Gretta Top
Sandrose
#C9A2A6
Dusty rose
A Soft Summer color
Dusty rose
anchor color 1 of 10 in Soft Summer. Also called Muted Summer in other systems.
By Kathleen Olsen · Updated November 11, 2026
- Hex
- #C9A2A6
- RGB
- 201, 162, 166
- HSL
- 354°, 27%, 71%
Dusty rose is pink with grey in it, cool but not cold. It is the Soft Summer signature, a pink that reads as quiet rather than sweet, and it sits almost exactly between the Summer palettes, which is why all three borrow it. Warm it up and it becomes Soft Autumn's version; brighten it and it leaves the family.
Where it sits
Dusty rose is an anchor color in Soft Summer. Its closest relative outside the palette is Cool soft rose #E3B9C0, a Light Summer color, at a perceptual distance of 9. That is near enough for that season to wear it as a neutral, with the accents kept in its own palette.
Pink has a reputation problem, and the pink people are thinking of is clear and bright. Dusty rose is neither. The grey in it takes away the sweetness, and on a Soft Summer it does what a soft neutral does, which is sit near the face and make the skin look rested.
This hex is eight points from True Summer's swatches and eight from Soft Summer's own, which is as close to a tie as the system produces. True Summer wears it a shade cooler than ideal, Soft Summer a shade warmer. Light Summer is sixteen off, and the palette's own cool soft rose is the lighter version that fits better.
The Soft Autumn twin, warm dusty rose, is seven points away with yellow in it. That is the one that gets sold beside this one in the same shop under the same name. Against a white sheet of paper the Autumn one goes faintly peach; this one does not.
Easily confused with
Warm dusty rose, #C89A93, is the Soft Autumn version and the most common mistake. Rose-beige in True Summer is eleven points off and is what dusty rose turns into when the pink fades. Cool soft rose in Light Summer is the same color a step lighter. All four are close enough that a Summer can wear any of them without alarm.
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).
Warm dusty rose #C89A93
Soft Autumn anchor · ΔE 7
Cool soft rose #E3B9C0
Light Summer anchor · ΔE 9
Rose-beige #C9B2A6
True Summer neutral · ΔE 11
Soft cool pink #F0BCC8
Light Summer anchor · ΔE 12
Grey-taupe #A79E96
True Summer neutral · ΔE 14
Light taupe #BFB4A8
Light Summer neutral · ΔE 14
In stock in this color today
As of November 11, 2026, 10 in-stock pieces across STAUD, Boden, Frank & Eileen, Marine Layer and Christy Dawn sample within a close match of #C9A2A6. 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.
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 #C9A2A6 today, so they are the words to search for.
- STAUD
- Sandrose, Dusty Pink, Quartz
- Boden
- Pink Violet
- Frank & Eileen
- Dusty Pink
- Marine Layer
- Lilas
- Christy Dawn
- Lavender Mist
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 dusty rose a Soft Summer color?
Yes. Dusty rose (#C9A2A6) is an anchor color in the Soft Summer palette, and close enough to a Light Summer color for that season to wear it as a neutral.
Can a Soft Autumn wear dusty rose?
Yes, but the palette's warm dusty rose is a better fit. The two are seven points apart, and the difference is yellow. On a Soft Autumn this cooler one can look slightly ashy near the face. It works well away from the face.
Is dusty rose the same as mauve?
No. Mauve has purple in it; dusty rose has grey. Soft mauve in the same palette is fifteen points away. If a pink looks lavender in low light, it is mauve.
Which Summer wears dusty rose best?
Soft Summer and True Summer are tied on the numbers, both about eight points off. Soft Summer gets it as a signature because the greyness matches the rest of the palette. Light Summer does better in the lighter cool soft rose.
What colors go with dusty rose?
For a Soft Summer, the greys, soft navy, dove taupe, and dusty lavender. With white it looks like a bridesmaid. With black it looks like a different, sharper pink. With grey it is itself.
The Soft Summer guide · All in-stock Soft Summer pieces · Slate blue → · All colors