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Is this beige?

Aziraphale

Veteran

Back in the summer, I posted something about a new kimono cardi I had acquired. It was beige, a "boring" colour I hadn't previously considered, but it turned out that it really suited me. You know what I mean -- we all have those colours that make us look fresh and healthy! Anyway, in the discussion that ensued, I started to get a bit confused about what beige actually is. The tag said "ash" and someone suggested that maybe it was grey. It's definitely not, in my opinion, but maybe what everybody else calls beige is more like a light camel to me?

I got a waffle knit casual top just recently. It's posted below. It's the exact same colour as the kimono cardigan, and I really love it. I know screen colours are notoriously unreliable, but would you call that beige?
(The tag said "heather ashen cool", so maybe it's a cool beige? I'm positive it's not warm grey).

Thanks for your help! I don't know why this is bugging me.

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30 replies

Latest reply was from Jules

Andrea H

At least based on my phone screen, I would definitely not call that beige. It's some shade of light gray to me.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I wouldn't call it beige, exactly, no. To me it looks more like what is sometimes called "stone." Or sometimes (maybe) "oatmeal." It is sort of between beige and grey. Greige? Ash is definitely a good word for it.

The wall behind it looks more pinky-beige to me!

Beige to me is more yellow in undertone. Or sometimes more pink in undertone, like the wall. In any event, much warmer. I know if you put this beside something grey it would look warmer, and it is. But beige? Not my idea of beige.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Thanks, Andrea and Suz! If it's grey, it's a very very warm grey, to my eye. Oatmeal sounds about right.

I think the reason I'm wondering about this is that I'm trying to guess my "season" based on my best colours. So far, it's looking like I might be a muted autumn. I don't think I'm warm enough to be a real autumn, but I'm not cool enough to be a summer, either.

One thing I know for certain: bright, clear colours don't look fabulous on me, so I don't think I'm a spring or a winter.

Diana

Veteran

I call this oyster grey. Pantone seems to agree with me.

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Joyce B

Veteran

It also looks grey on my screen.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

It looks gray to me too. Interesting tidbit- color is extremely personal and looks a little different to each person. How cool is that!?

Anonymous

That looks like a cross between oatmeal and grey to me, but not beige.

Greenjeans

Veteran

I'm agreeing with what others are saying. This looks gray to me (and a wonderful one at that). When I think of beige I think of the plastic old desktop computers were made of, and chinos. This is not that color.

kerlyn

Veteran

Agreeing with the others, it looks like a cross between soft gray and oatmeal.

I find these colors tough, and yet I'm really drawn to them lately! I believe I'm a muted autumn, or possibly soft autumn (not sure if there's a difference) as well. So I'm very interested in what you find out. I've been experimenting with grays lately, as I'm really drawn to them. I've always loved to wear creams and oatmeals.

I'm sorry I don't post photos, but I can describe my coloring if that might be helpful. I have light brown hair, brown eyes, and skin that tans very easily. Some say I have olive skin, but Im not sure. I tend to gravitate toward earthy tones and neutrals. But as far as earth tones go, I think the softer, muted ones look better on me. My coloring is rather low contrast as well. I know that I tend to prefer a soft plum rather than a bright purple, and a soft muted teal rather than a bright one. Other than that, I tend towards neutrals, olive, soft rusty tones, tans, etc.

I do love gray, though I'm not sure it's my best color. I have a few tops in shades ranging from light, silvery gray to dark charcoal. I often wonder if I'm neutral enough to wear both cool and warm tones. I seem to be able to wear both silver and gold jewelry.

Anyway, I didn't mean to make this all about me! I was just excited to learn of another muted autumn! I hope my thoughts help in some small way!

Aziraphale

Veteran

Well I'll be darned! What I've always thought of as cool beige is actually, according to everybody else, a warm grey. Fancy.

chewy, it makes sense that we see colours differently! I'm sure you're right. For one thing, we must all vary a little in the number of different colour cones we have. And since images are interpreted by the brain, and our brains are all different, it stands to reason that your warm grey is my light beige. I swear, when I hold this sweatshirt up to anything else in my closet that's grey (and I've got a lot of grey!), it almost looks light brown.

Greenjeans -- "the plastic old desktop computers were made of" -- lol. I know the exact colour you're talking about. This top actually isn't so different.

Aziraphale

Veteran

kerlyn, I was delighted to read your reply! It helps. From what I understand, soft autumn and muted autumn are the same thing. I think it means someone who's basically on the warm side, but can wear a lot of cooler summer colours, and looks better in muted (i.e., "greyed-down") shades.

Let's compare! I have warm brown hair (highlighted golden blonde at the moment), clear greeny-bluey-grey eyes, pinkish-peach skin with faded freckles, and light brown eyebrows and lashes. I have a fairly low-contrast face, like you. I'm not olive, but I do tan (as long as it's gradual exposure; I've had a few spectacular accidental sunburns in my life!). I think I look best in the "greige" of the above sweater, navy that's on the warm side, and greyish shades of military green. Anything acidy or very bright looks terrible. Black's not too bad, but charcoal or navy are better. Chocolate brown works too. Greys are good as long as they are neutral or warm; steel grey is no good. Thumbs up to muted darker purples like aubergine or burgundy, but pale lavender is a disaster. Mustard is usually good but I haven't worn it for years. And kelly green is flattering, too.

Does this sound like you?

peacechick

Veteran

I second the "oatmeal" color. First thought that came to me, and looks a lot like a sweater of my husband that was sold as this shade. To me oatmeal is beige. It's a greyish beige, probably on the outer borderline of beige. "Sand" is where beige is clearly beige, I think.

I think the boundaries of warm grey and greyish beige are very blurred. Also, I have never really figured out what the color taupe is. I think it is a darker version of this!

Aziraphale

Veteran

peacechick -- taupe! That word is a bit meaningless to me, too. It's somewhere between brown and grey, a bit like "mushroom". Lol

kerlyn

Veteran

Oh wow! It sounds like we have a lot in common!

Acids or brights are definitely not great on me. And pale lavender? Not a chance! I remember a thrifted top I picked up in college. It was a pretty pattern, but the main color was lavender (along with some pale blue and pale pink). I looked absolutely awful in that top (like I had the plague or something!). I've had an aversion to pastels ever since, although now I realize that some might be better than others. I'm finding navy is a good dark neutral for me, even though I have quite a bit of black as well. I do like mustard (although I don't have any at the moment), and I recently bought a green sweater (probably more of a forest green than a kelly green). I'm hoping it will work on me.

Do you have a preference for white or cream?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Taupe is a cooler version of tan or beige. It often includes plum or purplish tones. I wear taupe really well. And beige (at least yellow beige) NEVER. Because it truly is soul sucking on me.

rachylou

Veteran

Another light grey on this screen...

MomOfThree1980

Looks more like a very light grey to me

Irene

Veteran

I would call that beige, but then I think there are many, many shades of beige out there (so, I don't understand beige as one specific shade of colour, but as a category). This looks like a "cool" beige to me, especially against the wall/table behind it.

I find beige super difficult to pull off with my complexion, which is why I just stay away from it altogether. I'm glad this shade works for you

Liz

Veteran

To me, what sounds significant is that the color takes on brown tones when held up to true gray in your closet. That means there's warm undertones to it (no matter what color name we want to assign it).

Helena

Veteran

Az, I would also call that cool beige. To me though beige is quite a broad term, so I guess it's all in how you define it:) The soft autumn palette is so pretty!

kkards

Veteran

hard to tell actaully on a screen, but i'm with Suz, i think this is greige
i found this very helpful
https://kellybernierdesigns.co.....ame-color/

Janet

(website)

Veteran

It looks light grey/stone to me -- I'm on my iPhone. Beige has a lot more yellow in it, plus a little pink.

Anonymous

To me this is not beige, but oatmeal or even a light taupe. I wear this color with taupe grey booties. I have a sweater that was said to be oatmeal and it is a bit more tan than your photo.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Kerlyn, I like neither white nor cream in large doses on my body, but I've found that a little bit of white -- like a white collar -- works really well. I prefer true whites and off whites to bright optic (blue) white.

Suz, thanks for the clarification on taupe. It's not a colour I've ever even tried on, I don't think, based on how you describe it.

So more votes for light grey, but also some voices for beige -- Liz, Irene, Torontogirl, I'm agreeing with you. I'm still wanting to call it beige, albeit a cool one. Liz, it definitely does have warm undertones. In the tiny icon it looks a bit like light grey, but I have lots of true, neutral light greys in my closet, and this colour isn't it. This is the colour of lumpy oatmeal that's been left sitting out for too long! (Wow, I'm making it sounds so appealing...)

kkards and Suz -- the term "greige" pretty much nails it!

ETA kkards, I clicked on the link, and that greige wall looks quite a bit darker than my sweater, but the taupe wall is close. Hmm. I'm so confused.

Amy

It looks grey to me.

Anonymous

Lite grey on my computer screen.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

That article from Kkards confused the heck out of me! I would have called them the reverse!

I still say this is "light oatmeal," which is closer to washed out grey than beige, but greige covers it.

Here are some beiges: https://www.google.ca/search?q.....&tbo=

RobinF

Veteran

I haven't read all the responses, but I would call this oatmeal. It doesn't look gray at all on my screen. It is funny how we all interpret color differently.

Anonymous

One vote for light grey.

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