosen for their neutral or pale warm appearance.

''Beige'' began to commonly be used as a term for a color in France beginning approximately 1855–1860; the writer [[Edmond de Goncourt]] used it in the novel ''{{Lang|fr|La Fille Elisa}}'' in 1877. The first recorded use of ''beige'' as a color name in [[English language|English]] was in 1887.<ref>Maerz and Paul (1930). ''A Dictionary of Colour''. New York, McGraw-Hill, p. 190; Color Sample of Beige: p. 45 Plate 11 Color Sample C2. The color shown above matches the color sample in the book.</ref>

Beige is notoriously difficult to produce in traditional offset [[CMYK color model|CMYK]] printing because of the low levels of inks used on each plate; often it will print in purple or green and vary within a print run.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Beige is also a popular color in clothing, such as for men's [[trousers]], as well as for [[interior design]].

==Various beige colors==

{{infobox color
|title=Cosmic latte
|hex=FFF8E7
|source=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060104173304/http://www.pha.jhu.edu:80/~kgb/cosspec/ pha.jhu.edu]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Glazebrook |first1=Karl |last2=Baldry |first2=Ivan |date=2004-12-28 |title=The Cosmic Spectrum and the Color of the Universe |url=http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~kgb/cosspec/ |website= |location= |publisher= |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104173304/http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~kgb/cosspec/ |archive-date=2006-01-04 |access-date=2009-02-06 }}</ref>
|isccname=Pale yellow green}}

===Cosmic latte===
{{main|Cosmic latte}}

Cosmic latte is a name assigned in 2002 to the average color of the [[universe]] (derived from a sampling of the [[electromagnetic radiation]] from 200,000 [[galaxy|galaxies]]), given by a team of [[astronomer]]s from [[Johns Hopkins University]].

{{Clear}}

{{Infobox color
|title=Cream
|hex=FFFDD0
|isccname=Light yellow green}}

===Cream===
{{Main|Cream (colour)}}Cream is the color of the [[cream]] produced by [[cattle]] grazing on natural [[pasture]] with plants rich in yellow [[carotenoid]] pigments, some of which are incorporated into the cream, to give a [[yellow]] tone to [[white]].
The first recorded use of ''cream'' as a color name in [[English language|English]] was in 1590.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Cream: p. 41 Plate 9 Color Sample D4 The color shown above matches the color sample in the book.</ref> 
{{Clear}}{{infobox color
|title=Unbleached silk
|hex=FFDDCA
|source=[[Traditional colors of Japan#Achromatic Series|JTC]]
|isccname=Pale orange yellow}}

===Unbleached silk===
'''Unbleached silk''' is one of the [[Traditional colors of Japan|Japanese traditional colors]] in use since beginning in 660&nbsp;CE in the form of various [[dyes]] that are used in designing [[kimono]]s.<ref>Nagasaki, Seiki. ''Nihon no dentoshoku : sono shikimei to shikicho'', Seigensha, 2001. {{ISBN|4-916094-53-0}}</ref><ref>Nihon Shikisai Gakkai. ''Shinpen shikisai kagaku handobukku'', Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai, 1985. {{ISBN|4-13-061000-7}}</ref>
The name of this color in [[Japanese language|Japanese]] is ''{{lang|ja-latn|shironeri}}''.  
{{Clear}}{{infobox color
|title=Tuscan
|hex=FAD6A5
|source=[[ISCC-NBS]]<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220608/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-t.htm ISCC-NBS]}}</ref>
|isccname=Light yellow}}

===Tuscan===
{{Main|Tuscan red}}
The first recorded use of Tuscan as a color name in English was in 1887.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Tuscan: p. 43 Plate 10 Color Sample E5</ref>

{{Clear}}{{infobox color
|title=Buff
|hex=DAA06D
|spelling=color
|isccname=Light yellow
}}

===Buff===
{{Main|Buff (colour)}}
Buff is a pale yellow-[[brown]] color that got its name from the color of buffed [[leather]].<ref>{{Citation
|last=Paterson
|first=Ian
|title=A Dictionary of Colour
|edition=1st paperback
|year=2003
|publication-date=2004
|publisher=Thorogood
|location=London
|isbn=1-85418-375-3
|oclc=60411025
|page=73
}}</ref>
[[File:Chamois-natural.jpg|thumb|left|Buff is the color of fine undyed leathers.]]
According to the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', buff as a descriptor of a color was first used in the ''[[London Gazette]]'' of 1686, describing a uniform to be "A Red Coat with a Buff-colour'd lining".<ref>{{cite web|title=buff, adj.1|url=https://www.oed.com/Entry/24298|work=Oxford English Dictionary|publisher=OUP|access-date=21 April 2011}}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

{{Clear}}{{infobox color
|title=Desert sand
|hex=EDC9AF
|source=[[List of Crayola crayon colors|Crayola]]
|isccname=Pale orange yellow}}

===Desert sand===
{{Main|Desert sand (color)}}
The color desert sand may be regarded as a deep shade of beige. It is a pale tint of a color called ''desert''.  The color name "desert" was first used in 1920.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill p. 194; Color Sample of Desert: p. 47 Plate 12 Color Sample I7</ref>

[[Image:ATTtelephone-large.jpg|thumb|left|A "beige" AT&T telephone]]

In the 1960s, the [[American Telephone & Telegraph Company]] (AT&T) marketed desert sand–colored telephones for offices and homes. However, they described the color as "beige". It is therefore common for many people to refer to the color desert sand as "beige".
{{Clear}}{{infobox color
|title=Ecru
|hex=C2B280
|spelling=Color
|source=[[ISCC-NBS]]<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070926234718/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-e.htm ISCC-NBS]}}</ref>
|isccname=Grayish yellow}}

===Ecru===
{{main|Ecru}}
Originally in the 19th century and up to at least 1930, the color ecru meant exactly the same color as beige (i.e. the pale cream color shown above as beige),<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 149—Discussion of the color Beige (shown in this book's color sample as being the same color that is displayed as "beige" in the Wikipedia color box shown above) notes that beige is exactly the same color as Ecru.</ref> and the word is often used to refer to such fabrics as silk and linen in their unbleached state. Ecru comes from the French word ''{{Lang|fr|écru}}'', which means literally "raw" or "unbleached".

Since at least the 1950s, however, the color ecru has been regarded as a different color from beige, presumably in order to allow [[interior design]]ers a wider palette of colors to choose from.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-e.htm |title=ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Colo(u)r Names (1955): Ea through Ez |access-date=2007-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220724/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-e.htm |archive-date=2012-11-22 |url-status=usurped |website=Retsof}}{{unreliable source?|date=November 2022}}</ref>
{{Clear}}{{infobox color
|title= Khaki
|hex= C3B091
|source=[[Web colors#HTML color names|HTML/CSS]]
|isccname=Grayish yellow
}}

===Khaki===
{{Main|Khaki}}

[[Khaki]] was designated in the 1930 book ''A Dictionary of Color'', the standard for color nomenclature before the introduction of computers.

The first recorded use of ''khaki'' as a color name in English was in 1848.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 197; Color Sample of Khaki: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample J7</ref>
{{Clear}}{{infobox color
|title=French beige
|hex=A67B5B
|source=[[ISCC-NBS]]<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070926234718/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-f.htm ISCC-NBS]}}</ref>
|isccname=Light brown}}

===French beige===
{{Infobox color
| title=Light French beige
| hex=C8AD7F
| source=[http://pourpre.com/fr/dictionnaire/file/beige Pourpre.com]
| isccname=Grayish yellow
}}The first recorded use of '''French beige''' as a color name in English was in 1927.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 195; Color Sample of French beige: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample A7</ref>

The [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Color/Normalized Color Coordinates|normalized color coordinates]] for French beige are identical to [[Coffee (color)#Café au Lait|café au lait]] and [[Tuscan Red#Tuscan tan|Tuscan tan]], which were first recorded as color names in English in 1839<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 191; Color Sample of Cafe au Lait: p. 47 Plate 12 Color Sample A6</ref> and 1926,<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Tuscan tan: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample C8</ref> respectively.
{{Clear}}{{infobox color
|title=Mode beige
|hex=967117
|source=[[ISCC-NBS]]<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070926234718/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-m.htm ISCC-NBS]}}</ref>
|isccname=Light olive brown}}

===Mode beige===
''Mode beige'' is a very dark shade of beige.

The first recorded use of ''mode beige'' as a color name in English was in 1928.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 199; Color Sample of Mode Beige: p. 47 Plate 14 Color Sample B5</ref>

The normalized color coordinates for mode beige are identical to the color names [[Drab (color)|drab]], [[Desert sand (color)#Sand dune (Drab)|sand dune]], and [[Bistre#Bistre brown|bistre brown]], which were first recorded as color names in English, respectively, in 1686,<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 194</ref> 1925,<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 204; Color Sample of Sand Dune: p. 47 Plate 14 Color Sample B5</ref> and 1930.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill p. 53 Plate 15 Color Sample C9</ref>

{{Clear}}

==In nature==
'''[[Fish]]'''
* [[Beige catshark]]
'''[[Mammal]]'''
* [[Beige rabbit]]

==In culture==
===Personal computers===
{{see also|Beige box}}
[[File:Personal computer - Museo scienza tecnologia Milano 14617.jpg|thumb|A beige [[IBM 5150]] personal computer]]

In the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, [[personal computer]]s and other office electronics were often colored beige. The trend began in Germany, where workplaces commonly required beige- or gray-colored equipment, and later spread worldwide. Beige's popularity was superseded by black starting in the 1990s, with the release of black computers like the [[IBM ThinkPad]].<ref>{{cite web | author-last=Hussain | author-first=Shaz | title=50 Shades of Beige | website=Science Museum Blog | publisher=Science Museum, London | date=20 April 2018 | url=https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/50-shades-of-beige/ | access-date=8 August 2025}}</ref>

===Metaphor===
Beige is sometimes used as a metaphor for something that is bland, boring, conventional, or even sad. In this sense, it is used in contradistinction to more vibrant and exciting (or more individual) colors.<ref name="StClair">{{Cite book|title=The Secret Lives of Colour|last=St. Clair|first=Kassia|publisher=John Murray|year=2016|isbn=9781473630819|location=London|pages=58–59|oclc=936144129}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[The Beige Room]]
* [[Drab (color)]]
* [[Lists of colors]]
* [[Shades of white]]
* [[RAL 1001 Beige]]
* [[Beige Book]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary|ecru}}
{{Wiktionary|beige}}

{{Shades of white|Beige}}
{{Shades of yellow|Beige}}
{{Shades of brown|Beige}}
{{Shades of green}}
{{Color topics}}