Aviator jacket: brown and creamBrown leather, cream fleece collar, slate blue shirt, brass zip, black tie.
Canvas tent: khaki and olive drabKhaki canvas, olive drab door flap, tan guy ropes, dark brown pegs, gray groundsheet.
Darning basket: navy and maroonNavy sock, maroon yarn, tan basket, cream thread, brass thimble.
Duffel coat: tan and navyTan wool, navy scarf, dark brown toggles, cream rope loops, gray mittens.
Factory overalls: slate blue and rustSlate blue overalls, rust headscarf, cream blouse, brown boots, charcoal workbench.
Greatcoat: navy and brassNavy wool, brass buttons, charcoal collar, maroon scarf, brown gloves.
Kit bag: olive drab and khakiOlive drab canvas, khaki strap, brass buckle, black stencil letters, cream name tag.
Knitted vest: maroon and mustardMaroon body, mustard wide stripe, navy thin stripe, cream neck band, moss green hem.
Mess tin: olive drab and pale grayOlive drab blanket, pale gray tin, khaki haversack, brown tea, black handle.
Tweed suit: brown and khakiBrown tweed, khaki raincoat, mustard scarf, cream blouse, dark brown shoes.
Show all 50 palettes (40 more)
Kitchen enamel 10
Cake tin: navy on powder bluePowder blue tin, navy lettering, cream sponge, cherry red jam, tan crumbs.
Canister row: cherry red on whiteWhite canisters, cherry red lids, black lettering, butter yellow shelf paper, leaf green wall.
Enamel colander: tomato red on creamCream bowl, tomato red rim, apple green peas, pale gray tap, charcoal sink shadow.
Enamel mug: navy on whiteWhite mug, navy rim, brown tea, tan table, tomato red napkin.
Enamel tabletop: tomato red on whiteWhite top, tomato red edging, jade green cups, tan toast, charcoal chair legs.
Flour bin: leaf green on creamCream bin, leaf green lettering, tan loaf, brown bread board, powder blue cloth.
Mixing bowl: brown on jade greenJade green bowl, brown wooden spoon, cream batter, butter yellow custard jug, white wall tiles.
Pie dish: royal blue on whiteWhite dish, royal blue rim, tan crust, cherry red filling, cream cloth.
Stovetop kettle: black on creamCream kettle, black handle, royal blue gas flame, charcoal stove top, brass whistle.
Striped jug: bottle green on creamCream jug, bottle green band, powder blue checked cloth, tomato red checks, tan table.
Film poster 10
Cartoon matinee: black on yellowYellow background, black lettering, scarlet bow tie, turquoise balloon, white gloves.
Circus picture: cream on scarletScarlet tent, cream lettering, orange banners, ink blue ring, white horse.
Ice revue: midnight blue on turquoiseTurquoise rink, midnight blue lettering, white skates, rose costume, yellow stars.
Jungle picture: yellow on emerald greenEmerald green leaves, yellow lettering, orange tiger, black shadows, cream sky gap.
Musical revue: cream on purplePurple curtain, cream lettering, yellow spotlight, rose gown, black piano.
Mystery picture: yellow on midnight blueMidnight blue street, yellow lettering, cream lamplight, scarlet scarf, black silhouette.
Newsreel: black on creamCream paper, black lettering, scarlet banner, ink blue globe, gray film reel.
Sea adventure: white on tealTeal sea, white lettering, cream sails, scarlet flag, yellow sun.
Slapstick comedy: black on orangeOrange background, black lettering, white custard pie, ink blue suit, yellow stars.
Western matinee: scarlet on buffBuff paper, scarlet lettering, brown horse, orange sunset, ink blue hills.
Garden plot 10
Bean poles: leaf green and tomato redUmber bed, leaf green vines, tomato red flowers, tan poles, sky blue watering can.
Beet row: burgundy and leaf greenUmber soil, burgundy roots, leaf green leaves, plum stems, terracotta pot.
Cabbage patch: pale green and dark greenEarth brown soil, pale green heads, dark green outer leaves, white butterfly, straw yellow path.
Carrot row: orange and leaf greenUmber soil, orange carrots, leaf green tops, tan string line, cream seed label.
Onion bed: apple green and tanEarth brown soil, apple green shoots, tan skins, white roots, rust trowel.
Plot scarecrow: rust and slate blueUmber plot, rust hat, slate blue jacket, straw yellow stuffing, moss green corn rows.
Potato sack: tan and leaf greenUmber earth, tan sack, leaf green stalks, straw yellow potatoes, rust fork handle.
Rhubarb pot: rose and pale greenEarth brown bed, rose stalks, pale green leaves, terracotta pot, dark green hedge.
Seed tin: apple green and creamEarth brown soil, apple green tin, cream packets, orange printed carrot, tomato red printed radish.
Tomato stakes: tomato red and dark greenEarth brown soil, tomato red fruit, dark green leaves, tan stakes, straw yellow twine.
Postwar pastels 10
Baby carriage: powder blue and navyPowder blue blanket, ivory hood lining, mint ribbon, peach teddy bear, navy carriage.
Beach chalet: powder blue and bottle greenPowder blue boards, ivory trim, peach sand, pale aqua sea, bottle green door.
Best china: pale aqua and dark brownPale aqua cups, ivory saucers, dusty pink roses, butter yellow sponge cake, dark brown tray.
Ice cream tricycle: mint and dark brownMint cart, dusty pink ice cream, peach cone, ivory awning, dark brown wheels.
Lemonade pitcher: butter yellow and tealButter yellow lemonade, pale aqua glass, mint leaves, ivory cloth, teal tray.
Nursery wallpaper: lilac and plumLilac paper, ivory lambs, mint leaves, dusty pink bows, plum outline.
Paper dolls: peach and ink bluePeach frock, pale aqua frock, lilac frock, ivory paper, ink blue scissors.
Pier postcard: pale aqua and maroonPale aqua sea, peach sand, butter yellow parasol, ivory border, maroon lettering.
Portable radio: peach and charcoalPeach case, ivory dial, mint knobs, butter yellow dial glow, charcoal grille.
Sundress: dusty pink and navyDusty pink dress, ivory collar, powder blue belt, butter yellow straw hat, navy shoes.
How this list was compiled: Own work, written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-16: palettes of five colors in five looks that go by the name 40s (utility and uniform, kitchen enamel, film poster, garden plot, postwar pastels). Every palette, name, color word and part is our own choice, and so is every hex code except two: olive drab #544F3D and khaki #C3B091 are codes English Wikipedia gives (Olive (color), the swatch headed Olive drab camouflage, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_(color)#Olive_drab; Khaki, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaki). Nothing is sampled from a photograph, a uniform, a poster or a product, and no film, maker, brand or person is named. The facts in the page copy, checked on 2026-10-16 against English Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0): Olive (color) (various shades of olive drab were used on United States Army uniforms in World War II; the web color named olive drab is #6B8E23); Khaki (a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge, used by many armies for uniforms and equipment); Utility clothing, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_clothing (the Utility Clothing Scheme was introduced in the United Kingdom during the Second World War and ran from 1941 until 1952); Victory garden, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden (vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks during World War I and World War II); 1940s, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940s (World War II, 1939 to 1945, which is what postwar means here). That these are the colors of the decade is our own reading; no source is claimed for it. How a strip is ordered: each color is named for its part of one small scene, and the name carries two of the colors; a Kitchen enamel strip starts with the enamel, then the color set against it (a rim, handle, band, lid, edging, lettering or, once, a wooden spoon); a Film poster strip starts with its paper or background; a Garden plot strip starts with the soil; a Postwar pastels strip starts with a pastel and ends on its one dark color. Our own tests, not a standard: a Utility and uniform strip holds olive drab, khaki, navy or slate blue, and none of its colors is strong (a CIE Lab chroma of 60 or less; the poster scarlet, orange and yellow are over 70); the enamel is light (an HSL lightness of 68 percent or more) and its trim contrasts with it by 3 to 1 or more (the WCAG contrast ratio formula, https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/contrast-minimum.html, used as our own threshold); a poster's lettering contrasts with its background by 3 to 1 or more and the strip holds two or more strong inks (an HSL saturation of 55 percent or more at a lightness from 28 to 72 percent); a Garden plot strip holds a green; a Postwar pastels strip holds three or more pastels (a lightness from 68 to 90 percent) and exactly one color at 32 percent or less, which contrasts with the first pastel by 4.5 to 1 or more. Color names are plain English words with no paint maker, pencil brand or color-matching system, and one word is one code everywhere on this list. Checked on 2026-10-16: every code is #RRGGBB, each color word fits the hue and lightness of its code, no palette, name or line repeats, no two palettes share four codes, no two colors of a palette are closer than 8 in CIE Lab, and no palette is on another palette list of this site or of its sister sites. The hex codes are for a screen; with paint, pencils or markers, take the nearest color. Licence: own work
How it works
Shades of olive drab were used on United States Army uniforms in the Second World War, and many armies have worn khaki. A 40s color palette here sets both beside navy, maroon, cream enamel, poster reds and soft pastels.
Read the full guide
Olive drab, khaki and the uniform colors
Olive drab is #544F3D and khaki #C3B091, the codes Wikipedia gives. Navy #1B2846, maroon #5B2025 and mustard #B2872A are our own. Every Utility and uniform strip holds olive drab, khaki, navy or slate blue, and no strong color. Utility is a wartime word: Britain's Utility Clothing Scheme ran from 1941 until 1952.
Enamel, posters, garden plots and pastels
A Kitchen enamel strip starts with the enamel, then the color set against it: Enamel mug is white with a navy rim. A Film poster strip starts with its paper or background, and its name carries the lettering color. A Garden plot strip starts with the soil. Victory gardens were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at homes and in public parks during both World Wars.
Questions and answers
What colors are in a 40s color palette?
Olive drab, khaki, navy and maroon, with mustard, brown, rust and cream. Around them this list sets white and cream enamel with red, green or blue trim, poster scarlet and yellow, garden greens and soft pastels. That these are 40s colors is our own reading.
What is the hex code for olive drab?
Wikipedia gives two: #6B8E23 for the web color named olive drab and #544F3D for olive drab camouflage. This list uses the second, the darker one.
What colors go with olive drab?
Khaki, brass and cream. Kit bag is olive drab canvas with a khaki strap, a brass buckle, black stencil letters and a cream name tag. Mess tin sets an olive drab blanket beside a pale gray tin and brown tea.
What pastel colors are in a 1940s palette?
On this list: dusty pink #E0AEBA, powder blue #AECBE0, mint #B0DDC7, peach #F2C4A6 and butter yellow #F4E29A, with lilac and pale aqua. Each Postwar pastels strip holds three or more and ends on one dark color, such as navy. Postwar means after 1945.