6 Types of Buff Color

John Spacey, June 23, 2020

Buff is a light yellowish brown that is based on the color of buffalo leather. As a color name, buff dates to the 17th century and was originally based on the buff coat, a type of leather uniform used by European cavalry and officers that had a bright yellow appearance. Buff was a tough leather that provided limited protection from swords. The color buff has a deep, rich and classic feel to it. It is decidedly less bland than most light browns and less artificial feeling than most bright yellows. The following are common variations of buff color.

Buff Leather
#aa7733

Buff
#e0ab76

Gold Buff
#ecc481

Buff #2
#f0dc82

Buff Yellow
#f1bf70

Buff #3
#f7d60d

Notes

The first recorded use of Buff as a color name is a 1686 edition of The London Gazette that describes a uniform as "...a Red Coat with a Buff-colour'd lining."

In practice, leather known as buff was historically made from a variety of animals including buffalo, elk and bulls.

Historically, buff was considered as roughly equivalent to the skin color of white people. This is the origin of the slang "in the buff" referring to a state of undress.

6 Types of Buff Color

Notes

Color Palettes

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