mauves

Mauve is a pale purple color, typically described as a pinkish-lavender or lilac. It sits between purple and pink on the color spectrum and has lightened variants that can appear grayish or bluish depending on the mixture. The name mauve comes from the French mauve, meaning the color of the common mallow flower; the term was popularized in English after the mid-19th century, notably following the discovery of the synthetic dye mauveine by William Henry Perkin in 1856. The dye sparked a fashion and textile craze for mauve tones, and the word came to denote a family of pale purples rather than a single shade.

In design contexts, mauve is used to convey gentleness, elegance, and nostalgia. It typically pairs with greens, blues, and neutrals, and is frequently employed in interior design, fashion, and branding to evoke a refined, understated look. In digital color spaces mauve is represented by a range of values; common approximations include hex codes around #E0B0FF for lighter mauve, with deeper or grayer variants approaching lilac or plum. The term should not be confused with more saturated purples such as magenta or violet, as mauve emphasizes softness and desaturation. See also purple, lavender, and color history.