Anchor Stranded Cotton

85 — Mauve Very Light

Pinks family

Below: Anchor 85 (Mauve Very Light), a light, highly saturated pink shade with hex #FFACE9 and RGB 255, 172, 233. Find its closest J&P Coates, Sullivans, and Cosmo matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar Anchor shades and a full set of color harmony picks.

Hex
#FFACE9
RGB
255, 172, 233
HSL
316°, 100%, 84%
Lab
80.0, 39.3, -18.2
Lightness
84%
Very light
Saturation
100%
Vivid
Hue
316°
Family
Pinks

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 85

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

Anchor 85 Mauve Very Light

Madeira

Rose Light 0613 81% Good
Plum Ultra Very Light 0607 72% Approx
Rose Very Light 0614 71% Approx
Lavender Very Light 0801 60% Fair
Mauve Very Light 0710 59% Fair

J&P Coates

Lavender Medium Light 4302 48% Fair
Orchid Medium Light 4086 48% Fair
Beauty Rose Light 3001 38% Fair
Violet Light 4104 37% Fair
Orchid Light 4085 30% Fair

Sullivans

Plum Ultra Light 45354 79% Approx
Cranberry Very Light 45140 71% Approx
Violet Very Light 45468 62% Fair
Mauve Light 45358 60% Fair
Dusty Rose Very Light 45466 51% Fair

Cosmo

Cosmo 499 499 74% Approx
Cosmo 112 112 71% Approx
Cosmo 481A 481A 70% Approx
Cosmo 353 353 68% Approx
Cosmo 2480 2480 67% Approx

Classic Colorworks

Spun Sugar Spun Sugar 29% Fair
Miss Madalynn Miss Madalynn 22% Fair
Pink Posey Pink Posey 20% Fair
Amethyst Amethyst 19% Fair
Pixie Dust Pixie Dust 17% Fair

Weeks Dye Works

Sugar Plum (obsolete 2291 43% Fair
Crepe Myrtle 2275 42% Fair
Lavender (obsolete) 2301 34% Fair
Lavender Rose 2289 32% Fair
Lilac 2334 29% Fair

Gentle Art Sampler

Wisteria 0811 41% Fair
Bubblegum 0790 27% Fair
Jasmine 0890 15% Fair
Sweet Petunia 0711 14% Fair
Bluebell 0290 11% Fair

Valdani

Plum ultra light 45 65% Approx
Cranberry very light 557 59% Fair
Violet very light 44 55% Fair
Mauve light O557 51% Fair
Violet light 881 40% Fair

Crescent Colours

Sugar and Spice 040 53% Fair
Bambino 076 33% Fair
Little Pink Peony 121 33% Fair
Organza Pink 022 32% Fair
Spun Sugar 030 31% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 85

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

Color Harmonies for Anchor 85

Anchor threads that pair well with 85, 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

Pinks Family

Anchor 85 in context with nearby shades from the pinks color family.

About Anchor 85

Anchor 85 is the floss known as Mauve Very Light: a highly saturated, light member of the pinks family with orchid-toned tones. The soft and lively character of this shade lends itself well to romantic motifs and blush accents. Stitchers frequently choose it for cherry blossoms and ballet themes in their projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Anchor 85 look like?

Anchor 85 (Mauve Very Light) is a light shade in the pinks family with hex #FFACE9 and RGB 255, 172, 233. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring tulip blooms and cosmetics-themed designs.

Which DMC thread matches Anchor 85?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 85 (Mauve Very Light) is DMC 3609 (Plum ultra light) with a 65% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 605 (Cranberry very light, 59%) and DMC 153 (Violet very light, 55%).

What Anchor colors are similar to 85?

The closest Anchor threads to 85 are 55 Pink Mauve Light (ΔE 6.44), 1094 Pink Medium Light (ΔE 7.39), and 342 Lavender Ultra Very Light (ΔE 8.58). These are useful substitutes when 85 is unavailable or for building gradients.

When should I use Anchor 85?

Reach for Anchor 85 (Mauve Very Light) when your project calls for tulip blooms, cosmetics-themed designs, rose buds, florals. Its light character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 85.