What Color Is Russet? About Russet Color

Are you curious about what color is russet? Stick around as we share more information about the russet color.

When we hear the word russet, many of us think about potatoes, and we’re not wrong. After all, russet potatoes bear the same name as the actual color we’re referring to.

If you’re curious about what the color russet really is, its implications and significance in history, and how to use it in virtually all types of design, interiors, and fashion, you have come to the right place.

We are here to share more information about russet.

What Color Is Russet?

Russet is actually a dark brown color with a unique reddish-orange hue. This tertiary color comes from a mixture of orange and purple.

However, this color is also a combination of orange and brown. With its tone, it is evident that the color russet is in the brown color family.

Russet gets its name from a type of coarse cloth that is mainly made out of wool.

This woolen cloth is usually dyed with a kind of flowering plant called woad and dye from the rose madder plant to achieve that reddish-brown shade or a grayer shade that’s more muted and subdued.

The use of russet to describe a color was first recorded in 1562. Its name derives from the Old French word Rousset from the Latin word russus, both of which mean “reddish.”

What is Russet Color Code?

It has a hex color code of #80461B. In terms of its HSV values, russet has a 26-degree angle, 79% saturation, and 50% lightness.

Meanwhile, in an RGB color model, russet comprises 128% red, 70% green, and 27% blue.

On the CYMK scale, russet comprises 0% cyan, 45% magenta, 79% yellow, and 50% black.

History Behind the Color Russet

As mentioned, the color russet comes from the somewhat rough cloth made with wool and dyed with plants. Because of the cloth’s coarseness, poorer people usually wore it, and a statute announced in 1363 even mandated so.

People also used it for everyday clothing. Contrary to the extravagance and luxury that Mary Queen of Scots lived in, her people were told to dress in somber colors, including russet, as well as black, sad gray, and sad brown.

The term sad was used to denote seriousness in everyday life, rather than grimness or sadness.

These colors reflected not only the hardships of people coming from the lower classes but also the backbreaking labor that was demanded of these people and the difference in social classes.

Whereas the upper classes could wear silk and velvet, as well as bright colors, the lower class had to wear subdued tones instead.

Meaning of the Color Russet

Due to its orangey-brown tone, russet is a fall color. As such, it is often linked to sorrow, mourning, and grave seriousness because of its historical implications.

Even Shakespeare used it to express his character’s regret and seriousness, particularly with Berowne’s wooing of women: “Henceforth my wooing mind shall be expressed/ In russet years and honest kersey noes.”

Moreover, russet represents prudence, alluding perhaps to the Scots and the people in the olden days who denied the finer things in life. As part of the brown family, this is quite near to what brown usually symbolizes: isolation and separation.

While this color may have negative connotations, it is also the color of strength and power. Russet, as well as brown, is akin to resilience and security in times of need, as they resemble the solidity of the earth’s color.

As an autumnal color, russet is also symbolic of change, hope, and renewal. This is an earthy tone that brings with it an air of warmth and coziness.

How to Use Russet Color in Your Life

For those who want to incorporate russet in their lives, you can start pairing it with neutral shades such as white, cream, and beige to achieve a somewhat cozy and elevated, rustic look. Whether in fashion or interiors, you can use it to add some depth and dimension.

Pair it with some earth-toned accents or even warm metallic accents such as bronze and gold for a sophisticated look.

Meanwhile, for those who want to work with like-minded hues and simply add depth through the use of colors, sticking with other colors in the brown and even orange and red families can do wonders to add some warmth to your space.

You can pair russet with cinnamon, almond, and other similar shades.

The Bottom Line

Learning about the color russet is truly enlightening. Now that you have a firmer grasp of what color this really is, you can finally play around with it and have fun adding more of this hue to your life.