True white

Where it sits

Deep Winter palette

True white is a neutral in Deep Winter and also appears in True Winter. Its closest relative outside the palette is Bright white #FBFDFF, a Bright Winter color, at a perceptual distance of 1. That is near enough for that season to wear it as a neutral, with the accents kept in its own palette.

At RGB 255, 255, 255 all three channels are at maximum, which is the definition of white on a screen. In fabric it is the optic white: bleached, often with a blue brightener in the finish. Take ten points off the blue and it becomes a soft white that belongs to a True Summer. Take ten off the blue and twenty off the red and it becomes a cream that belongs to a Spring or an Autumn.

A Deep Winter or True Winter wears it as the light neutral against black, charcoal and navy: a white shirt under a black blazer is the Winter signature. It pairs with true red, cobalt and emerald as the colors that need a clean white beside them, and with icy blue or icy pink when white alone feels stark. It is also the best color in either palette for a summer dress, because it is the one white that does not go yellow in strong light.

Retailers call it white, optic white, bright white, pure white, paper white or snow, and most of what sells under those names is close. The misses are the ones called ivory, cream, ecru, natural or winter white, all of which are warm and belong to other seasons. Hold the garment against printer paper. True white matches. An ivory looks yellow. A soft white looks grey.

Easily confused with

Bright Winter's bright white is one point away, so the three Winters share the color; Bright Winter's lemon-ice white is six points off and carries a drop of yellow. True Summer's soft white is six points off and a step softer: on a Winter it reads dingy, and on a Summer true white reads harsh. True Winter's icy blue and Deep Winter's icy pink are thirteen and sixteen points off, white with a drop of pigment, and are the alternatives when true white feels too stark.

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).

In stock in this color today

As of November 11, 2026, 53 in-stock pieces across Christy Dawn, Marine Layer, STAUD and Boden sample within a close match of #FFFFFF. 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.

Brea Dress

Of The Pacific

$172 at STAUD

Supersoft V Neck Trim Vest

Brilliant White

$49 at Boden

Women's Luxe Jersey Crew Tee in Bright White

Bright White

$58 at Marine Layer

The Ricarda Dress

Alabaster

$368 at Christy Dawn

Shore Skirt

Of The Pacific

$186 at STAUD

The Heidi Blouse

Alabaster

$158 at Christy Dawn

The Sally Short

Alabaster Crinkle

$98 at Christy Dawn

Cadence Dress

Pearl

$595 at STAUD

Lexi Rib Sun-In Crew Tee

Antique White

$58 at Marine Layer

Dream Jersey Shrunken Crew Tee

Antique White

$58 at Marine Layer

The Cassia Short

Alabaster

$168 at Christy Dawn

The Dawn Dress

Alabaster

$248 at Christy Dawn

See everything in Deep Winter

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 #FFFFFF today, so they are the words to search for.

Christy Dawn

Alabaster, Alabaster Crinkle, Pearl Silk, Alabaster Eyelet, Antique White, Pearl

Marine Layer

Bright White, Antique White, Pescare, Ivory Windowpane, Olive & Cream

STAUD

Of The Pacific, Pearl, Hey, Frost

Boden

Brilliant White

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

The Deep Winter guide · All in-stock Deep Winter pieces · Black → · All colors