Isn't it strange how certain colours hold different meanings?
For instance pink is thought of as a girls colour and blue is thought of as a boys colour. Why is this? Well like I have mentioned before in a previous post, it is all about society and how we created these meanings ourselves. We see these as our norm and we stick to them. Breaking these unwritten 'rules' can get you a lot of negative remarks but really we should be able to wear whatever we want without being judged. You may be wondering what other colours have meanings apart from the known blue and pink, well pretty much every colour has a meaning to it that our world has created. Here are a few examples:
White:
White has always been seen as a very elegant beautiful colour. It represent purity and wholeness which is why it is traditional to wear a white dress on your wedding day as it is suppose to symbolise how you have saved yourself for your husband. It is also seen as a very godly colour used in representation of goddesses and angles. This shows innocence and kindness.
Black:
On the other end of the colour spectrum is black, with complete opposite meanings. Black is often refeed to as a very dull, dark gothic colour. Goths are often associated with depression, self harm and rebellion. In movies you always see the evil characters wearing dark colours as it is associated with strength, mystery and aggression. Black is also associated with death which is why people wear black to a funeral as a sign of respect. However, with all these meanings people also wear black as a sign of authority and sophistication. In the workplace black is often a popular colour as we respect and look up to people wearing a black suit or black dress. Strange right?
Red:
The colour red has many different meanings behind it. The most popular use of the colour in fashion is to show love, passion, romance and to feel sexy. Many people often wear a figure-hugging red dress to events or to feel sexy. Red underwear is often seen to be the most sexy and romantic. Think about Valentines Day... You see red everywhere. On cards, presents, flowers, clothes, etc. However, the colour red can often has a very different meaning. It can be used as a way of showing rage, angry, danger and the devil. Although, red is also a very comforting joyful colour associated with Christmas. We get a sense of cosiness and happiness from the colour around this time of the year so its strange for it to have such opposite.
Grey:
The colour grey is one that is quite emotionless. People don't tend to feel emotions or connections to the colour like they would with others. However, the colour if often seen as dull, dirty and basic but is also seen as sophisticated and formal. If someone was to ask me what word comes to mind when they say the colour grey, I would say work attire. Grey has always been used as a basic work attire colour. It's often seen as sophisticated and great for formal work events and meetings.
Yellow:
Yellow is often viewed as a bright, joyful, happy colour. We often associate this colour with the sunshine and summer which often brings the most happiness to people. People often have the most fun in the summer such as at festivals, weddings and parties so this colour is thought to bring fun and joy to anyone who wears it. You just feel instantly more uplifted and happy when you put on something yellow.
Pink:
Like I said earlier, pink is thought of as a girly colour and not many boys are brave enough to wear it. Pink is often seen as a cute, girly feminine colour but can also be seen as a 'dumb' colour. You often find that in movies they put the 'dumb' girly fashionista in pink clothing with a full pink bedroom. This is because we have created this meaning for the colour. You may also find that pink is seen as quite a young colour. Some people associate it with babies or young children bit not as much in adults. Sometimes people judge you if you wear baby pink clothing as an adult because of this.
Purple:
If you think about it purple is quite an unpopular colour in fashion. Not many people wear purple clothing nowadays. You defiantly saw it in the 70s and 80s but not so much now. The colour is often associated with royalty, wisdom, pride and mystery. If you were asked to draw a wizard I bet you would give him a purple cloak, am I right? The sense of magic and mystery behind a wizard gives the colour purple this meaning.
Silver:
I bet you wouldn't really think that silver has a meaning behind it. Well like all the others it definitely does. It is often thought of as a sleek, high-tech colour especially in technology but in relation to fashion it has a different meaning. It is seen as glamourous, elegant and graceful. Especially when you add gorgeous gems and sparkle into the mixture.
Gold:
It's mad really to think how powerful our society really is. We created all these meanings by repetition and passing them down to other generations. There are no set rules about the meanings and who should be wearing what colours but we have generated these norms and thoughts ourselves. Next time you go to buy something or put on an outfit think about how it makes you feel and why you chose that outfit. I bet most of you will self consciously make your decision on the colour of the outfit and the meanings behind it. However, be yourself and wear whatever makes you happy. If your a female and want to wear blue, wear blue. If your a male and want to wear pink, wear pink. No one can stop you or punish you for wearing a certain colour. If it makes you happy don't worry about the meanings and thought behind it, just go with your instinct and what makes your feel good.
I hope you leant a bit more about the symbolic meanings behind the colours we wear everyday. If you like these discussion posts then head back every Friday for more. See you back here soon...
Emma Victoria
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