Color— one of my favorite subjects. It has a huge impact on our lives, probably more than we realize. Color meaning is woven into our culture and our colloquialisms. Just for fun, let’s see if you can fill in the blanks. All the answers are colors.
Common English sayings
She was ____________________ with envy.
Since his best friend moved away, he was feeling ____________.
You ____________-bellied coward.
He had to seize this ___________________ opportunity.
She called me out of the ____________ yesterday.
She was tickled _________________.
The burglar was caught ___________-handed.
I only told a _________ lie.
Did you get all of them? I bet you did.
Common Traditions
Let me ask you these questions?
In the US, what color does a bride traditionally wear?
What color do you wear to a funeral?
What is the color of love?
Which colors are soothing?
Will this color increase your appetite?
How can I portray happiness?
Which colors make you look more trustworthy.
Which colors are more authoritative?
What effect to warm colors have on your heart rate?
What color stimulates creativity?
I could go on. In our culture, we have ideas that we associate with color. Brides wear white because it symbolizes purity. Black is the color of death and mourning so we wear it to funerals. We are also affected by color on a subconscious level. It can affect our mood, our appetite, our heart rate, our comfort level. It also affects how we perceive other people and therefore, we can also use it as a tool to shape how other people see us. You just need to learn how to use it to your advantage to convey the message you wish for other people to hear about you.
What is it that you want others to know about you? Do you want to stand out? Blend in? Do you want to look chic? Sporty? Trustworthy? Smart? Creative? Keep all these things in mind when planning your wardrobe, shopping and getting dressed in the morning.
Here is a list of the colors and what they can be worn for.
- White- pure, innocent, clean, organized
- Black- death, secretive, sophisticated, chic, serious, dominating
- Grey- dreary, conservative, boring, but elegant and formal as well.
- Brown-stability, wholesomeness, honesty, strength, growth and accomplishment
- Red- Love, romance, pride, fun, energy, danger, it enhances metabolism and increase respiration and blood pressure
- Pink- romantic, young, sweet, feminine
- Orange- friendly, outgoing, joy, warmth, creativity, success and change.
- Yellow-cheerful, playful, optimism, freshness and it stimulates the mind. On the other hand it also signifies cowardice.
- Green-level headedness, balance, health, nature, approachability. On the other hand, green is associated with money, jealousy and greed. Green is also a very calming color.
- Blue- stable, peaceful, relaxing, trust, wisdom, loyalty, but can come off as lazy and uninteresting.
- Purple- royalty, richness, wealth, imaginative, fun, hope, independence.
- Neutrals-Work well with other colors and rarely evoke feelings or associations of their own.
- Brights-Can be bold and playful. They draw attention.
- Darks- Serious and authoritative. Use darks to blend in or hide yourself or insecurities.
- Pastels- Utilize to look either youtful or sophisticated. Pastels have a sweet quality to them and can be found soothing.
In the end, no matter what your goal or message is that you want to portray today, color is your first trick to pull out of your hat. Going for an interview? Project your smartest self. Giving a presentation of your advertising campaign? Wear the right colors to increase the visibility of your creativity. The sky’s the limit — communicate without ever having to say a word and put your best foot forward.
Click fill out the form below to get my printable Color Meaning Cheat Sheet.
You can also follow my color Pinterest board for more ideas and inspiration.
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