What color is #BCABE5?

#BCABE5 is a light, soft indigo. In RGB it is rgb(188, 171, 229), and in HSL hsl(258, 53%, 78%).

Is #BCABE5 accessible as text?

On white, #BCABE5 has a contrast ratio of 2.08:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.09:1 (passes). For text placed on #BCABE5, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #BCABE5?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is violet-300 (#C4B4FF).

What colors go well with #BCABE5?

#BCABE5 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #D3E5A9. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #BCABE5 below.

Is #BCABE5 good for buttons?

#BCABE5 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #BCABE5 — white text only reaches 2.08:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #BCABE5 the same as CSS plum?

No — #BCABE5 is not the CSS named color plum, but plum (#DDA0DD) is the closest CSS named color.

#BCABE5 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #BCABE5

Not just a swatch — here's how #BCABE5 works with other colors. Named schemes with #BCABE5 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #BCABE5 Secondary #AFB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7F92A7 Anchor #2E3236

Wisteria keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #BCABE5 Surface #F2E8DD Highlight #F8F0E7 Secondary #BDADA1 Ink #2C2724

Wisteria sets a calm, sun-bleached base here, wrapped in bone and paper off-whites and a soft greige, with a single ink accent for wabi-sabi restraint.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #BCABE5 Accent #A5C4C4 Surface #E9D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #23334B

Wisteria opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #BCABE5 Secondary #E5DFF5 Support #9C9088 Ink #18140F

Wisteria is the single accent in this high-contrast editorial system — set on near-white paper against near-black ink, with a warm grey and a desaturated tint of Wisteria carrying the quiet middle.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #BCABE5 Surface #F5E6D7 Anchor #5C2140 Accent #E5C2C7 Secondary #332B2F

Wisteria sits between cream and a deep berry here, softened by a blush accent and grounded by charcoal.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #BCABE5 actually behaves in design work — read from its OKLCH lightness, chroma and hue, not just its raw numbers. Ten signals to help you decide where this color earns its place.

Warmth 41/100

Neutral

Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.

Softness 66/100

High

Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.

Depth 22/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 47/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 29/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 32/100

Low

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 31/100

Low

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 53/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 89/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #BCABE5

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #BCABE5 with

Periwinkle Mauve Tea Green Gainsboro Russian Violet

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with near-black label. AAA

Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid

Large display Only on dark surfaces. Avoid

Background Pair with #141310 text at 8.9:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F2EFF8 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #CFA9E5 — the hue gap is too small to read as intentional. Clash

In real applications

Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #BCABE5 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Dashboard

Revenue

$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

Nov 14 · 8PM

NIGHT
MARKET

Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

Interior

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #BCABE5;
  --color-base-rgb: 188 171 229;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(77.6% 0.083 297.9);
  --color-50: #F6F3FC;
  --color-100: #E6DFF6;
  --color-200: #CEC1EC;
  --color-300: #AA95DA;
  --color-400: #876DC5;
  --color-500: #684CA9;
  --color-600: #544082;
  --color-700: #3F325D;
  --color-800: #2B243D;
  --color-900: #1C1726;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  wisteria: {
    50: '#F6F3FC',
    100: '#E6DFF6',
    200: '#CEC1EC',
    300: '#AA95DA',
    400: '#876DC5',
    500: '#684CA9',
    600: '#544082',
    700: '#3F325D',
    800: '#2B243D',
    900: '#1C1726',
  },
}

$base: #BCABE5;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F6F3FC;
$base-100: #E6DFF6;
$base-200: #CEC1EC;
$base-300: #AA95DA;
$base-400: #876DC5;
$base-500: #684CA9;
$base-600: #544082;
$base-700: #3F325D;
$base-800: #2B243D;
$base-900: #1C1726;
$base-hover: #8B6CD2;
$base-subtle: #EBE7F5;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#BCABE5",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F6F3FC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E6DFF6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CEC1EC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#AA95DA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#876DC5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#684CA9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#544082",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3F325D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2B243D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1C1726",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}