Anchor Stranded Cotton

398 — Pearl Grey

Grays family

Anchor 398 — Pearl Grey — has hex #89888A and RGB 137, 136, 138. This medium, subdued gray thread sits alongside its closest Classic Colorworks, Weeks Dye Works, and Gentle Art Sampler matches below, with 8 similar Anchor shades and a panel of color harmonies for palette planning.

Hex
#89888A
RGB
137, 136, 138
HSL
270°, 1%, 54%
Lab
56.8, 0.8, -0.9
Lightness
54%
Medium
Saturation
1%
Neutral
Hue
270°
Family
Grays

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 398

Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works

Anchor 398 Pearl Grey

Madeira

Blue Grey Light 1708 67% Approx
Steel Grey Very Light 1803 59% Fair
Shell Grey Medium 1807 58% Fair
Blue Grey Very Light 1709 58% Fair
2414 2414 55% Fair

J&P Coates

Stone Grey 8500 70% Approx
Antique Blue Medium 7051 69% Approx
Tawny Medium 5393 51% Fair
Tawny Medium 5832 51% Fair
Grey Medium 8512 42% Fair

Sullivans

Steel Grey Light 45059 61% Fair
Pewter Light 45484 58% Fair
Shell Grey Medium 45102 45% Fair
Antique Blue Light 45275 41% Fair
Brown Grey Light 45321 40% Fair

Cosmo

Cosmo 152A 152A 71% Approx
Cosmo 153A 153A 70% Approx
Cosmo 892 892 65% Approx
Cosmo 474 474 57% Fair
Cosmo 891 891 54% Fair

Classic Colorworks

Lunar Eclipse Lunar Eclipse 82% Good
Barrel Cactus Barrel Cactus 78% Approx
Garden Trellis Garden Trellis 63% Fair
Antique Lace Antique Lace 62% Fair
Shabby Sheep Shabby Sheep 58% Fair

Weeks Dye Works

Salt Glaze (obsolete 1286 94% Good
Tin Roof 1174 89% Good
Old Glory 4133 68% Approx
Dove 1171 66% Approx
Wisteria (obsolete) 1186 62% Fair

Gentle Art Sampler

Ohio Sky 1091 73% Approx
Pebble 1020 70% Approx
Creekbed 1070 69% Approx
Banker's Grey 1030 65% Approx
Slate 1010 50% Fair

Valdani

Steel Grey light O120 67% Approx
Beaver Grey medium M47 56% Fair
Beaver Grey light 178 52% Fair
Pearl Grey 118 47% Fair
Shell Grey dark O513 41% Fair

Crescent Colours

Milady's Teal 150 92% Good
Zach Black 110 69% Approx
Frosted Sage 068 66% Approx
River Rocks 109 59% Fair
Tabby 042 57% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 398

Closest Anchor threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 398

Anchor threads that pair well with 398, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

Grays Family

Anchor 398 in context with nearby shades from the grays color family.

About Anchor 398

Anchor 398 (Pearl Grey) is a medium, subdued shade in the grays family. It has a warm and grounded feel that suits elephant motifs and cobblestone paths particularly well. Designers often pair this shade with industrial designs or wolf patterns for balanced palettes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Anchor 398 look like?

Anchor 398 (Pearl Grey) is a medium shade in the grays family with hex #89888A and RGB 137, 136, 138. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring shading and outlines.

Which DMC thread matches Anchor 398?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 398 (Pearl Grey) is DMC 03 (Medium Tin) with a 88% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 318 (Steel Grey light, 67%) and DMC 169 (Pewter light, 56%).

What Anchor colors are similar to 398?

The closest Anchor threads to 398 are 849 Grey Blue Medium (ΔE 4.65), 900 Beaver Grey Light (ΔE 5.55), and 232 Shell Grey Medium (ΔE 6.5). These are useful substitutes when 398 is unavailable or for building gradients.

When should I use Anchor 398?

Reach for Anchor 398 (Pearl Grey) when your project calls for shading, outlines, urban scenes, neutral backgrounds. Its medium character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 398.