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Sadd colors

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The subject of "A fair Puritan" wearing typical subdued "sadd" colors.

Sadd colors or sad colors were the colors of choice for the clothing of the members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in seventeenth century America ("sadd"/ "sad" carried the meaning of "seriousness" rather than "sorrowfulness"). The Puritans have often been depicted wearing simple black and white, but for them, the color "black" was itself considered too bold for regular use and was reserved for community elders and for highly formal occasions such as when having one's portrait painted. Black was considered so formal in part because black dye was difficult to obtain and black clothing had a tendency to fade to other colors rather quickly. The Puritans, then, designated a set of deliberately subdued colors which they called "sadd", for their everyday use.

Colors

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Portraits, especially of colonial officials and clergy, disproportionately showcase black clothing.

This list includes colors designated in Puritan Massachusetts, but is not exhaustive.[1][2]

Example Swatches

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Liver
#6C2E1F

Rust
#B7410E

Puce
#CC8899

Russet
#80461B

Lincoln Green
#195905

Gridolin
#80667B

Kendall Green
#527564

Tawney
#A67B5B

Philly Mort
#9E7824

References

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  1. ^ David Hackett Fischer (14 March 1991). Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. Oxford University. pp. 100–102. ISBN 978-0-19-974369-8.
  2. ^ John A. Grigg (2008). British Colonial America: People and Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-59884-025-4.