Difference Between Ivory and Ecru

Ivory Box

Ivory vs. Ecru

Ivory as a color is as a “creamy white”. The color of ivory has a very slight tint of yellow. Ecru is described as the shade with a greyish light yellow or light gray with tinges of brownish.

Ivory got its name from the ivory, which is the material that makes up the teeth and tusks of animals (most notably elephants and walruses). It was derived from the ancient Egyptian word “ab” or “abu”, meaning elephant. In contrast to the origin of ivory, ecru is often used to refer to fabrics such as unbleached linen and silk. It is derived from the French “ecru”, which literally means raw, unbleached.

During the 30s, ecru was synonymous with beige; in the 50s, the two began to be recognized as separate colors. There is a thin line of color that separates the two, and it has been known that a lot of people mistake one for the other; unaware of the fact that ecru is on the yellow side, while beige is on the off-white side. Additionally, ivory is the lighter of the two.

Ivory has calming effects; it is used to induce a relaxing tone. On the other hand, ecru provides a more neutral to masculine feel with an earthy tone most effective in a wide range of designs, from rough to elegant.

Some colors used together with ivory are light browns, light peach, and even light, grassy green. There may an earthy feel to it; however, it’s softer as compared to other natural palettes. This may likewise brighten dark and medium tones such as blue, dark orange, purple, green, and turquoise. Ecru is relatively neutral and can be effective as a complement to light colors such as yellow, light blue, and soft peaches, and to dark ones like bright red, navy blue, and even olive greens.

Ecru Lace

The color ivory is widely used in fashion design, including gowns and dresses. Wedding gowns are perhaps the most famous type of dress in this color, although this can also apply to the color of light tuxedo shirts for men. Ivory is also commonly used in interior design, popular for achieving an elegant, stately effect by including its color in various items such as curtains, linens, tiles, wallpaper, upholstery, and even paint. Ecru, on the other hand, is relatively more relaxed and earthy when used in design. It can be present in places that range from the most elegant ballrooms to the roughest, most masculine cabins, and even modern art deco designs in architecture and interior design. While ivory is mostly a predominant main color, ecru can be used both as main coloring and accents. Some items known to be painted predominantly ecru are furniture, windowpanes, walls, vases, picture frames, and many others accessories.

In the modern computerized and programming world, ivory codes are: #FFFFF0 (in Hex Triplet code), with an RGB of 255, 255, 240, and an HSV of 60°, 6%, 100%. Ecru codes are: #C2B280 (in Hex Triplet code), with an RGB of 194, 178, 128, and an HSV of 39%, 27%, 77%.

SUMMARY:

1· Ivory is a creamy white color, while ecru is greyish-yellowish brown.

2· The name of the color Ivory was derived from the material with the same name, which makes up the teeth and tusks of elephants, while the word “ecru” comes from a French word that directly translates to raw or unbleached.

3· Ivory is a softer, more feminine color, white ecru has a more earthy, masculine feel.

4· Ivory is commonly used as the main, predominant color, while ecru is mostly used as a highlighting color or an accent.

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