Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Dress Blues |
| SKU | SW 9176 |
| Hex | #2B4360 |
| RGB | 43, 67, 96 |
| HSL | 213°, 38%, 27% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Blue |
About Sherwin-Williams Dress Blues
At LRV 5, Dress Blues is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. Its blue undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Dress Blues earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
Closest matches by brand
11 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all blue from that brand.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Hirshfield's
Annie Sloan
Kompozit
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Dress Blues within Sherwin-Williams's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #2B4360 in HSL space. Pair Dress Blues with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Sherwin-Williams Dress Blues Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Dress Blues from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 9176 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Dress Blues
At Behr, the closest color to Dress Blues is Night Flight (S520-7) — very close at ΔE 2, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Night Flight swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Dress Blues
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Dress Blues is Cefalú Beach (2061-20) — very close at ΔE 3.4, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 8 vs 5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cefalú Beach swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Dress Blues
At Valspar, the closest color to Dress Blues is Nordic Noir (P034) — very close at ΔE 2.16, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5.9 vs 5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Nordic Noir swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Dress Blues
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Beyond The Stars (339-7DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.57). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Dress Blues without repainting risk. See the full Beyond The Stars swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Dress Blues
The closest HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams equivalent of Dress Blues is Dress Blues (HGSW 9176). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). If HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams is your counter, order Dress Blues and you'll get the same color. See the full Dress Blues swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Dress Blues
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Dress Blues is Star-Studded (0620) — very close at ΔE 2.35, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 7 vs 5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Star-Studded swatch →
Annie Sloan Equivalent of Dress Blues
Annie Sloan has no exact twin of Dress Blues. The nearest is Napoleonic Blue (NAPOLEONIC BLUE) at ΔE 4.87 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Napoleonic Blue swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Dress Blues
At Kompozit, the closest color to Dress Blues is Star-Studded (0620) — very close at ΔE 2.35, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Star-Studded swatch →