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#9DC4B5

Cool mint

A True Summer color

Cool mint

anchor color 7 of 10 in True Summer. Also called Cool Summer in other systems.

By Kathleen Olsen · Updated November 11, 2026

Hex
#9DC4B5
RGB
157, 196, 181
HSL
157°, 25%, 69%

Cool mint is the True Summer light green: a soft, greyed mint with a hint of blue. It is six points from Light Summer's light sea green and ten from both Light Summer's mint and Soft Summer's greyed aqua, so it sits where the three Summers meet and all of them can wear it.

Where it sits

True Summer palette

Cool mint is an anchor color in True Summer. Its closest relative outside the palette is Light sea green #8FC6B4, a Light Summer color, at a perceptual distance of 6. That is near enough for that season to wear it as a neutral, with the accents kept in its own palette.

At RGB 157, 196, 181 the green leads, the blue is close behind and the red is lower, with a modest spread between them. That modest spread is the grey in it. It is the color of a eucalyptus leaf in mist. Clear the grey and lighten it and it becomes Light Summer's cool mint; add more grey and it becomes Soft Summer's greyed aqua.

A True Summer wears it as her light, fresh color: a shirt, a knit, a summer dress. It is one of the few greens in a palette that runs to blue and rose. It works with soft white, cool grey and grey-taupe, and it sits well next to dusty blue and cool rose.

Retail calls it mint, seafoam, sea glass, eucalyptus and jade mist. Because three seasons share it, most soft mint in stores will work. The versions to avoid are the bright, clean mint, which belongs to the Springs, and the yellow-leaning pistachio.

Easily confused with

The nearest color is Light Summer's light sea green at six points, close enough to pass. Light Summer's cool mint and Soft Summer's greyed aqua are both ten points away, one lighter and one greyer. Soft Summer's eucalyptus is thirteen points off and more muted. Light Spring's warm mint is fifteen points away and has yellow in it, which is the difference to watch for. This color belongs to all three Summers in practice.

The nearest named colors in other seasons, by perceptual distance (ΔE in CIELAB; under 10 is hard to tell apart on a screen, over 25 is a different color).

Light sea green #8FC6B4

Light Summer anchor · ΔE 6

Cool mint #B0E0CE

Light Summer anchor · ΔE 10

Greyed aqua #8FB0AE

Soft Summer anchor · ΔE 10

Eucalyptus #8FA394

Soft Summer anchor · ΔE 13

Warm mint #9FE0C0

Light Spring anchor · ΔE 15

Light cool grey #B9BFC4

Light Summer neutral · ΔE 16

In stock in this color today

As of November 11, 2026, 21 in-stock pieces across STAUD, Marine Layer and Boden sample within a close match of #9DC4B5. The dot on each card is the color we sampled from the garment itself; trust it over the photograph. Links are affiliate links: we earn a commission when you buy through them, at no cost to you.

See everything in True Summer

What it's sold as

Retailers almost never use the palette name. These are the color names on the in-stock pieces that sample within a close match of #9DC4B5 today, so they are the words to search for.

STAUD
Still Life, Endless Summer, Heirloom, Lakeside, Spearmint
Marine Layer
Latigo Bay, Aquamarine, Faded Olive
Boden
Clear Sky

A retailer's name for a color says nothing about its undertone. "Navy" at one shop is a True Winter color and at another a Spring one. The sampled dot on each card above is what we trust.

Questions

Is cool mint a True Summer color?

Yes. Cool mint (#9DC4B5) is an anchor color in the True Summer palette, and close enough to a Light Summer or Soft Summer color for those seasons to wear it as a neutral.

Can a Light Summer wear True Summer's cool mint?

Yes. Her light sea green is six points away and her own cool mint is ten. On a Light Summer this one reads as a slightly deeper mint, and it works with soft white and dove grey.

Is cool mint the same for Light Summer and True Summer?

Not quite. Both palettes have a color called cool mint. Light Summer's is paler and clearer; True Summer's has more grey. They are ten points apart, about where most people begin to see a difference.

What colors go with cool mint?

For a True Summer: soft white, cool grey, grey-taupe, rose-beige, dusty blue, cool rose and bluebell. Mint with cool grey is the pairing for every day. Avoid black, which makes it look hard, and camel, which makes it look sour.

Is cool mint warm or cool?

Cool. The blue sits close behind the green and the red is lower. A warm mint has more yellow and looks brighter. Against white, this one shows a faint blue-grey cast.

The True Summer guide · All in-stock True Summer pieces · ← Soft fuchsia · Bluebell → · All colors

The twelve seasons