Tough Stole Crimson

Old English tōh, firm / tenacious — sharing root with German zäh. As a color modifier, tough implies a saturated-and-resilient quality where the hue resists fading-and-modulation through its strong pigmentation. Sits at the bold-and-resilient end of the grid, parallel to rugged and hardy in usage.

Latin stola, Roman-women's-and-priestly-robe. As a color modifier, stole implies a Roman-women's-and-priestly-robe quality, the visual register of Roman-stola-and-Catholic-priestly-stole hand-Roman-women's-and-priestly-robe Roman-stola-and-Catholic-priestly-stole-and-Anglican-tippet stole-and-Roman-women's-and-priestly-robe surfaces under Roman-stola-and-Catholic-priestly-stole-and-Anglican-tippet Republican-Rome-and-Catholic-Mass-and-Anglican-Vespers Roman-and-Mass-light. Sits at the modifier-and-textile end of the grid, parallel to cope and robe in usage.

From the Old Spanish cremesin, itself from the Arabic qirmiz — the kermes scale insect, dried and ground into a brilliant carmine dye prized in the medieval Mediterranean. For centuries the most expensive red on a draper's shelf, reserved for cardinals, kings, and the cloth that gave English the word crimson. Cooler than scarlet, deeper than rose; the color of pomegranate seeds and a serious occasion.