Fabric Color Advice Please
 

I am trying to figure out if Maroon colored fabric is the same as Burgundy colored fabric.

Thanks
stitchengramie

Well, here are the definitions I could find. Maroon is a bright, rich, deep, or dark red color, depending on which tone of maroon is in question; could also be purplish in color.

Burgundy is a deep shade of red. It is named after Burgundy wine. It can be a deep red, medium red or bright red in color.

So it looks like what separates the two of them is that possible purplish undertone in the Maroon. Otherwise, they are similar, but not likely interchangeable.

I like the definitions, but I think some projects will use all shades of reds.

I think I'll wait to see what others post before I comment and show my age. I haven't seen Maroon used to describe a color for quite some time (doesn't mean it hasn't).

Maroon to me has more black in it than burgundy does

I agree with others. They are different. But I would never choose fabric based on the name in any event. You will find that maroon in one place can be very, very different from maroon in another. Just think about how many shades of red, or blue, you see in the fabric store. All the "named" shades have variations too.

I would have said the opposite. We had a maroon car in the 60's and it was red wine color. I think darker when I think of burgundy.

Maroon, the word as a color name, has been in use since 1791. It is derived from the French word for chestnuts.
Burgundy, as a color word, has been in use since 1915. It is descriptive of the red wines of the Burgundy region of France.

When working with color, the name has very little use unless you are comparing the same product (paint, paper, cloth) from the same manufacturer (Glidden, Hammermill, Kaufman). Pantone has given Maroon the code 18-1619 and Burgundy the code 19-1617.

When you get right down to it, color names are never going to mean the same from one person to the next. All that really matters is an actual color's relationship to the other colors it is hanging out with at the time.

Just wondering why you are trying to nail down a difference between them...care to share? :)

These are the favorite colors of a friend of mine and I want to make a quilt that has maroon, black and gold prints and solids. This is why I want to know the differences between maroon and burgundy.

Burgundy is red. Maroon is purple.