20 Vintage Color Palettes for Kickin’ it Old School

Vintage color palettes are the perfect way to give off a retro vibe. Whether you own a bar or coffee shop, craft handmade goods, or sell services, vintage-style logos create nostalgia, add a traditional look, and give off an old-school aesthetic. Vintage colors can range from vibrant diner scenes to subdued and muted tones captured on film cameras.

With such diversity in color choice, we put together some vintage color palettes to make choosing brand colors a little easier. HEX codes are included as well as suggestions for how to use these palettes in logos or social media graphics. Enjoy!

What are vintage colors? Anything grainy, faded, or muted can look vintage. But what’s most important is the color combinations you use to create an overall vintage look. Look through old posters, records, films, and branding to find great vintage colors.

20 Vintage color palettes for retro branding

We’ll take a deep dive into the various eras of vintage logos, from the dreamy hues of the 60s to the electrifying 90s. Let’s go!

60s color palettes

The 60s are defined by their fun, free-spirited, and retro aesthetic. You’ll find bursts of warm colors pulled from tweed jackets, mustard corduroy, and funky purples. Colors also have a faded effect, inspired by grainy polaroids and disposable cameras of the times past.

1. Havana

a vintage color palettes with pinks and purples

Hex Codes: #f04720 #f4c273 #f7e8c4 #dd9bc6 #9f4282

2. Flower power

Hex Codes: #4E5021, #F298BF, #FCCC13, #E2D6A4, #E6DBCE Source: Petal and groove by Lucy Elliot on Behance

3. Thrift market

Hex Codes: #EBD5B8, #EFBC9C, #EA572A, #0B3F30, #E39828
Source: Hayes Street Marketing by Sydney Michuda on Behance

4. Morning espresso

Hex Codes: #332a1a #7c5b41 #efdcd3 #aa574b #541c13

5. Honey I’m home

vintage color palette with blue and orange

Hex Codes: #669fb2 #dadfe1 #e8b877 #dd802c #3e2a20

6. Rodeo drive

Hex Codes: #f4debe #bfa082 #847b45 #4d675a #f5aa5f

70s vintage color palettes

The 70s were a bit more muted and earthy than the 60s but with the same amount of warmth and clashing. You’ll find browns paired with teals, analogous orange and red, and nature-inspired colors.

7. Sunshine

Hex Codes: #FFD292, #DDBD8E, #CEA17B, #D78050, #F5E3CA Source: El Sol on Behance

8. On the telly

Hex Code: #161514 #b85c3c #e5af7d #fff6e9 #9bceb5

9. Nightcap

Hex Codes: #f7f7f9 #f9dac5 #f3824b #d11802 #421006

10. California dreamin

an airy vintage color palette with beachy colors

Hex Codes: #b78763 #f6dbbc #f9f7f1 #caede3 #d3b94f

11. Shaka

Hex Codes: #020001 #001c4b #8cbeea #9eb291 #ae9068

80s vintage color palettes

The 80s are bold, bright, and all about clashing color combinations. Think of arcades, neon lights, sequins, and disco. On the other hand, you’ll also find muted browns and blues, along with pops of electrifying tones. The 80s were on the cusp of the neutral colors of the 70s and the electrifying palettes of the 90s, it’s experimental, fun, and fearless.

12. Let’s go to the arcade

a vibrant color palette using neon colors

Hex Codes: #f0f14e #6ded8a #1645f5 #ff5f85 #ed3833

13. Retro diner

Hex Codes: #F6CAA8, #F0B91E, #F0A2B5, #D2272B, #FCE097
Source: You’re the Wurst! By Amanda Strom on Behance

14. Home sweet home

Hex Codes: #282121 #8b5939 #eacc81 #dae0da #a0ddfb

15. Don’t you forget about me

Hex Codes: #ef694d #dddb76 #e4f2ef #388895 #42403f

16. Jukebox blues

Hex Code: #553f3a #bb2b2a #fff9e9 #ccdee2 #4b9ab4

90s color palettes

The 90s are defined by two different looks: Fluorescent neon colors that emerged with the burgeoning techno scene and the dark hues of the grunge sub-culture. Mix and match vibrant fluorescent colors with dark mahogany, black, and army green to get a one-of-a-kind look, or lean into one look at a time!

17. Elementary

Hex Codes: #6277bf #cad3ed #ffffff #ff8f8f #e85454

18. Rock & roll

Hex Code: #c1cbf9 #2cd2ee #e4b4ef #e86ce0 #2b0719

19. Rock the casbah

Hex Code: #f7efd8 #f4a24f #c63434 #580f0c #010000

20. Electric avenue

Hex Codes: #E64027, #E6D33D, #2E4C9D, #CEA9AE, #E4DCBE
Source: Riot Kid by Pancho Karambola on Behance

When designing a vintage style logo or graphic, there are some key elements you’ll need to include to secure the look:

A scripted font
Angled or curved text
Faded or worn elements to the container, symbol, or logo font
A consistent color palette
A retro symbol

If you’re looking to capture a sense of adventure, or perhaps a nostalgia for bygone days, a vintage logo is a great way to do just that! We hope these vintage color palettes bring new inspiration to your designs.

If you’re looking for more tips on how to use colors effectively, check out our short 5-minute video below!