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Literary notes about puce (AI summary)

In literature, puce often emerges as a distinctive, somewhat ambiguous hue that lends a refined yet understated character to fabrics and apparel. Authors have used it to evoke both elegance and a hint of decay, as when a character dons a "puce‐coloured taffety riding-coat" [1] or when remnants of a "puce coat" linger in sentimental rings [2]. Modern texts, too, find merit in the unusual color—Joyce famously having a character request "puce gloves" [3]—thereby ensuring puce remains a subtle marker of style and nuance. Overall, puce serves not merely as a color but as a literary device that enriches descriptions by balancing vitality with a wistful, muted charm.
  1. Over one arm hung a riding-coat of puce-coloured taffety.
    — from Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 65, No. 403, May, 1849 by Various
  2. ubi supra. ) sells locks of the hair: fractions of the puce coat are long after worn in rings.
    — from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle
  3. I want puce gloves and green boots.
    — from Ulysses by James Joyce

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