Thursday, December 3, 2009

Color In Fashion: Introduction


Color is a very important design element when it comes to fashion. Colors play an important role in our daily lives because of the abundant use of them in the real world. From stop lights to fast food signs, colors have their own ability to make us feel. By changing the color of our surrounding it automatically can have a drastic impact on your mood and attitude. For this reason, as well as many others, color is chosen very carefully when it comes to what to wear.

Color In Fashion: The Design


It all begins at the drawing board for all fashion designers. All of their original drawing are done in black and white so that the design itself can be fully appreciated before any color is added.

Color In Fashion: Adding Design


When the times comes to add color to a design there will be several things that the designer will consider. The shape of the design itself; they want the color to be able to compliment the design while making sure it does not drown out the design all together. Also, who is going to be wearing it; color schemes range for different ages. And finally, what image they want the design to have; changing the color of a piece of clothing can change dramatically impact its first impression.

Red: Powerful and Confident


Red is a very powerful color. Whenever a designer needs to portray confidence they add red to their design. Red can also signify confidence and boost self esteem which is always a necessary attribute with models on the runway. It is also a color that can help ground your energies and keep a stable attitude throughout the day.

Green: Nurturing and Earthy


Green is known to have an overall healing effect among all the colors. Due to it’s nature-like shades it represents seasons and growth. Designers often include green in a new line to signify it’s birth into the fashion world because green represents a new beginning as well as turning over a new leaf.

Blue: Serenity and Calm


Wearing something in blue always tends to have an especially calming effect. Designers often want to create a comforting affect and using blue keeps people in their comfort zones, often reminding them of the ocean. Due to blues relaxing qualities it is often popular to wear different shades of blue to the office, in an attempt to keep things calm in a hectic world.

Black and Gray: Invisibility and Blending In


To every fashion designer, black and gray are fashion basics. The classic black suit or dress pants are casual as well as sophisticated enough to wear for a numerous amount of social settings. There is also the ever popular “little black dress” that, although can make a statement, is often traditional and boring. Wearing black and gray is preferred by funeral goers all around because the colors have a sad dreary effect of such that of a rainy day. These neutral colors will most likely allow you to keep a low-profile so, don’t wear black if you want to stand out.

Orange: Energetic And Creative


Orange is a very bright and exciting color. This high energy color is vibrant and can make any wearer feel quite playful. This color is used quite often on the runway but, in everyday life most people cannot wear this color comfortably because of it’s high intensity. Though don’t be discourage to add orange to your outfit. Orange accessories, such as shoes or a purse, can definitely add a bit of fun to your wardrobe.

Purple: Unique and Special


The color purple will definitely make a statement, especially in shades of violet. It is not often worn as a neutral color and is the obvious wrong choice to wear if you want to fade into the background of society. Purple often sends the messages that you are unique and don’t care about the conformity of the world. Designers use purple to add a special trait to their designs because in ancient times purple was used to signify royalty. So, if you want to feel special, wear purple.

White: Fresh Outlooks. New Beginnings


White often has the impression of clean. Most soap is white, cleaning product bottles. Wearing white represents a cleansing or a new beginning. White often has the effect of giving the feel of starting off with a clean slate. It opens your eyes to a brighter outlook. Popular among the brides who are starting a new chapter in their lives, white signifies a new beginning.

Yellow: Cheerful and Happy


Sunshine has serious healing powers as does the color yellow which is associated with it. Yellow is warm and optimistic. It adds a cheerfulness quality to any outfit. Designers use yellow for fun and happy designs, owing to the fact that it can really perk up an outfit. If you are having a bad day and need a picker-upper, throw on a yellow shirt its sure to cheer you up.

Color In Fashion: Seasons


Just as the seasons change, so do our wardrobes. In an effort to unify color with season we often change the colors of our clothes to match the present weather. This can be comforting and keep us at one with nature. Designers usually have spring and fall lines due to the fact that the fashion trends change according to the upcoming season.

Seasons: Spring

Spring is a time of rebirth and new beginning and is often associated with light and sun. Yellows and greens are often popular during spring due to the fact that the colors surrounding us with the winter snow melting and the leaves budding from the trees. These lighter colors often cover less of our bodies too. T-shirts and shorts that become quite popular in the spring are often much lighter colors than we wear in the winter.

Seasons: Fall

In opposition to spring fall colors are at the complete other end of the spectrum. In fall the temperature gets much colder and we often find ourselves searching for something warmer to wear. Brown is a very popular color in fall because of its warm attributes associated with nature and fur. Deeper colors such as purple and blue become more popular as well because the are darker and the days are shorter owing to less sunlight. We stay inside more and conform more in the winter. Its easy to stick to colors with a low value because we are slowing down ourselves.

Color In Fashion: Conclusion


First impression are everything and when deciding what to wear, think about how a certain color will effect that. Colors can make or break an interview a lot of the time due to the job at hand. Understand how professional jobs call for more neutral colors and how you can still have fun with those by adding a bright color to it can really improve your sense of fashion and your overall day to day appearance.