Puce
A brownish-purple shade named after the flea and once favoured in French fashion
Puce is a muted purple-red, tinged with brown, whose name comes from the French for 'flea colour'. It became fashionable in France in the late 1700s, especially at the royal court, and later appeared in Parisian dress throughout the 1800s. Puce also features in Japanese metalwork, where it is used as a surface colour for bronze and copper.
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- Named after the French word for 'flea'
- Popular at the court of Louis XVI in France
- Appears in 19th-century French literature
- Used in Japanese metalwork for bronze and copper surfaces
What colour is Puce?
Puce is a subdued colour that sits between purple and brown, with a slight reddish tint. Its appearance is neither bright nor pale, but rather a deep, earthy tone. This shade is distinctive for its association with the colour of a flea, which is how it got its name. Puce stands apart from other purples and reds due to its muted, almost dusky quality.
Where does Puce come from?
The word 'puce' comes from the French phrase for 'flea colour', referring to the shade seen on the insect. The colour gained notice in France during the late 1700s, especially among the nobility at the court of Louis XVI. Although Marie Antoinette was said to favour puce, there is no visual record of her wearing it. The shade continued to be popular in Parisian clothing throughout the 19th century and appears in French literature of the time.
How Puce is defined
In Japanese metalwork, craftspeople create a puce tone on bronze and copper by applying certain chemical treatments. For textiles and other uses, puce refers to a specific colour value rather than a particular pigment or dye.
Where Puce is used
Puce was a notable choice for clothing in France, especially in the late 1700s and 1800s. It appears in descriptions of Parisian fashion and is mentioned in French novels from that era. In Japan, a puce finish is sometimes given to metal objects as part of traditional ironwork techniques.
Purple around the world
What the purple and violet family means from country to country.
Purple dye from the murasaki plant was costly and hard to make. In the court rank system set up under Prince Shotoku, the highest officials wore purple caps.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Twelve Level Cap and Rank SystemIn Holy Week, members of religious brotherhoods walk in procession in robes and pointed hoods, many of them purple, the colour of penance. A purple band also marked the flag of the Second Republic.
Sacred and holyPolitics and protestSource: Holy Week in SpainSuffragettes campaigning for women's votes wore purple, white and green: purple for dignity, white for purity and green for hope.
Politics and protestCourageSource: SuffragetteA child born to a reigning Byzantine emperor was called porphyrogennetos, born in the purple. The birth took place in a palace room lined with purple stone.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Born in the purpleIn the elections of 2005, voters dipped a finger in purple ink to prevent double voting. The stained finger, held up for cameras, became a sign of the vote.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Election inkThe Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon made Tyrian purple from sea snails. The dye was so costly that it became the colour of kings and Roman emperors.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Tyrian purpleShades and relatives of Puce
There are several versions of puce, each slightly different in tone. Colour dictionaries and lists from France, the United States, and Pantone all include their own samples of puce, ranging from more reddish to more purplish or brownish hues. The original French version is the basis for later variations.
Colours that go with Puce
Harmonies are worked out from the value #CC8899. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Puce
What colour is puce?
Puce is a muted shade that mixes purple, red, and brown. It is neither bright nor pale, but has a deep, earthy look.
Where does the name 'puce' come from?
The name comes from the French phrase for 'flea colour', as the shade was thought to resemble the colour of a flea.
Where was puce first popular?
Puce became fashionable in France in the late 18th century, especially at the royal court.
Is puce used outside of textiles?
Yes, in traditional Japanese metalwork, puce is used as a surface colour for bronze and copper objects.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Puce", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). 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.
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