How to Pick the Best Thread Color
The primary consideration for thread color is whether or not you want the feel of the repair to be consistent with the garment or to stand out and POP. If your repair involves adding a patch, look to the thread to coordinate the garment and the patch.
Below is how we approach it:
Tonal ...Staying within the Color Family
Goal: Make the mend as cohesive as possible with the original garment.
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How to Choose: Pick a thread that is the same value (lightness/darkness) as the fabric.
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Best For: Clean repairs or garments that need a bit of discretion.
Pop ...Designed to Stand Out
Goal: Highlight the mend as a design choice.
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How to Choose: We use a color wheel to pick a thread that is opposite the fabric’s dominant color (e.g., blue denim with orange thread). See some suggestions below.
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Tip: POP works best in simple stitches like running stitch or when the color is the dominant design.
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Best For: workwear, streetwear, visible mending, playful contrasts.
Neutrals, Safe Defaults: Great for Classic or Work Pieces.
Provide flexible options when in doubt.
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How to Choose: Black, white, grey, cream, or navy are “workhorse” threads that adapt to most fabrics.
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Tip: Neutral thread in decorative stitches (like crosshatch or star) lets the pattern shine instead of the color.
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Best For: Can’t decide and want timeless a look.
Color Pairing Grid: Tonal & Pop Examples
Each block shows an example of Tonal (blend) and Pop (contrast) pairings for a base color family.
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Base Color |
Tonal Suggestions |
Pop Suggestions |
|
Blacks / Greys |
Charcoal, Ash Grey, White |
Apple Green, Yellow, Magenta |
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Browns / Tans |
Camel, Beige, Rust, Chocolate |
Turquoise, Teal, Orange |
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Yellows |
Mustard, Goldenrod, Soft Cream |
Purple, Navy, Deep Green |
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Blues (Bright & Navy) |
Sky Blue, Cobalt, Navy |
Orange, Rust, Coral, Yellow |
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Reds / Pinks |
Burgundy, Rose, Soft Blush |
Teal, Emerald, Lime Green |
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Greens |
Olive, Forest, Moss |
Hot Pink, Bright Red, Violet |
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Purples |
Lavender, Eggplant, Plum |
Yellow, Chartreuse, Mint Green |
Denim Patchwork
When the patch itself is denim, we stick with Navy, White, Light Blue or Tonal (the color of the denim). It keeps it neat and a bit traditional. That said, order the color that brings you joy.
As an alternative, if you want to go with a bit of color, opt for a Mend, which has cotton fabric appear from the inside and then coordinate the thread color with the fabric.