Mode beige
A deep brownish-beige shade first named in English in 1928
Mode beige is a deep, dark version of beige with a brownish tone. Its colour matches those called drab, sand dune, and bistre brown, and the name 'mode beige' appeared in English in 1928.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- Mode beige matches the colours drab, sand dune, and bistre brown
- The name first appeared in English in 1928
- It is a very dark, brownish shade of beige
What colour is Mode beige?
Mode beige is a dark, muted brown with a hint of beige. It sits at the deeper end of the beige spectrum, looking more brown than cream or tan. Its appearance is identical to several other colour names, so it can be confused with drab, sand dune, or bistre brown. This shade stands out for its subdued, earthy look.
Where does Mode beige come from?
The name 'mode beige' was first used in English in 1928. The term refers to a particularly dark and brownish take on beige. Its colour coordinates are exactly the same as those for drab, sand dune, and bistre brown, which were named in English at different times. The word 'mode' suggests a fashionable or stylish version of beige.
Brown around the world
What the brown family means from country to country.
Brown is the colour of Nazism in German political speech, after the brown shirts of the party's stormtroopers. To call a view "brown" is to call it far right.
Politics and protestDanger and warningShameSource: SturmabteilungMasi is bark cloth beaten from paper mulberry and printed in brown and black. It is worn at weddings and funerals and given in ceremonial exchanges.
Sacred and holyWeddings and marriageSource: Tapa clothKuntunkuni is a dark brown mourning cloth of the Asante, dyed with tree bark. Adinkra cloth, stamped with symbols, was first made on such dark grounds for funerals.
Mourning and deathSadnessSource: Adinkra symbolsThe batik of the Javanese courts at Yogyakarta and Surakarta is dyed in soga brown with indigo and cream. Some court patterns were once reserved for the royal family.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: BatikBogolanfini, or mud cloth, is cotton painted with fermented river mud in browns, black and white. Hunters wear it for protection, and women after childbirth.
Protection and healingSacred and holySource: B貌g貌lanfiniShades and relatives of Mode beige
Mode beige shares its exact colour with drab, sand dune, and bistre brown. These names all describe the same deep brownish-beige, though they may be used in different settings or times. The shade is sometimes mistaken for other dark browns or muted earth tones.
Colours that go with Mode beige
Harmonies are worked out from the value #967117. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Mode beige
What colour is mode beige?
Mode beige is a deep, dark brownish shade of beige, sharing its colour with drab, sand dune, and bistre brown.
When was mode beige first named?
The term 'mode beige' was first recorded as a colour name in English in 1928.
Is mode beige the same as drab or sand dune?
Yes, mode beige has the same colour coordinates as drab, sand dune, and bistre brown.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Beige" (the section "Mode beige"), written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
More of the brown family
All of brown#C3B091
Khaki
A light tan with a yellowish tinge, once made for military uniformsNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +2
#F5F5DC
Beige
A pale, warm colour named after natural, undyed woolNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +2

#704214
Sepia
A reddish-brown colour named for the ink of the cuttlefishNamed shade

#3D2B1F
Bistre
A dark brown pigment and colour made from soot, once used in Old Master drawingsPigment
#B87333
Copper
A reddish brown shade named for the metal it matchesNamed shade
#483C32
Taupe
A grey-brown shade named after the colour of a mole鈥檚 furNamed shade
#4A412A
Pantone 448 C
A dull brown shade chosen to discourage smoking by making packaging unattractiveStandard colour 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia +5
#664228
Van Dyck brown
A deep, earthy brown once made from German peat and soilPigment 路 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany